José Marin Co-Leads After Augusta National Women's Amateur Opener

The Arkansas junior carded a bogey-free 65 to share the first-round lead.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 10:50pm

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Arkansas junior golfer Maria José Marin fired a 7-under 65 to grab a share of the lead after the opening round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Marin's bogey-free round matched Korea's Soomin Oh atop the 72-player field, marking the lowest scoring day in the history of the championship.

Why it matters

Marin's strong performance puts her in prime position to make the cut (top 30 and ties) for the second time in four appearances at the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur. As one of the top collegiate golfers in the country, a win or high finish would be a major accomplishment for the Razorback standout.

The details

Marin started on the back nine and birdied every third hole to reach 3-under par. She then birdied Nos. 1 and 2 to take the outright lead, before adding two more birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 to finish at 7-under. Marin hit 14 of 18 fairways and all 18 greens while staying patient with her decisions.

  • Marin's group, which includes Stanford's Paula Martin Sampedro (-1, T23) and past champion Anna Davis (-1, T23) from Auburn, tees off at 8:55 a.m. CT from hole No. 1 at Champions Retreat on Thursday.
  • The top 30 and ties on the leaderboard after Thursday's second round will advance to Saturday's third and final round at Augusta National Golf Club.

The players

Maria José Marin

An Arkansas junior golfer from Cali, Colombia who carded a bogey-free 65 to grab a share of the lead after the opening round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Soomin Oh

A Korean golfer who also shot a 7-under 65 to tie Marin for the first-round lead.

Reagan Zibilski

An Arkansas senior golfer who sits at the projected cut line of even par after the first round.

Sara Brentcheneff

An Arkansas freshman golfer who shot 5-over par in the opening round.

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What they’re saying

“I think I can build a really good strategy around this place, and that's what I did, along with my coach and my dad. We talked about it a lot yesterday. They told me, 'You know the place, you know what you're doing, just trust yourself, trust your game, and just be you.'”

— Maria José Marin

What’s next

The top 30 and ties on the leaderboard after Thursday's second round will advance to Saturday's third and final round at Augusta National Golf Club.

The takeaway

Marin's impressive opening round puts her in prime position to make the cut and compete on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, a major accomplishment for the talented Razorback junior. Her performance highlights the growing depth and competitiveness of women's college golf.