Korean national team member Oh Su-min (18, Hana Financial Group) has taken the first-round lead at the Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA), hosted by Augusta National Golf Club.
Oh carded a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 with seven birdies at Champions Retreat Golf Club (par 72) in Evans, Georgia, on Tuesday to share the lead with Maria Jose Marin of Colombia, who also collected seven birdies. Oh birdied all four par-5 holes, with the round unfolding exactly according to her game plan. The co-leaders hold a one-stroke advantage over the third-place group.
"My driver and putting were working well," Oh said after the round. "All the par-5 holes are reachable in two, so they're birdie opportunities. After this tournament, I'll compete in the U.S. Women's Open qualifying in Japan, and in October I'll enter the LPGA Tour Q-School."
Oh is widely regarded as a "super prospect" poised to lead the next generation of Korean women's golf. She made a name for herself among golf fans by finishing solo third at the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2024, where she held the solo lead by three strokes through three rounds. With a clubhead speed exceeding 100 mph, she launches drives approaching 300 yards and aggressively uses her driver off the fairway. She also showed her presence this year with a tied-10th finish at the Rejuran Championship, the KLPGA Tour's season opener. She has gained regular experience on the KLPGA Tour through amateur invitations.
The ANWA is a tournament established in 2019 by Augusta National, host of the Masters, to support women's amateur golfers worldwide. After two rounds, players who make the cut play the final third round at Augusta National Golf Club, the same course that hosts the Masters. Oh is competing in the event for the second consecutive year but failed to make the cut last year, experiencing Augusta National GC only through a practice round. This year, her opening-round birdie barrage has raised expectations that she will get to compete on Augusta National GC in a competitive round.
Among other Korean players in the field, Kim Gyu-bin sits in a tie for 12th at 3-under par, while Park Seo-jin is tied for 15th at 2-under. Yang Yun-seo, who in February became the first Korean to win the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP), opened with a 1-over-par round and is tied for 40th.