In the opening round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat, Arkansas junior Maria Jose Marin and 17-year-old Soomin Oh of South Korea shared the lead at 7-under 65, with Marin making a strong comeback from last year’s missed cut. Asterisk Talley, last year’s runner-up, shot 66 after an eagle on the par-5 18th, while eight players finished at 67 or lower, and 31 broke par in ideal conditions. The second round will determine which top 30 players advance to the final round at Augusta National on Saturday. U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Megha Ganne struggled with a 77, marking a tough start for her in the prestigious tournament.
