Match play bracket, pairings set at 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Maria Jose Marin is close to home this week.

The sophomore from Arkansas is only an hour and a half from campus in Fayetteville, and she is playing like she’s comfortable and familiar with the sweltering conditions through the first two days.

Marin, from Colombia, earned medalist honors after consecutive rounds of 2-under 69 helped her finish at 4 under after stroke play. On Tuesday, she had a chip-in birdie on the par-4 fourth hole and added birdies at Nos. 11 and 13.

“Competing against 156 of the best players in the world, you just get here hoping to make the cut,” Marin said. “Being one of the top seeds means a lot to me. It means that my game is really at it’s top. I still have to think about tomorrow. Everything’s not done yet, so I still have to keep playing well.”

More USWA: This U.S. Women’s Amateur competitor got into field Monday as an alternate and arrived to her tee time with 14 minutes to spare

The second-team All-American as a freshman won the Blessings Collegiate, recorded two runner-up finishes and was named SEC Freshman of the Year. She came into the week winning her last event at the Colombian Open by 18 shots.

With her dad on the bag, Marin is cruising into match play, where she’ll be looking for a signature win to add to her resume.

“He knows me, he’s my coach and we get along pretty good, so I think we made the right decisions to score well,” Marin said. “It’s a really good golf course for match play. You have to be very smart with your decisions. If you have the right yardage and a good pin, you can make lots and lots of birdies.”