Maria Jose Marin is certainly a name to watch out for in the women’s game, after soaring to success in the amateur events over the past couple of years.
The 19-year-old from Colombia is currently ranked fourth on the amateur circuit, but that could all change pretty quickly as she heads for victory at Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) this weekend.
After winning the 2025 NCAA Individual Championship, Marin was always going to be a hot ticket for big events like this one.
And, with her looking likely to pick up the prestigious win at Augusta, we decided to dig into the story behind her caddie, Darren Woo.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Incredibly, Marin and Woo have only been working together for two weeks.
Woo, who is a 56-year-old father of five is a local firefighter in the Savannah River Site Fire Department.
He’s also now the caddie for Marin, after helping her and two other golfers at Champions Retreat in March 2026. After he and the young golfer clicked, Marin asked her coach, Shauna Taylor, what she should do, and was advised to lock him in as her permanent caddie as quickly as possible.
Woo has caddied at Champions Retreat for the past six years now, but after doing a little bit of research on Marin, he decided to accept her offer to take on a role alongside her.
Discussing the benefit of having Woo on the bag, Marin said (via Golf Week): “He’s been pretty good in keeping me calm the whole week [at ANWA]. I think it’s been a key into my great game.”
Woo has no prior experience of the Augusta National course, until now. Now, in his first outing at the famous venue, he could walk away with a huge victory if he can help Marin navigate the final few holes without a hiccup.
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