Ducks Golfer Kiara Romero Tied For Lead Through Two Rounds At Augusta National Women’s Amateur
Oregon Athletics media release –
Romero – the No. 5 ranked amateur in the world – enters the final round at 9-under par, tied with top-ranked amateur and defending Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Lottie Woad of Florida State. The pair will tee off at 7:20 a.m. PT on Saturday, with live coverage on NBC at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Three players are tied for third place at 8-under par, one stroke behind Romero and Woad, and two are tied for sixth at 7 under, setting up an exciting finish on Saturday.
Romero fired a 5-under 67 in Wednesday’s opening round, including a 4-under 32 on the front nine. She made seven total birdies against just two bogeys and was tied for third following the opening 18 holes.
Playing in the early wave on Thursday, Romero started her day with a birdie on No. 10 and was 3 under without a bogey at the turn. She got to 4 under with a birdie at No. 3 before making a double bogey at No. 4 and a bogey at No. 5, but she bounced back with a par on No. 6 before making three straight birdies to close her round with a 4-under 68.
“I feel like I have a lot more control over the mental side of it,” Romero said after the round. “I had a double and a bogey back-to-back on 4 and 5, so I didn’t let that get to me at all. I actually ended up birdieing the last three holes. So I feel like that kind of shows the way my game has matured from last year.”
Romero is competing at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur for the second year in a row, after missing the cut for the final round in 2024 following a 71-78 performance in the first two rounds.
All of the participants – which includes Oregon freshman Suvichaya Vinijchaitham, who missed the cut at 8 over – will get a chance to play a practice round at Augusta National on Friday before the top 32 compete in the final round on Saturday.
“I think already being there once kind of lets me know what I’m preparing for and stuff,” Romero said. “I’m definitely going to enjoy the moment being there, but just going to try to do my best to take notes of the course and see where are the good spots and create a good game plan for Saturday.”
Romero is joined this week by her sister, Kaleyia, who is currently a graduate assistant for the Ducks and is caddying for Kiara this weekend in Augusta. Romero will have a choice as to whether or not she keeps her sister on the bag or goes to a local caddie for the final round, but acknowledged how special it has been sharing the experience together.
“I’m thinking about having my sister stay on the bag, but we’re just going to go out tomorrow, have a local caddie and her kind of walk with me throughout it,” Romero said. “I’ll just go from there.