Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, April 29, 2026.– María José Marín, champion of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, earned a spot in the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba through a sponsor exemption.
For “Majo,” being here is a privilege. She understands the value of competing alongside top professional players and expects a week full of learning experiences.
Winning at Augusta was a dream come true, a title that followed her victory at the Women’s Amateur Latin America late last year. Still, she recognizes that playing a course like El Camaleón, alongside professionals “who usually have impeccable games,” is a major challenge.
“I feel that in every professional tournament I’ve played, I’ve learned a little each week. A very important step for me would be improving my short game. Professionals have an absolutely impeccable short game. Every time they’re off the green, they’re always close to the hole or making par. That’s one of the biggest differences I see,” she explained.
She also noted that preparing for amateur tournaments is very different from preparing for professional ones. “At the amateur level, sometimes we take things a bit lightly—going to practice rounds and maybe not paying as much attention. But professionals approach everything with total focus and concentration,” she added, referring to areas she still aims to improve.
Regarding the mental aspect, Marín emphasized its importance: “It’s something that isn’t talked about enough in golf, but for me, the mental side is 70% of the game. You can have perfect technique, but if you’re not in the right mental space, the round just won’t be good—you won’t have that level of confidence.”
As a Latin American player, María José knows she will attract attention, something she chooses to embrace as motivation. “Since I was very young, there’s always been that idea that ‘one day you’ll be on tour, you’ll be the best.’ I take all of that as motivation. I’ve always used those words to push myself, to become a better player and a better person every day.”
