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Women's Amateur Latin America
Temelo excited to defend Women’s Amateur Latin America title at home
17 Nov 25
4 mins
Clarisa Temelo is relishing the opportunity to defend the Women’s Amateur Latin America (WALA) championship on home soil in Mexico this week (20-23 November).
The 19-year-old produced a dominant display in Peru last year, winning the fourth edition of the championship by six shots in the nation’s capital at Lima Golf Club. Fittingly for the defending champion, Mexico is hosting the WALA for the first time this week at spectacular PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum following last year in Lima and three previous stagings at Pilar Golf in Argentina. Presented by The R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation, the championship will feature its strongest ever field with 60 players representing 14 countries as talent, experience and the rising stars of Latin American women’s golf compete on the region’s most prestigious amateur stage.Career turning point
This week’s WALA features 14 players ranked inside the top 300 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), reflecting the steady growth of women’s golf across Latin America in recent years. “Winning the Women’s Amateur Latin America championship marked a turning point in my career,” said Temelo, the University of Arkansas student who played in two majors this season thanks to her triumph – The Chevron Championship and The Amundi Evian Championship. “Playing in the majors was like living a dream. I’m really happy to compete in my home country. I don’t want that to be pressure but rather inspiration, and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.” The first Mexican player to win the WALA, currently ranked 62 on WAGR®, added, “PGA Riviera Maya is a very challenging course and I’m looking forward to seeing what tests it will bring.”
PGA Riviera Maya in Mexico will play host to the 2025 WALA.
Exemption opportunities
This year’s winner will earn exemptions to compete alongside the stars of professional women’s golf in three major championships next year: the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes (England), The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods (USA), and The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club (France). The winner will also receive an exemption to The Women’s Amateur Championship at Muirfield in 2026, an invitation to the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex (subject to age eligibility), as well as the 2026 South American Amateur Championship. The field includes a blend of experienced competitors – many returning from previous editions and top-ten finishers in 2024 – alongside 20 players making their championship debut.Marín hopes
María José Marín from Colombia returns to the championship after finishing runner-up in the first two editions. Aged 19, she is the highest-ranked player in the field at eighth on WAGR® and has enjoyed an outstanding season competing as Junior for the University of Arkansas. She won the NCAA Division I Women’s National Championship, played in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur for the third time and competed in two majors in 2025 — the US Women’s Open and The Amundi Evian Championship. Marín also claimed the South American Amateur Championship title. “I’m very excited to play the Women’s Amateur Latin America championship again,” she said. “I feel that my golf is in a great place. I’ve had some good results this season, which has given me a lot of confidence. I’ve heard excellent things about PGA Riviera Maya and I’m sure it will be a great challenge for all the players.” Emily Odwin, the runner-up last year, returns for a fifth appearance in the championship. Odwin, 21, made history this year by becoming the first golfer from Barbados to qualify for a major, earning her place in the US Women’s Open. In her final year as a Senior at Southern Methodist University, she recorded five top-ten finishes, including finishing second at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship. Antonia Matte I and Augustina Gomez Cisterna from Chile, Colombia’s Silvia Margarita Garces Escalante and Maria Salinas from Peru are other notable players aiming to contend.
A strong field of 60 players from 14 countries will play at the WALA in 2025.