Odwin second at South American Champs

Four rounds of the South American Open Golf Championship were insufficient to separate Barbados’ Emily Odwin from Luisamariana Mesones, as the Peruvian held on to win an intense playoff on Sunday at the Nordelta Golf Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Odwin was incredibly consistent over 72 holes, shooting under par on all four days, and held the lead up until late on the final day. She ended shooting 280 (71, 69, 70, 70) for the tournament. Mesones was one over par on the opening day, but improved steadily as the competition wore on. The Peruvian shot two-under 70 on Day 2, then 69 and 68 to tie her Barbadian rival on the final two holes.

After birdies on holes 1, 6, 8, 10 and 13, Odwin appeared to be on course for a clear victory, but Barbados’ Senior Female Athlete of the Year for 2025 had a double bogey on the 16th, and a bogey on the 18th, with Mesones recording a birdie on the 17th to help set up the playoff.

On the first run on the 13th hole, Odwin and Mesones tied again, but the South American won on the second try, topping the field of 63.

It was Odwin’s second playoff loss in recent months.

Odwin, a student-athlete at Southern Methodist University, last year became the first player from Barbados to ever compete in a U.S. Women’s Open. 

The 21-year-old from St James lost in a playoff at the Women’s Amateur Latin America championship last November at PGA Riviera Maya in Mexico. Earlier in the year, she finished sixth at the 2025 Australian Amateur Open.

(St Lucia Times/TF)