Three players share the lead at the halfway stage of the Women’s Amateur Latin America (WALA) championship, as Emily Odwin, María José Marín and Daniela Paez vie for the coveted title at PGA Riviera Maya.

The trio sit on four-under-par at the top ahead of an exciting weekend in Mexico for the 72-hole championship, presented by The R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation.

Odwin, 21, finished in style in the hot conditions to sign for a 70 for the second day running. The Barbados player, who competed with Marin in the US Women’s Open in the summer, enjoyed back-to-back birdies at the 17^th and 18^th as she aims to go one better in the championship after her runner-up finish in Peru last year.

Odwin said, “Today was a grind and I think that speaks to the test of this golf course for us and the condition it’s in. I’m happy with the way I finished and the way I stuck in there today as I kept giving myself chances.

“It was important to manage the heat today and take care of yourself, making sure I was hanging in there physically too. I have good nerves and having nerves means you have a chance to win a golf tournament. I’m just going to have fun the next two days and see what I can do.”

While Odwin made a late surge – her approach at the 18^th lipped out for eagle – overnight leaders Marin and Paez both bogeyed the final hole after eventful rounds.

As the top player in the field at eighth on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), Marín, 19, impressively carded six birdies but also had two bogeys and a double bogey at the par-3 15^th in her 71. Marin’s Colombia team-mate Paez, 18, posted three birdies and two bogeys in her 71 as she continued her bid for success.

Marín added, “The round was kind of a rollercoaster. I had a lot of birdies but I did have a lot of big numbers I wanted to avoid. I’m just going to keep my head up for tomorrow. Overall, it was still a one-under round with everything that happened out there. I just need to stay patient.

“I had a bad bounce on the par-3 15^th that cost me the double bogey and then maybe I need to work on some course management that will allow me to convert the bogeys into pars. But my putting has been really strong overall and my second shots have been good too.”

Paez said, “I had fun out there. It was more of a consistent round and the course was great. I feel I have to give all my attention to the shot at hand and focus on my strategy. I work on my focus a lot. I like competition and want to keep having fun and giving my best.”

Alexa Saldana, 21, from Mexico put together a solid round of 70 featuring birdies at the 7^th, 9^th and 16^th to be well-placed on two-under in fourth place.

Chile’s Augustina Gomez Cisterna is in contention on level par after a 70, alongside Luana Valero from Colombia following her 73. Defending champion Clarisa Temelo from Mexico posted a second successive 73 to sit on two-over in ninth place.

This week’s WALA in Tulum features its strongest ever field with 60 players representing 14 countries in pursuit of the prestigious amateur title.

Chile’s Michelle Melandri highlighted her second round 77 with a hole-in-one at the par-3 17^th.

Annika Sörenstam has arrived in Mexico and will enjoy the action at PGA Riviera Maya through the weekend, as well as host a golf clinic, as the championship breaks new ground being staged in Mexico for the first time this week.

“This stunning destination provides an incredible stage for showcasing the region´s top talent and we are deeply grateful to PGA Riviera Maya for their generous support in hosting this year´s championship,” said Sörenstam. “Thanks to our long lasting partnership with The R&A, we are proud to continue expanding the reach of this championship by bringing it to new regions across Latin America.”

The winner this week will play alongside the stars of women´s professional golf through exemptions into three major championships in 2026 –  the AIG Women’s Open, The Chevron Championship and The Amundi Evian Championship.

The Women’s Amateur Latin America championship follows the successful introduction of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship by The R&A in 2018.

Its aim is to strengthen the pathway to the very highest levels of golf by providing a platform for the region’s best women’s amateur golfers to compete against each other, with the average age of the field this week just under 20.

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