Plata Wins Women’s Amateur LatAm Golf Champs

Sunday’s final day of play at the Women’s Amateur Latin American Championship saw quite the shake-up as Valery Plata came from behind to win the inaugural edition of the event, surprising everyone, including new online bookies. Presented by the Royal & Ancient and the ANNIKA Foundation, and played at the Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires, the event proved a stunning success.

Plata entered the final round trailing 15-year-old Maria Jose Marin Negrete by two strokes before shooting a final round 71 and finishing at 12-under 276. This saw her reign victorious over her country-mate by a phenomenal from-behind two strokes. 

Negrete worked her magic for her two-stroke lead after she had shot a birdie at the 11^th hole. Plata however wasted no time turning the momentum tables around in her own favour with her own birdie shot on the par-4 number 12 hole. This she followed up by an eagle on the 13^th hole, which trumped Negrete’s own couple of bogeys on the holes in question.

By then a single stroke in the lead, Plata sealed the deal on her golf victory with four of the last five holes perfectly parred.

Future Bright For Plata

The big victory saw Plata secure exempted berths into two of the five women’s golf Majors next year, namely The Amundi Evian Championship, and the AIG Women’s Open. New online bookies are sure to keep an eye on her now, as are golf betting enthusiasts.

Plata was one of only three Spartans to have competed in the event. The tournament convenes together the 60 best Latin American female golfers in the world. Plata was joined by Nina Rissi (Spain) and Valentina Rossi (Argentina).

16 countries competed in the inaugural LatAm event, including Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, the (US) Virgin Islands, Venezuela, and Chile.

Colombians Dominate The Field

Plata and Negrete emerged a dominating Colombian duo on the field and were the only two players to break par four times or more at the Blue and White course.

Finishing in third place had been Valentina Rossi with twelve shots behind Plata. Coming in three shots further back on a three-over-par total of 291 had been fellow Argentine golfer Maria Cabanillas, whose performance proved more than good enough for her fourth-place finish.

Sharing fifth place on four over par 292 had been Valeria Mendizabal of Guatemala and Maria Alejandra Hoyos Villegas of Colombia.

Plata said after her big golf win that while it had been a tough day’s worth of play, she’s very happy to have played the way that she did. She said the win has still not really sunk in for her, but for those who bet on the event, it surely has.