Sofia Rivera Finishes First U.S. Women's Open Round with Late Birdie

St. Augustine's Sofia Rivera began her debut round at the U.S. Women's Open on June 4 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, facing early challenges. However, she managed to end on a high note, finishing the front nine of her round at 1-under par with a birdie on the final hole, the par-4 ninth.

At just 16 years old, Rivera is the youngest player from the First Coast to compete in a USGA National Open event. She concluded her round with a score of 4-over 74, placing her in a tie for 104th, trailing the leader Jennifer Kupcho by eight strokes. Rivera is receiving support on the course from her uncle, Russell Knox, a two-time PGA Tour champion, who is acting as her caddie.

Rivera had a challenging start, recording bogeys on her first two holes and suffering a double bogey on the par-4 14th. Her struggles continued with another bogey on the par-3 16th, leading to a back nine score of 5-over 41. Despite this rocky beginning, she found her rhythm, making her first birdie on the par-5 first hole and rebounding from a bogey at No. 3 with five consecutive pars followed by a birdie at the ninth, which she sank from 3 feet 9 inches.

Throughout the round, Rivera's accuracy was tested, as she missed ten fairways but managed to hit six greens in regulation. Her putting was commendable, as she recorded only 26 putts, which helped her avoid a higher score.

Looking ahead, Rivera is set to tee off for her second round on June 5 at 11:46 a.m., playing alongside University of Missouri junior Addie Dobson and professional Natsumi Hayakawa from Japan. She will start the day two strokes shy of the cut line.