Sofia Riviera posts closing birdie to shoot 69 in U.S. Junior Girls

Sofia Rivera of St. Augustine got off to a good start in the first round of the U.S. Junior Girls Amateur on July 13 at the Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C.

Riviera, the Florida Times-Union's high school girls player of the year in 2025 and a rising senior at Beachside High School, made six birdies and shot 3-under-par 69 to finish six shots behind leader Amelia Harris of Australia, who birdied her last six holes and shot 8-under 28 on the back nine. Rivera is tied for sixth.

Rivera birdied Nos. 2, 4 and 9 on the front. She swapped birdies at Nos. 10 and 12 with bogeys at Nos. 13 and 15, but closed with a birdie at the par-4 18th hole.

Rivera's caddie is her uncle, two-time PGA Tour winner Russell Knox.

When does Sofia Rivera play next?

Rivera will tee off at No. 10 at Old Chatham at 12:55 p.m. on July 14. She is three shots clear of the cut line to make match play. The top 64 players will advance on July 15.

Riviera has experience in USGA national championships. She played in the 2025 U.S. Women's Four-Ball last year with Sahana Chokshi of Jacksonville and in June became the youngest player in First Coast history to qualify for a U.S. Women's Open when she played at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Sofia Riviera posts closing birdie to shoot 69 in U.S. Junior Girls