The 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur wasted no time producing a leaderboard worthy of one of the deepest fields in championship history.

By the end of Wednesday’s opening round at Champions Retreat, Colombia’s Maria Jose Marin was no longer alone at the top. South Korea’s Soomin Oh closed with a matching 7-under 65, creating a share of the first-round lead and giving the championship an immediate international edge.

Marin, the reigning NCAA individual champion and one of the steadiest players in the field, posted a bogey-free round built on patience and precision. Her 65 featured birdies at Nos. 1, 2, 8, 9, 12, 15, and 18, the kind of polished start that immediately put the rest of the field on notice in a 54-hole championship where fast starts matter.

But as the final scores came in, Oh matched her. The South Korean standout surged into a tie for first with a 65 of her own, turning a solo lead into a co-lead and reshaping the top of the board before the day was officially complete.

One shot back at 6-under 66 were Vanessa Borovilos, Asterisk Talley, and Andrea Revuelta, giving the opening round a tightly packed group of contenders. Talley, last year’s runner-up, again looked comfortable in the spotlight, while Revuelta helped reinforce the Stanford storyline that loomed over the championship from the start.

For Talley, the opening round felt like a continuation of unfinished business. The 17-year-old American posted a 66 highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 18th, a closing punch that immediately pushed her into the center of the title conversation. After falling by a single shot in 2025, she arrived in Georgia with one of the week’s strongest narratives, and her first round only added to it.

Revuelta, the Stanford star and World Amateur Golf Ranking No. 3, also opened with 66, further strengthening the idea that the Cardinal roster could dominate this championship. Fellow Stanford standout Meja Örtengren stayed close with a 5-under 67, joined there by Raegan Denton and Amelie Zalsman.