St. Augustine native sofia-rivera-embracing-her-first-090317858.html">Sofia Rivera had a rough start to her first U.S. Women’s Open round on June 4 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
But a late dinner may go down easier after she played the front nine (her back) at 1-under par with a closing birdie at the par-4 ninth hole.
Rivera, at 16, the youngest First Coast resident to play in a USGA National Open, finished with a 4-over 74 and is in a tie for 104th, eight shots behind leader Jennifer Kupcho. Rivera is being caddied by her uncle, two-time PGA Tour winner Russell Knox.
Rivera, the Times-Union girls’ high school player of the year and FHSAA Class 3A state champion in 2025, bogeyed her first two holes and then doubled the par-4 14th hole. She then bogeyed the next par-3, No. 16 and shot 5-over 41 on the back nine.
However, she made her first birdie at the par-5 first hole on a putt of 2 feet, 2 inches, and shook off her final bogey of the day at No. 3 with five pars in a row and then a birdie at the ninth, on a putt of 3-9.
Rivera found the putting surface despite missing her 10th fairway of the day at the last. She hit only six greens but saved herself from an even higher score with only 26 putts.
Rivera, playing with another amateur, University of Missouri junior Addie Dobson and professional Natsumi Hayakawa of Japan, will tee off No. 1 at 11:46 a.m. on June 5.
Rivera will begin the day two shots off the cut line.
