Maria Jose Marin wins Augusta National Women's Amateur after Asterisk Talley meltdown

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Maria Jose Marin allowed herself to picture what it would be like to walk up the 18th hole as the first Colombian winner at Augusta National, and it was everything she dreamed.

Asterisk Talley never imagined the nightmare that helped make it possible Saturday in the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Marin stuck to her plan of staying close until a moment that changed everything with shocking swiftness — her changing her mind and going for the green on the par-5 13th for a go-ahead birdie, and Talley adding to the sad history of collapses on the back nine at the home of the Masters.

“I just reminded myself that I had to stay really, really patient because anything can happen out here,” Marin said after closing with a 4-under 68 for a four-shot victory. “When that last putt sank in, I just thought to myself, ‘Well, I made it.’ All of my hard work has paid off, and I’m just extremely proud of myself.”

Talley was devastated. The 17-year-old Californian twice went from the back bunker into Rae's Creek for a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 12th hole. That allowed Marin to go from a tight contest to a five-shot lead.

Talley, who didn't make her first bogey of the tournament until the 11th hole of the final round, shot 42 on the back nine for a 75 to finish six shots behind.

“I’m just a little emotional, not only because I didn’t get it done today, but also just everyone is so supportive,” Talley said. “It’s hard when they have to watch that and see you not do well or not accomplish what you wanted. I still played fine today even though that one hole just kind of got me.”

Marin, a junior at Arkansas, becomes the third NCAA champion to win at the home of the Masters, following Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang, and this one featured a shocker on the back nine.

Talley, who led by as many as four shots early, missed a short birdie chance on the 10th and a short par putt on the 11th to fall into a tie with Marin.

And then it all came undone.

Talley went long with an 8-iron into a back bunker on the 12th, the hole that ruined Jordan Spieth's chances of a repeat Masters victory in 2016. She went at the right pin with a shot too strong, and the ball rolled off the front, down a slope and into the water. Talley decided to drop in the bunker, and then did the same thing again.

“I didn’t think going to the other side was the best option at the time,” Talley said. “I thought since we could rake the bunker, maybe we could get it to not be so hard. It was still the same after dropping. The same thing happened. Just couldn’t really get under the ball there.”

Stunned, she took her next penalty drop on the other side of the water, pitched to about 8 feet and holed that for a quadruple-bogey 7.

“Probably should have done that the first time,” Talley said. “But you don’t really think of that when you’re in the moment.”

Marin had far better fortune on No. 12. Her shot came up short, and was close enough to the bunker that it stayed up on a small shelf of grass instead of rolling into the water. She saved par, and began to pull away with her two-putt birdie on the 13th and Talley's big blunder on No. 12.

“I think it was just God holding the ball there,” Marin said.

The last challenge for Marin came from Andrea Revuelta, who birdied Amen Corner to stay on the fringes of contention.

Marin finally saw a leaderboard showing her four shots ahead and said the adrenaline played a part in hitting a wedge over the green. She had to make a 5-foot putt for bogey, right after Revuelta narrowly missed an 8-foot birdie.

Marin hit 7-iron to 6 feet for her sixth birdie that put it away.

Revuelta closed with a 68 and was runner-up. Talley took a double bogey on the 16th — she played par 3s in 6 over on the back nine — and wound up in a five-way tie for fourth. Meja Örtengren of Sweden, playing in the final group with Talley, shot 74.

Marin set an Augusta National Women's Amateur record at 14-under 202. The smile never left her face as she walked up the 18th green, raising her right hand when she tapped in for par. Among those who celebrated with her was Maria Fassi of Mexico, another Arkansas star who was runner-up in the inaugural tournament. Marin has called that moment a big inspiration.

Masters chairman Fred Ridley presented the trophy to her in Butler Cabin, and Marin held it aloft, smiled wide and said, “It's so pretty.”

“Winning in this place, I don’t think there’s ever going to be a feeling to describe it. It’s just magical,” she said. “This is the temple of golf, and just getting this win, it’s amazing for me.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, holds the trophy after winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, holds the trophy after winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, celebrates her win after the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, kisses the trophy after winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, smiles on the first hole during the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, watches her putt on the second hole during the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Asterisk Talley reacts after missing a putt on the second hole during the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, celebrates her win after the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Maria José Marin, of Colombia, celebrates her win after the Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

PHOENIX (AP) — Lauren Betts forced herself to repeatedly watch last season's Final Four debacle against UConn, using the lessons learned in this year's return trip to the national semifinals.

The two-time All-American did her homework following a season-low points in UCLA's only loss of the season, applying what she gleaned from the game film to help take down Texas in the rematch.

Betts opened up about her mental health issues, the honesty taking a weight off her shoulders while, hopefully, helping others facing their own darkness.

This life of hers has been a pursuit of perfection — or at least the best version of herself — and Betts capped the college basketball portion of it by reaching the pinnacle of her sport with one final dominating performance.

UCLA won its first NCAA national championship with a 79-51 blowout of South Carolina on Sunday and Betts, as she’s been throughout her career, was the catalyst at both ends of the floor.

“I showed up with zero confidence and wasn’t sure if I wanted to really play basketball for that much longer,” Betts said. "Coach Cori (Close) really believed in me and wanted to see me accomplish everything that I’d ever dreamed of. They wanted me to see myself the way they all see me and and I feel like now at this point I can finally, truly do that.”

The 6-foot-7 senior shook off a first-half coughing fit — the dry desert air got to her — to finish with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots. She altered and prevented even the thought of several others at the rim to give UCLA its first national championship since taking the 1978 AIAW title.

“She’s a very dominant player,” South Carolina's Tessa Johnson said. “She's consistent and effective. It's hard to scout that.”

Betts had a similar impact in UCLA's 51-44 shutdown of Texas in the national semifinals, a 16-point, 11-rebound, three-block performance that set the stage for her to be selected as the Final Four's most outstanding player.

So what if there wasn't a trophy at the announcement.

Betts got to share a national championship with her younger sister, Sienna, a freshman on the team, along with friends and family in the stands.

“They were crying more than I was because they’ve seen me since my sophomore year, just how I matured and it has been really special for them,” Betts said. "They mean so much to me.”

The closing flourish capped a rocky-at-times career.

Betts was the nation's No. 1 high school recruit out of Grandview High School, in Aurora, Colorado, and chose to play at perennial powerhouse Stanford. She had a solid freshman season, but the building mental health issues she had been struggling with began to bubble closer to the surface even after she transferred to UCLA.

Betts opened up about her struggles last year and expounded upon it in a recent first-person story, in which she detailed the brutal hospital conditions and the epiphany once she got out — that she wanted to be here.

“I just feel like for me, basketball and this platform that I’ve been given, I was put on this earth to do more than play basketball,” Betts said. “I think the journey I’ve had, the hardships I’ve went through are to help other people.”

Betts dedicated herself to getting better, on and off the court, and became one of the nation's best college basketball players.

She was UCLA's first Associated Press All-American a year ago and backed that up with another All-American nod after averaging 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 60.1% from the field and leading the Bruins with 71 blocked shots.

With Betts anchoring the middle, the Bruins (37-1) one-upped the program's first trip the Final Four last year with the best season in history.

UCLA reeled off a school-record 31 straight wins following the 76-65 loss to Texas, including the payback win in the national semifinals. The Bruins then erased memories of last year's blowout Final Four loss to UConn with its first NCAA national championship.

Betts, as usual, was at the center of it all, the best version of herself leading to the greatest moment of her and her teammates' lives.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) celebrates after a play against South Carolina during the second half of the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) shoots over South Carolina center Madina Okot (11) during the second half of the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards (8) shoots around UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) during the second half of the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UCLA head coach Cori Close, left, hugs UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) during the second half of the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game against South Carolina, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)