Sofia Rivera, a junior from Beachside High, qualified for the U.S. Women's Open by finishing with a total of 5-under-par 139 at the Sugar Mill Country Club. Despite a late double bogey, she secured her victory by two shots over Siuue Wu from Hong Kong.
Key points
Sofia Rivera qualified for the U.S. Women's Open
She scored 5-under-par 139 at Sugar Mill Country Club
Rivera had a late double bogey but still won
She beat Siuue Wu of Hong Kong by two shots
Rivera previously won the FHSAA Class 3A state title
Mentioned in this story
Sugar Mill Country ClubNew Smyrna Beach
Sofia RiveraSiuue WuU.S. Women's Open
A late double bogey didn't derail Sofia Rivera of St. Augustine from qualifying for a women's golf major championship.
The Beachside High junior and the 2025 Times-Union First Coast girls player of the year, Rivera rebounded from a 7 at the par-5 15th hole of the Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach on April 27 to post a 70 and a 36-hole total of 5-under-par 139 to win a U.S. Women's Open qualifier by two shots over another amateur, Siuue Wu of Hong Kong.
Sofia Rivera, a Beachside High junior, won a U.S. Women's Open qualifier at the Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach on April 27.
Sofia Rivera, a Beachside High junior, won a U.S. Women's Open qualifier at the Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach on April 27.
She was bogey-free through 14 holes in the second round, with birdies at Nos. 10 and 11. After the double at the 15th dropped her into a tie with Wu, Rivera birdied Nos. 16 and 17 and parred the last.
Wu, a sophomore at the University of Florida who was coming off a tie for 25th in the SEC Championship, had birdies at Nos. 6 and 8 but was 1-over for her last 10 holes.
The U.S. Women's Open is June 4-7 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Rivera has played in one other USGA national championship, teaming up with Episcopal junior to play in the U.S. Women's Four-Ball last year.
Q&A
How did Sofia Rivera qualify for the U.S. Women's Open?
Sofia Rivera qualified by posting a total score of 5-under-par 139 at the U.S. Women's Open qualifier held at Sugar Mill Country Club.
What was Sofia Rivera's score in the U.S. Women's Open qualifier?
Sofia Rivera finished the qualifier with a score of 5-under-par 139, including a first-round score of 69.
Who did Sofia Rivera beat to win the U.S. Women's Open qualifier?
Sofia Rivera won the qualifier by two shots over Siuue Wu, an amateur golfer from Hong Kong.
What notable achievement did Sofia Rivera have before qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open?
Before qualifying, Sofia Rivera won the FHSAA Class 3A state individual title last fall.
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Rivera, 17, will be the youngest First Coast product to play in a U.S. Open. David Duval, a Jacksonville native, qualified for the 1990 U.S. Open at the age of 18. He made the cut and tied for 56th.
Riviera has committed to play at the University of Indiana.
Adam Scott leads veterans of last Doral event
The PGA Tour hasn’t played Doral’s Blue Monster since 2016, but there are 10 players in the field for this week’s Cadillac Championship who will bridge the 10-year gap.
Led by 2016 winner Adam Scott, five of the 10 players finished among the top-20 at Doral in 2016, when it was a World Golf Championship, also sponsored by Cadillac. Rickie Fowler tied for eighth, Harris English was solo 10th and Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose tied for 17th.
Adam Scott shot a final-round 69 on March 6, 2016, to win the PGA Tour's last event to be held at the Doral Blue Monster Course in Miami.
Adam Scott shot a final-round 69 on March 6, 2016, to win the PGA Tour's last event to be held at the Doral Blue Monster Course in Miami.
The other players in this week’s field who played at Doral in 2016 are Jason Day (tie for 23rd), Daniel Berger (tie for 28th) and Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas and Shane Lowry (who all tied for 35th).
Other players who played in Doral events prior to 2016 were Keegan Bradley, Tommy Fleetwood, Lucas Glover, Russell Henley, David Lipsky, Alex Noren, Jhonattan Vegas and Gary Woodland.
Scott said not much has changed in terms of how to navigate the Monster.
“It’s pretty much how I remember it,” said the 45-year-old, who shot 69 in the final round to come from three shots behind Rory McIlroy, who faded to a tie for third with a closing 74. “Good memories for me. Obviously winning the last time we were here but I’ve always enjoyed playing this golf course. It’s a challenge. It’s called the Blue Monster for a reason.”
One big change: More than 200 yards have been added to the course, making is 7,739 yards. Three of the par-3 holes are 216 yards or longer, then par-5 10th is 608 yards and the par-5 12th is a hefty 667 yards.
Retief Goosen on point(s)
Retief Goosen is pretty good at a rare format used in professional golf.
Goosen won the PGA Tour Champions Mitsubishi Electric Classic on April 26 at the TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., with 39 points under the Modified Stableford system, two points clear of two-time event winner Stephen Ames.
It was the first time the format was used on the Champions Tour and it came 21 years after Goosen won the PGA Tour's 2005 International in Castle Pines, Colo., using the same system that awards eight points for an albatross, five for an eagle, two for a birdie, minus-1 for a bogey and minus-3 for a double bogey or worse.
Goosen's fifth PGA Tour Champions victory also brought another distinction: He's the first to have won on the Champions Tour and PGA Tour at the TPC Sugarloaf. He won there in 2002, beating Jesper Parnevik by four shots.
PGA Tour
Event: Cadillac Championship, April 30-May 3, Trump National Doral Blue Monster Course, Doral.
Purse: $20 million ($3.6 million and 700 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: First-year event.
TV: Golf Channel (April 30-May 1, 3-7 p.m.; May 2-3, 12-3 p.m.); CBS (May 2-3, 3-6 p.m.).
Area players: Chandler Blanchet, Bud Cauley, Harris English, Brian Harman, Keith Mitchell, Andrew Novak, J.T. Poston, Michael Thorbjornsen.
LPGA
Event: Mexico Riviera Maya Open, April 30-May 3, El Camaleon Golf Course, Mayakoba, Mexico.
Purse: $2.5 million ($375,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Chizzy Iwai.
Area players: Chella Choi, Amelia Lewis, Jessica Porvasnik.
TV: (Golf Channel (April 30-May 1, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; May 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m.); CBS (1-3 p.m.).
PGA Tour Champions
Event: Regions Tradition, April 30-May 3, Greystone Golf and Country Club, Birmingham, Ala.
Purse: $2.6 million ($390,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Angel Cabrera.
Area players: David Duval, Fred Funk, Vijay Singh.
TV: Golf Channel (April 30-May 1, 12-2:30 p.m.; May 2, 3-5:30 p.m.; May 3, 3-6 p.m.).
