Barbados’ Emily Odwin finishes runner-up at South American Amateur Golf Championship

Barbados amateur golfer Emily Odwin finished as runner-up at the 2026 South American Amateur Golf Championship in Argentina after a sudden-death playoff on January 11. The tournament was held from January 8 to 11.

The other female golfer from the South American Golf Federation represented the countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The tournament also invited other countries like England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the United States, to take part in the championship.

But the winner of 2026 South American Amateur Golf Championship was the country Peru, represented by Luisamariana Mesones, who beat Barbados in the play offs.

Her achievements:

Emily Odwin who had the titles including four-time Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Champion and two-time runner-up at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship, represented her country on many international stages where she won many titles.

Odwin also represented Barbados on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) in the United States in her junior years, where she captured four titles. She also participated in Pan American Games in 2019 and 2023, where in the same year 2023 she further participated in Central American and Caribbean Games.

In 2021, the player became the first female golfer from the Caribbean to qualify and represent Barbados at the USGA Girls’ Junior and the USGA Women’s Amateur Championships in the same year while continuing to participate in more events.

In 2025, she cemented her name in the history to become the first ever golfer who completed a major championship, the U.S. Women’s Open in Erin Hills and became the first Barbadian player to qualify for a professional golf tour.

Also in 2022, she earned a gold scholarship to the University of Texas in Austin, where she participated in many college events which testified that she is not just best in sports but also in academics.

While in university, golfer also achieved fame and fame where was selected for the 2024-2025 ACC All-Academic Team and has been named as 2024-2025 WGCA All-American Scholar.

Throughout her career she has been achieving things and medals while motivating other females to dream big and do whatever they want and achieve more for themselves. She also motivates many young females to take initiative and be the one you want to be.

Locals have praised her accomplishments and wished her the best of luck in upcoming tournaments and championships.