Sports
ODWIN VOWS TO CARRY THE FLAG ALL OVER THE WORLD
by David Harris
Barbadian golfer Emily Odwin continues to have an impact in international tournaments, the 22-year-old student at Southern Methodist University placed 27th at the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championships (ANWA) over the weekend.
A total of 72 golfers took part in the ANWA which was held from April 1 st to 4th and featured an international field representing 23 countries.
In a media interview before the ANWA Odwin emphasized the national pride she carries as the first Barbadian to play in the prestigious tournament.
“I said it before, and I think I will keep saying it until I am blue in the face” Odwin said. “It’s something that means a great deal to me, being able to fly the flag all over the world in places that it might not have been flown before. It’s on my bag. It’s on my chest. It is something that I kind of carry with me as I am going to walk around the golf course this week and even into my future career”.
As one of a few standout black women in the sport, whether in Barbados or the United States Odwin says cultural and ethnic representation played an essential role in her golfing journey.
“The first black woman in golf that comes to mind is Mariah Stackhouse. I remember when I was a kid, and Stanford won the National Championship that year. I remember watching it from my parents’ bedroom. I remember her sinking that winning putt. If I could have half as big an impact that she had on me when I was a kid, then I would have done a good job”, Odwin said.
DWINShe acknowledges that there are several difficulties which sometimes prevents young Barbadian women from playing golf. Odwin, identified money as a major challenge for women wanting to play golf and said she has seen enough talent across the island to know the potential of the sport.
Odwin got off to a solid start in the first round of the ANWA at the Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans Georgia. She carded a 2-under 70 first round which placed her in the T15 position along with seven other golfers on the leaderboard.
She then followed up with 37 on the front nine and carded 35 on the back nine for a total of 72 and under par. Odwin added four birdies and four bogeys.
On the final day of the tournament at the Augusta National Golf, Odwin carded 74, equal to par with two birdies and four bogeys, to finish the tournament with a total of 216, after sinking nine birdies and nine bogeys.
Maria Jose Martin of Colombia won the tournament thanks to a record low score of 14-under par.
