EVANS, Ga. – When Kiara Romero offered up a ticket to Saturday’s final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur to her Oregon head coach Derek Radley, she asked Radley, “If I’m in the mix, want to come watch me finish second again?”
Romero, of course, was adding levity to what’s been a frustrating run of runners-up – five in her last six events.
It’s not the easiest feeling, Romero says, but she finds solace in who she’s lost to, and how. Just last week, for example, Auburn’s Anna Davis, one of Romero’s best friends, fired one of the best college rounds in recent years, a bogey-free 64 at Colonial to beat Romero by one at the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate. Romero closed in 67 and finished three shots ahead of third.
“It definitely does eat at her,” said Romero’s older sister, Kaleiya, who is also Oregon’s graduate assistant. “I know she really wants a win, but she has to stay patient. I walked the last five holes at Colonial, and every shot she hit was perfect, but Anna shot 6 under, so what can you do? She’s not losing tournaments; she’s playing well and someone just gets her.
“Hopefully Saturday will be a different story.”
If Kiara Romero is going to buck the trend, she’ll have to go through the defending champion. While Romero sits at 9 under after rounds of 67-68, she’s tied for the lead with Florida State junior Lottie Woad, who followed an opening 65 with a second-round 70 on Thursday.
Romero was flawless for much of the day, birdieing four of her first 12 holes. But a lengthy wait on the par-4 fourth green caused her to briefly lose focus, just not before it led to a double bogey that potentially could’ve been a momentum killer. After all, it was only a year ago at this tournament that Romero raced out to a 4-under start through nine holes, only to double Nos. 17 and 18 (her eighth and ninth holes) in her second round and card a cut-missing 78.
“She made those doubles, and it carried on for like six holes, and she never got it back,” said Romero’s dad, Rick.
Added Kiara: “I think I was just kind of pushing too much into the thought of me winning the tournament.”
But Rick Romero notes that Kiara’s maturation this past year has been palpable – and it showed Thursday as she shrugged off a bogey on the next hole, the par-4 fifth, to birdie each of her final three holes to earn a spot in Saturday’s final pairing.
