Ana Maria Jimenez Rios survives a late triple-bogey to win First Coast Women's Amateur
A wild ride for the main contenders in the First Coast Women's Amateur on the TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley resulted in yet another lead change.
This time, it was Ana Maria Jimenez Rios of Mexico who was the last player standing after an eventful third round on Wednesday.
Jimenez Rios survived a triple-bogey 8 at the par-5 16th hole and with birdie at the last, shot 71 to defeat Wendy Hsiao by three shots at 1-under-par 215.
The two players combined for 17 pars, nine birdies, eight bogeys and the triple by Jimenez Rios.
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First Coast Women's Amateur, round one: Ana Maria Jimenez Rios met the challenges of Dye's Valley
First Coast Women's Amateur, round two: Triple-bogey on the first hole? No problem for Wendy Hsiao, who held it together for FCWA lead
Through the door: Will Davis saw an opening in the Jacksonville Amateur. He took advantage and ran with it
Jimenez Rios, a senior at the University of Tampa and the first international winner in the history of the tournament, began the day two shots behind Hsiao, a junior at Stetson and a native of Taiwan.
Jimenez Rios got off to a quick start with three birdies among her first seven holes to pass Hsiao, who had two birdies and two bogeys over the same span.
Hsiao tied Jimenez Rios with a birdie at the eighth hole but then fell behind when she made three bogeys in a row, and five of her next seven holes. Jimenez Rios birdied Nos. 12 and 16 to take a six-shot lead, enough to absorb the damage of her triple at the 16th.
Hsiao birdied No. 17 to cut the lead to two. But Jimenez Rios birdied the par-4 18th and Hsiao made bogey for the final margin.
Both had a knack for surviving disaster: Hsiao overcame a triple-bogey 7 on her first hole in the second round, the pr-4 10th, and went on to take the lead.
The next-nearest player after Hsiao was Nancy Cox of Ponte Vedra Beach, who shot 76 to finish alone in third at 9-over, seven behind Hsiao.
Jimenez Rios and Hsiao played together in all three rounds.
“Wendy is a great player," Jimenez Rios said. "I knew I had to go low to put pressure on her throughout the round today. My putter was really hot today.”
In other divisions:
Susan West of Tuscaloosa, Ala., shot 74 to win the Senior Division at 8-over 224, one shot clear of Kristyl Sunderman (77).
Kim Bruce of Fleming Island won the Senior Field division at 18-over one shot over Debbie Caruso of Jacksonville.
Defending Super-Senior champion Mary Helen McElreath won a three-way playoff with Lou Tenarvitz and Lori Collins after the three finished 26-over. McElreath parred the second playoff hole for the victory.
First Coast Women’s Amateur
At TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley
Championship Division (par-72, 6,123 yards)
Ana Maria Jimenez Rios 68-76-71--215
Wendy Hsiao 71-71-76--218
Nancy Cox 73-76-76--225
Wyndom Burnett 78-76-72--226
Madelyn Campbell 75-76-77--228
Haley Quickel 80-74-74--228
Elizabeth Kondol 74-80-75--229
Mackenzie McCormack 72-76-82--230
Olivia Florence 75-75-81--231
Danielle Dailey 75-78-79--232
Apryl Parker 74-82-78--234
Jasmine Yang 79-83-73--235
Georgia Blount 80-79-78--237
Shanya Arasu 76-84-77--237
Hannah Cheryl Alan 73-79-86--238
Lindsey Hollis 74-83-82--239
Maddie Rathjen 81-80-79--240
Alexandra Drum 77-83-82--242
Lisa Colee 78-86-79--243
Jenna Fonda 85-80-79--244
Sadaly Campbell 86-77-81--245
Sloane Siebert 85-82-79--246
Gaby Shortridge 79-84-85--248
Madison Balaskiewicz 80-84-84--248
Sarah Scott 84-84-80--248
Grayson Kindig 86-75-88--249
Emma Wells 81-82-87--250
Christina Steffen 88-81-83--252
Carleigh Carter 84-87-83--254
Kylie Turner 83-85-86--254
Ashley Huffman 90-82-83—255
Jody Clark 80-95-83—258
Annabelle Mozingo 92-88-85—265
Madison Melton 95-89-92--276
Senior Championship (par-72, 5,465 yards)
Susan West 77-73-74--224
Kristyl Sunderman 69-79-77--225
Tama Caldabaugh 73-78-78--229
Therese Quinn 72-83-74--229
Beatriz de Arenas 77-78-74--229
Susie Keane 75-78-76--229
Lin Culver 77-80-78--235
Danielle Davis 75-79-82--236
Jennifer Hawkins 90-79-77--236
Jewell Matlick 78-78-80--236
Leslie Olive Henry 76-85-77--238
Sarah Phillips-Durst 83-76-81--240
Carolyn Creekmore 83-81-77--241
Anna Schultz 78-82-82--242
Shauna Snyder 86-79-82--247
Christine Hunt 84-82-84--250
Nancy Beck 86-81-83--250
Sherri Buster 81-89-85--255
Senior Field Division
Kim Bruce 78-84--162
Debbie Caruso 88-75--163
Elizabeth Breza 81-83--164
Brygitte Lusinski 78-87--165
Michelle Wallace 86-80--166
Jeri Roche 84-83—167
Margaret Newton 87-86--173
Paula Holmes 85-92--177
Liz Boudreaux 92-85--177
Sherry Gruden 97-91—188
Susan Wilkes 94-98--192
Martha Noble 94-100--194
Super-Senior division
Mary Helen McElreath 87-83--170
Lou Tenarvitz 89-81--170
Lori Collins 89-81--170
Kathie Westlund 80-92--172
Shan Giordano 92-81--173
Claudeen Lindbergh 88-89--177
Fran Clinkscales 90-88--178
Sach Price 91-92--183
Linda Boland 104-105--209
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Peaks and Valleys: Ana Maria Jimenez Rios outlasts Wendy Hsiao to win FCWA
