Mariajo Uribe came to Australia in the hope of securing an Olympic berth to conclude her career, and after a ding-dong final day battle with Bronte Law the Colombian is the 2024 Women’s NSW Open champion, with Paris in her sights.

Finishing on 14-under and one shot in front of Law, an emotional Uribe spoke of taking the bold decision to head to Australia for the co-sanctioned WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour events in search of the 170 world ranking places she needed to rise up the Olympic rankings.

“It takes courage to come here, because I am not even a member of this Tour,” Uribe said.

“To write the emails, try to get those invites, you might come here and not even make the cut, you don’t know what is going to happen.

“I am just trying to get some opportunities out there, we will see on Monday, but I am pretty sure this will clutch it out and be in Paris for now. My husband is happy because I probably don’t have to do a crazy schedule anymore.”

Also happy will be Uribe’s young son Lucca, who was excitedly wishing his mother well before her Sunday tee time at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club, where she looked relaxed on the range as she bopped to the music in her earphones before opening her title tilt with a birdie at the first.

Law matched the feat, with the Englishwoman emerging from the chasing pack as the primary challenger with two more birdies at three and four as Uribe dropped shots at the fourth and fifth.

“They were fine to be honest, I felt pretty calm, maybe I was getting a little bit ahead of myself this morning when I woke up … I had too much time,” Uribe said of her pre-round nerves.

“Then I just grounded myself, had a good practice session going out. In my head, my number was 15-under starting the week, that’s what I went out to do. I wasn’t thinking of what the other girls were doing.”

Proving hard to ignore, Law mixed a birdie at the sixth with birdies at seven and nine, where Uribe holed a 12 foot birdie putt of her own that came with a fist pump. The pair headed for the final nine holes all square on 12-under as Tsai and the other challengers fell away.

Law finally held the lead alone for the first time in the tournament when she made her sixth birdie of the day at 11, with the 29-year-old pulling two shots in front of her fellow UCLA alumni following a birdie on the par-4 12^th.

The topsy turvy nature of the final day continuing at the site of the LET Order of Merit leader’s Saturday hole-in-one, when Law bogeyed the par-3 13^th.

Another dropped shot came at the next as Uribe birdied to guarantee a grandstand finish. The pair enjoying the ride as much as the spectators following along.

“Bronte is a close friend, I am really happy she is playing well too, at the end of the day I was like, ‘If I am going to play good and lose, I’m okay with that’,” Uribe said.

Uribe’s one shot advantage lasted just one hole after a bogey at the 15^th before the 14-year LPGA Tour veteran stepped up and hit one of the shots of the day with an 8-iron from 141 metres at the 16^th to setup her fourth birdie of the day.

The excitement wasn’t done, however,, as Law found another birdie at the penultimate hole to have things all square on 13-under with one hole to play.

Again, it was Uribe who stepped up, this time with pitching wedge from 108 metres to five and half feet and a winning birdie followed by more fist pumps and a celebratory dousing with water.

“To be honest, I knew I beat Bronte but I didn’t know what the other girls did. I was like, ‘I think we won’, by people’s reaction but I wasn’t sure,” Uribe said.

“Yesterday I missed a short putt for birdie on 18, and it was a similar putt, so I was like, ‘Just give it a good run’, and I am really happy it went in, because I was not happy to play a play-off right now. I am tired.”

For her part, Law saw positives despite the disappointment of missing out on a second trophy in 2024.

“It’s easy to be disappointed to not get it done, but I was four shots back going into the start of the day and Mariajo played some solid golf on that back nine,” Law said.

“Played really solid, obviously the last three results haven’t finished outside the top-three, so I’d say my game is in a really good spot.”

Similarly partially satisfied was low amateur Justice Bosio, who secured a place next week at Bonville via a share of sixth on seven-under, with Spain’s Marta Martin third alone on nine-under.

“If someone had of told me I was going to be playing next week, I would have been very stoked,” Bosio said.

Bosio likely agreeing with Uribe’s simple message when reflecting on her first victory since 2011 and almost guaranteed ticket to Paris.

“Mission accomplished”.

*Image via Ladies European Tour.