Championships - Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship 2009
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Azahara Munoz and Rhian Whyn Thomas pictured before their quarter final match.
12.06.2009
Top seed Ciganda moves through to the quarter finals at Harlech.
Top seed Carlota Ciganda extended her sequence of match wins in the Ladies British open amateur championship by beating Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down Lds) by 3 and 2 in this morning’s third-round tie at Royal St David’s Golf Club, Harlech in Northwest Wales.The 19-year-old from Spain’s bull-run city of Pamplona made her debut in the championship at Alwoodley two years ago and won the title. She did not defend last year at North Berwick but has picked up again this week where she left off at the Leeds course in 2007.
Ciganda was two under par, storming into a three-hole lead after seven holes following an early shock when Danielle holed a greenside bunker shot for a birdie 3 at the first.
Carlota won four holes in a row from the fourth with a par-par-birdie-birdie run.
McVeigh, the Welsh open stroke-play champion who has been having a good season, cut her deficit to two with a birdie 4 at the eighth and narrowed the gap to only one hole with another birdie at the short third.
But the Spaniard, a student at Arizona State University and ranked No 2 on the US college circuit, then produced, not for the first time this week, an eagle 3 at thye 434yd, par-5 13th hole to restore a two-hole advantage.
“Then I made a stupid bogey to lost the 13th and go back to only one up,” said Ciganda.
McVeigh then bogeyed the 14th and 16th to lose by 3 and 2.
“I didn’t play as well today as I have been doing but, all in all, I’ve had a good week. It’s been good fun,” said Danielle.
Hannah Barwood (Knowle), the 18-year-old English women’s champion of 2008, had a very good 2 and 1 win over Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, beaten by compatriot Anna Nordqvist in last year’s final at North Berwick and the No 9 qualifier this week.
Hannah, the eighth seed, was never behind after being one up at the seventh hole. Barwood was two up at the turn and then won the 10th to be in a commanding position at three holes to the good.
Oklahoma State University student Caroline, ranked No 15 on the US college circuit, did cut her deficit to two holes after 15 holes but Barwood held her at bay to win by 2 and 1.
It will now be Ciganda v Barwood in the first of the afternoon quarter-finals.
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), one of two 14-year-olds to make the last 16 – Lauren Taylor (Woburn) was the other – advanced to the last eight on her debut in the championship with a 4 and 3 win over Birmingham University student Sian James (Bristol Clifton).
Leona, winner of the Helen Holm Scottish stroke-play title after she had taken the French Under-21 championship back in Apirl, never looked back after winning the first and she was four holes up at the turn.
Miss Maguire now plays Laura Collin (John O’Gaunt), the No 12 qualifier, who eliminated the last surviving Scottish player, Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) at the 20th hole.
This is Laura’s 22nd birthday – what a way to celebrate .. reaching the last eight of a major championship.
Laura, whose father/caddie Alistair comes from Eyemouth and played for the Scotland boys’ team a few years ago, was either one down or all square for most of the match but she won the 18th to square the tie, halved the 19th in par 4s and then won the tie at the 20th with another par 4.
Caroline Masson (Germany), a student at Oklahoma State University and ranked No 26 on the US college circuit, beat Kelly Tidy (Royal Birkdale) by 3 and 2. Tidy, beaten in last year’s British girls final at Monifieth,m had the edge early on the outward half and was two up on the fifth tee. But Masson hit back to square the tie by the turn and won the 10th to edge ahead for the first time.
It was a very tight contest until Caroline raised her game to win the 15th and 16th for victory. Masson lost in the third round at North Berwick last year.
That means the third quarter-final will be a scorer’s “nighmare” in terms of the players’ surnames – Masson v Mansson, Nathalie Mansson, 20 year old Swedish player and student at Tennessee University, having beaten France’s Marion Ricordeau by 3 and 2.
Nathalie suged into a three-hole lead after only four holes against Marion and was four up at the 10th.
No 2 seed Azhara Munoz from Malaga, Spain, a recent graduate from Arizona State University, progressed to the last eight with a 7 and 5 win over 14-year-old Lauren Taylor (Woburn). Munoz, playing in the championship for the last time as she is to turn professional after playing in next month’s US Women’s Open, was four up after seven and five holes to the good after 10.
Azahara lost in last year’s quarter-finals to Roseanne Niven (Crieff) at North Berwick).
The dual to play Munoz in the round of the last eight, between Rhian Wyn Thomas (Vale of Thomas) and Curtis Cup player Jodi Ewart (Catterick & New Mexico University), went past the 18th hole which they halved in par 3s. Rhian had been two up at one stage on the first nine holes but Jodi cut her deficit to one hole at the turn and levelled the match by the 13th.
Ewart was one up through 16 but Thomas squared at the 17th and the 18th was halved in par 3’s. At the first extra hole, Jodi drove into a bunker and Thomas’s par 4 took her through to the last 8.
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