Championships - Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship 2006
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Azahara Munoz
14.06.2006
Azahara pips Claire to No1 qualifying spot.
Wednesday 8.45pmMATCH PLAY DRAW
Spanish teenager Azahara Munoz maintained her overnight lead with a second-round , two-under-par 73 for a total of eight-under 142 to claim the No 1 qualifying spot in the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship at Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle in Northern Ireland.
In the last group to finish just before 8pm, the 18-year-old from Marbella, a student at Arizona State University, thus dislodged the long-time leader Claire Coughlan from the pole position.
Munoz started at the 10th and covered her first nine holes in three-under-par 35 but she slipped over par after the turn with a 38 for 73.
Last year's beaten finalist from Cork, Claire Coughlan had set the clubhouse target at lunch-time with a second-round 73 for a seven-under-par aggregate of 143.
"It was a completely different wind today and I made some wrong club selections, particularly on the short holes, but I'm hitting the ball well and looking forward to the match-play," said the 25-year-old Curtis Cup player and Irish champion of 1999.
"It's a long course that drains you. We took about 4 ¼ hr and that's a long time out on a golf course. I'd rather play it in the morning, as I did today, and have the rest of the day to relax rather than the first day when I was finishing about 6 pm."
Claire, who works at a leisure centre, uses her holidays to play in tournaments and she won't be drawn on her future plans.
"I'm just keeping my head down and taking things as they come."
Miss Coughlan, who started at the 10th, highlighted her two-under-par round with a pair of eagles. She got a 3 at the 444yd 13th with a drive, seven-wood and a 10ft putt and another 3 at the 434yd ninth with a drive, six-iron and a 15ft putt.
She also birdied the 15th and sixth but dropped shots at the 17th , the first (with three putts) and two short holes, the fourth and the seventh. She was through the back of the fourth with a six-iron - "It should have been a seven iron" - and bunkered a nine-iron tee shot at the seventh.
Another Spanish teenager, Belen Mozo, finished third top qualifier with a 71 for 144. The 18-year-old, starting at the 10th, covered her first nine holes in four-under-par 34.
Four players finished on 146 - three of them from the American college circuit: Sweden's Caroline Westrup (New Mexico) and Mikaela Backstedt
(Florida State) plus Germany's Sandra Gall (Florida).
A second German, Katharina Schallenberg, was also on the 146 mark.
Eight players were involved in the play-off for the last six of the 64 match-play berths. Jenna Wilson (Scotland) & Anita Gahir failed to make it through the sudden death play off. Two players failed to make it through to the match play. Jenna Wilson bogeyed the par 3 play-off hole and an errant tee shot cost Anita Gahir her spot.
Wednesday 3.30pm
Claire Coughlan, last year's beaten finalist from Cork, booked her place among the 64 match-play qualifiers at Royal County Down Golf Club with a second-round 73 for a seven-under-par aggregate of 143.
"It was a completely different wind today and I made some wrong club selections, particularly on the short holes, but I'm hitting the ball well and looking forward to the match-play," said the 25-year-old Curtis Cup player and Irish champion of 1999.
"It's a long course that drains you. We took about 4 ¼ hr and that's a long time out on a golf course. I'd rather play it in the morning, as I did today, and have the rest of the day to relax rather than the first day when I was finishing about 6 pm."
Claire, who works at a leisure centre, uses her holidays to play in tournaments and she won't be drawn on her future plans.
"I'm just keeping my head down and taking things as they come."
Miss Coughlan, who started at the 10th, highlighted her two-under-par round with a pair of eagles. She got a 3 at the 444yd 13th with a drive, seven-wood and a 10ft putt and another 3 at the 434yd ninth with a drive, six-iron and a 15ft putt.
She also birdied the 15th and sixth but dropped shots at the 17th , the first (with three putts) and two short holes, the fourth and the seventh. She was through the back of the fourth with a six-iron - "It should have been a seven iron" - and bunkered a nine-iron tee shot at the seventh.
With half the field back in the clubhouse under the two-tee starting system, Claire led by three shots from two German players, Sandra Gall and Katharine Schallenberg.
Sandra, a student at Florida University, recently finished joint third in the NCAA Division 1 women's championship won by Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Netherlands). Miss Gall has also since qualified to play in the US Women's Open.
Miss Schallenberg, a Vagliano Trophy player from Osnabruck, was runner-up to Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) in the 54-hole St Rule Trophy tournament a St Andrews a couple of weeks ago.
At Royal County Down, Sandra has shot 74 and 72 for 146 while Katharina has reversed that with 72 and 74.
Former Irish champion, Martina Gillen from Beaverstown, returned a 73 for 147, one ahead of last year's English title-winner, Felicity Johnson (Harborne). Felicity had a 73 today for 148.
Also on 148 is Germany-based Royal Birkdale member Florentyna Parker with a 76.
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