Marta Muñoz and Adriana García Terol will headline the first all‑Spanish final in the history of the Girls’ Amateur Championship, one of the most prestigious events on the international amateur calendar whose first edition dates back to 1919. The two golfers have overcome all previous hurdles with remarkable brilliance, once again demonstrating Spanish dominance in continental golf.
Progressing from opposite sides of the knockout draw, Marta Muñoz and Adriana García Terol could both have filled the final if each won their respective semi‑finals, where they faced South African Lisa Coetzer and Swiss Lana Guyot respectively
Said and done, the Madrid player and the Barcelona player produced an epic day in which, curiously, they advanced towards the title by very different routes: brute force in the case of Marta Muñoz, uncertainty, resilience and competitive composure at the decisive moment in the case of Adriana García Terol
In the semi‑final round, South African Lisa Coetzer made life difficult for Marta Muñoz, who had to fight hard to overturn a 3‑hole deficit at the 7th, the worst start for the Madrid player in this tournament
Far from throwing in the towel, Marta Muñoz took advantage of her opponent’s growing mistakes to move ahead at the 10th before gaining further ground on holes 12, 13, 14 and 15, the last two via two superb birdies that left the scoreboard an unassailable 4&3
Adriana García Terol, meanwhile, staged a recital of resilience in a hugely tight duel with Swiss Lana Guyot, where the margin in favour of one player or the other never exceeded a hole. Although the Spanish player led on more occasions, the central European found ways to restore parity, a constant give‑and‑take that only tipped in Spain’s favour on the last hole
Marta Muñoz and Adriana García Terol win their quarter‑finals by very different routes
Marta Muñoz’s determination and accuracy in the quarter‑finals surprised everyone. The Madrid player, teeing off in the final match of the round, was the first to finish, showcasing the huge scoring ability of the Spanish golfer in her clash with Frenchwoman Salomé Lumbaca, a contest that, literally, produced sparks from the first moment
Two consecutive birdies on the opening two holes by both protagonists and a bogey for each on the third signalled that the match was going to be spectacular
Another bogey at the 4th by Marta Muñoz saw her lose some ground, but she then took control of her opponent irreversibly from the 7th, capitalising on the French player’s bogeys at 6 and 7 and, notably, three consecutive birdies from Marta Muñoz between 9 and 11 that effectively settled the contest
Salomé Lumbaca held on until the 14th, did what she could, but succumbed to Marta Muñoz’s whirlwind game, the final chapter of a sensational display. The scoreboard, 5&4 in favour of the Spanish player, with 5 birdies in 14 holes, left no doubt
The match between Adriana García Terol and South African Lourenda Steyn was very different, where agony set in at the closing stages. The Spanish player took the lead on the first hole after her opponent’s bogey, the same result that, at the 7th, allowed the Barcelona player to reach the halfway point with a 2‑hole lead
Adriana García Terol’s dominance became even clearer on the 10th and 11th, when a birdie by the Spaniard and a bogey by the South African gave Adriana a 4‑hole advantage that looked decisive
However, from that point on confidence turned into nerves. Two consecutive bogeys by the Spanish player and two birdies from Lourenda Steyn brought the match level at the 17th, one from the finish, a conclusion that went in Adriana García Terol’s favour after her opponent carded a double bogey at the last hole, handing Adriana the win and a place in the semi‑finals on a plate
Six Spaniards progress past the first knockout round in pursuit of the title
Of the nine Spaniards who reached the match‑play draw after qualifying, six remained in contention after comfortably getting through the first round
This was the case, for example, of Blanca Gómez‑Balboa, who beat American Isabella Fernández 5&3, or Marta Muñoz, who defeated Englishwoman Lottie Woodham 4&2. Luna Isabella Valencia also showed great composure, winning 3&2 against Englishwoman Imogen Hall
Special mention too for Adriana García Terol, who prevailed 2&1 over Estonian Kristella Sikk, recently crowned European Under‑16 champion, the same result recorded by Amanda Revuelta against Welshwoman Molly Campbell. A big achievement as well was Aroa González’s victory over American Gabriella Gu at the 21st hole, an exercise in endurance that paid off
Things went worse for Carlota López, who despite finishing second in qualifying could not avoid defeat to Indian Anuradha Chaudhuri at the last hole. Carlota Marcos also fought hard before falling 2&1 to Swede Olivia Holmberg
The list of setbacks was completed by Carolina Pérez‑Tasso, who could do nothing against the charge of Czech Barbora Vinkler, who advanced to the last 32 with a commanding 6&5 victory
Significant cut in the round of 32
Only Madrid’s Marta Muñoz, emphatically and displaying consistent confidence and accuracy, closed out her round of 32 match against Chinese Sabrina Wong with a convincing 5&4 victory. The Barcelona player Adriana García Terol had a tighter win over Estonian Liris Matas, coming through after several lead changes on the last hole
Luck was less on offer for the rest of the Spanish contingent, starting with those who had victory within reach. Amanda Revuelta, for example, lost at the 19th hole after constant battle with Frenchwoman Salomé Lumbaca. Blanca Gómez‑Balboa and Luna Isabella Valencia, meanwhile, both went to the last hole before conceding 2&1 to South African Lisa Coetzer and German Yoona Bae respectively
Finally, Aroa González lost 3&1 to Scot Hannah Ounap, a likewise close duel that ended up in foreign hands at the conclusion of the last 32
Composure, accuracy and brilliance during the round of 16
With barely an hour’s rest, the round of 16 was played, where Marta Muñoz continued to display a devastating run of form that left her opponent with no chance. The Madrid player, a true cyclone, quickly took the lead against German Yoona Bae, who had beaten Luna Isabella Valencia in the previous round. Without giving her opponent a moment’s respite, Marta Muñoz consolidated and extended her advantage to win 5&4
Adriana García Terol’s win over fellow German Luise Jung was more uncertain, with Jung taking the initiative in the opening holes. The Barcelona golfer, an example of grit and perseverance, gradually eroded the deficit before taking an irreversible lead and finishing 4&2, reflecting her outstanding scoring ability
Four Spanish winners in the British Girls roll of honour
The Girls’ Amateur Championship’s roll of honour includes three Spanish winners who later turned professional and competed on the main continental tours: canary María Beautell, winner in 1998; Malagueña Azahara Muñoz, champion in 2004; and gaditana Belén Mozo, the best in 2006
The fourth and most recent Spanish winner was Asturian Alejandra Pasarín, who triumphed in 2014 at Massereene Golf Club (Northern Ireland), defeating German Chiara Mertens in the final (2&1)
