Carolina López Chacarra says goodbye to the dream of the Triple Crown. The Spaniard has fallen in the round of 16 and will not be able to fight for the title of the US Women’s Amateur.
At times, Carol made us dream that Spanish golf could aspire to have in the same year the winner of the ANWA, the Women’s Amateur, and the US Women’s Amateur, probably the three most prestigious tournaments in the amateur world. However, the task was monumental, and the Madrid native ended up yielding to the player from Hong Kong, Arianna Lau, and falls just short of the quarter-finals.
The Spaniard had to face a double battle this Thursday. The first started smoothly. Carolina swept past Maye Huang despite starting with a deficit on the 2nd hole. She bounced back strongly, winning seven of the next eight holes. The Chacarra hurricane was a reality at Bandon Dunes and she was the first player of the day to seal victory with a convincing 6&5.
However, the story would change dramatically in the next round. Carol played against Lau, the golfer who had eliminated the 2024 champion, the Filipino Rianne Malixi. She had sneaked into the Match Play phase at the last minute and in a nerve-wracking playoff, but that’s how this phase is, it doesn’t care about favourites. Free from all pressure, she has been eliminating all her rivals.
The latest victim was against a Chacarra who was more inaccurate than in the rest of her matches. The Hong Kong player took the lead on the 4th hole and in the blink of an eye was 4UP. On the 9th hole, Carol won her first hole, but Lau immediately responded by winning the 10th and 12th. The task became impossible, and she ended up surrendering on the 15th hole by 5&4.
Carol thus closes her second and last participation in this event before presumably turning professional after the World Cup in Singapore held in October. She doesn’t have a guaranteed spot, but she is the third Spaniard in the world amateur ranking (15th) after Paula Martín (2nd) and Andrea Revuelta (3rd), and with the level she is showing, it would be surprising if she is not one of the three chosen.
Among the other players, it is noteworthy that the World Number One, Kiara Romero, remains alive in the tournament and will face Lyla Louderbaugh for a place in the semi-finals.
