This Thursday, the AIG Women’s British Open kicks off on the English course of Walton Heath. The fifth and final Major of the women’s golf season. It will be the 23rd edition since it was elevated to the status of a major back in 2001. Before that, between 1976 and 2000, it was also called the Women’s British Open, but it was not considered a Major, it was specifically an important tournament within the regular calendar of the Ladies European Tour.
We are two days away from the start of the great battle and it is a perfect time to delve into history. How many Spanish women have competed in the British Open at some point? What has been the best result? Who was the last debutant? How many top 10s have been achieved? How many have ever played the tournament as an amateur? We have reviewed all the editions of the British Open as a Major to answer all these questions. A journey through the mark that they have left so far in the island’s major.
The first five Spanish women who played the British Open as a Major were Marina Arruti, Raquel Carriedo, Marta Prieto, Paula Martí and Ana Belén Sánchez. It was in the 2001 edition, the one that changed the history of the tournament. Arruti achieved the best result that week, a seventh place that still today stands as the second best ever by a Spanish woman in this tournament. In addition, Marta Prieto played as an amateur. They opened the can and in a way were pioneers, although we will never forget that Marta Figueras Dotti won the British in 1981 when it was not yet officially considered a Major.
Interestingly, five Spanish women are also participants in this year’s edition: Carlota Ciganda, Carmen Alonso, Ana Peláez, Nuria Iturrioz and Julia López. Young Julia, from Benahavís in Malaga, is the only debutant. In fact, she plays as an amateur. She earned her place with the spectacular victory she achieved in Sweden eleven days ago in the European Amateur Championship.
López is the 28th Spanish woman to play the British. From the first five to the five this year, we have had 18 more who have participated in this Major. Here is the complete list: Marina Arruti, Raquel Carriedo, Marta Prieto, Paula Martí, Ana Belén Sánchez, Ana Larrañeta, Vanessa Vignali, Elisa Serramía, Nuria Clau, Carlota Ciganda, Laura Cabanillas, Belén Mozo, Tania Elósegui, Beatriz Recari, Carmen Alonso, Azahara Muñoz, Emma Cabrera Bello, María Hernández, Mariana Macías, Marta Silva, Luna Sobrón, María Parra, Marta Sanz, Nuria Iturrioz, Noemí Jiménez, Silvia Bañón, Ana Peláez and Julia López.
In addition, Julia is the eighth Spanish woman to play the British as an amateur. Before her, Marta Prieto, Elisa Serramiá, Carlota Ciganda, Belén Mozo, Luna Sobrón, María Parra and Marta Sanz did so. She is the first Spanish amateur in the British since 2016, when no less than three played as amateurs: Luna Sobrón, María Parra and Marta Sanz. Of all of them, the best result was the impressive 13th place achieved by Luna in the 2015 edition. In general, the results of the Spanish amateurs in the British have been quite good. In fact, all of them managed to make the cut in the year of their debut. Seven out of seven. It’s easier said than done. There is the challenge for the reigning European champion.
The harvest of Spanish women’s golf in the British Open is not particularly plentiful or brilliant. In 22 years we have only had four top 10s, despite the fact that Paula Martí came very close to victory in the second edition of this tournament as a major. It was in 2002 at the legendary Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland. Paula started with 69 strokes just inside the top 10, signed 68 on the second day and moved up to third place, made 69 on the moving day and stayed in that same third position, just two strokes behind the pair of leaders formed by Jennifer Rosales, from the Philippines, and the Swede Carin Koch. On the last day, in a prodigy of regularity, Martí handed in another card of 69 strokes and finished second tied with the Australian Michelle Ellis and two strokes behind her brilliant compatriot Karrie Webb, who signed off that Sunday with an impressive result of 66 strokes. Martí was the only golfer in the tournament who played all four days under 70 strokes at Turnberry.
That second position of Paula in the 2002 edition, 21 years ago, still stands as the best result of a Spanish woman in the British Open… and also in the Majors, as we are still waiting for the first victory. Beyond that performance, there are three seventh places: Marina Arruti in 2001 and Carlota Ciganda in 2018 and 2019.
Spanish women’s golf accumulates, before this year’s celebration, a total of 104 participations in the British Open. The number one in this ranking is Carlota Ciganda, who will play her 15th edition of the British Open this week, of which three (this is impressive) were as an amateur. She is followed in this ranking with more appearances in the British by Azahara Muñoz (13), Beatriz Recari (9), Paula Martí (8) and Marta Prieto, Belén Mozo, Tania Elósegui and Nuria Iturrioz with seven. Precisely, Nuria will tie this year in the fourth position of this classification with Martí.
