It has been just over 17 years since Azahara Muñoz made her debut on the Ladies European Tour. It was in the Netherlands, at the ABN Amro Ladies Open. The golfer from Málaga, still an amateur, was 20 years old. She delivered a more than notable first round at par, but missed the cut by a single stroke after a 75 in the second round. Time has passed and many things have changed. In fact, from that week, she will only meet one player this Thursday when the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España begins at the Real Guadalhorce Golf Club. It will be the South African Lee Anne Pace. Honours to Azahara and Pace. It’s an achievement to stay at the forefront half a lifetime later.
Azahara Muñoz returns to the Open de España after a year of absence, returning to her territory. It is for personal reasons. And it is also for sporting reasons. She lives a short distance from the Real Guadalhorce Golf Club and has won this tournament twice. Any way you look at it, it’s her backyard. It will be her tenth participation in the Open de España. A round number. One of those that make you look back.
Azahara’s history in the Open de España is fabulous. She played it for the first time in 2010 and finished in 22nd place. From there, in her next seven visits, she never dropped out of the top 20, won it twice, finished second another time, and added a fourth and a sixth place. A record that takes your breath away. It will also be her 37th regular tournament on the Ladies European Tour, a circuit where she has accumulated five victories. Not a bad average: five wins in 36 appearances.
Azahara has played little on the LET because her main circuit from the start of her career was the LPGA Tour. However, she never stopped coming to Europe. Not even in the most challenging years of the pandemic (2020 and 2021) did she fail to appear. In 2024, she didn’t play any regular tournaments, but that was due to maternity leave. Even so, she had time to compete in the Evian Championship and the British, two Majors, yes, but played in Europe. Azahara returns home and will be a factor this week.
The tournament brings together the 64 best players of the year plus eleven invitations, three of which are amateurs: Paula Martín, Andrea Revuelta, and Adriana García Terol. As for the Spanish contingent, Carlota Ciganda, Nuria Iturrioz, Luna Sobrón, Blanca Fernández, Marta Martín, María Hernández, Amaia Latorre, Marta Sanz, Ana Peláez, Harang Lee, and Teresa Toscano join.
Of all of them, Toscano, Harang, Marta Sanz, Amaia, and María Hernández need a victory to maintain their playing rights on the Ladies European Tour and avoid the School. Being invited, their points do not count, but in the event of a victory, they would acquire the category of Tour winners.
