- Ciganda wins her second Spanish Open after an exciting final day at the Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf
- Amateur Andrea Revuelta shines with a meritorious fifth place and wins the Celia Barquín Award for best amateur
Carlota Ciganda has shone again to proclaim herself champion of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho 2024, adding her second title in this tournament after her triumph in 2021 and reaching the eighth title of her career in the Ladies European Tour (LET). With a final score of -18, she showed her best version to win in an exciting duel against the Belgian Manon De Roey, second with -17, and the Indian Pranavi Urs, third with -14.
Ciganda’s victory was not easy. She started with a four-stroke lead, but the first round of the day showed that the road to victory would not be a walkover. After a difficult start with bogeys on holes 1 and 3, Belgium’s De Roey, second on the LET Order of Merit, tied for the lead thanks to an initial run of birdies on holes 3 and 4. However, Ciganda kept her cool and showed why she is a benchmark for Spanish women’s golf. With key birdies on holes 5 and 7, the Spaniard managed to stay one stroke ahead at the end of the first nine holes.
In the second round, the tension was ratcheted up. Carlota, who struggled with the drive all week, made masterful recoveries with the irons, such as the one on the 10th hole, where she saved par after sending the ball into the water on the second shot. Meanwhile, De Roey continued to put the pressure on, tying again on the par 5 12th hole thanks to a birdie. However, Ciganda responded with cold bloodedness, making a crucial birdie on the 14th hole that put her back in the lead. The decisive moment came on the par 3 17th, where Ciganda holed a four-metre putt for birdie, celebrating with the Guadalhorce crowd. A bogey on the 18th hole did not tarnish her performance, certifying a victory that consolidates her as one of the great references of Spanish women’s golf.
«It’s very special to win here in Spain. The Spanish Open has always been a unique tournament for me, and to win it for the second time is a dream come true,» said Carlota after her victory. On her game, she added: «I started with some doubts. Manon made up some distance early, but I was generally good. That birdie on the 17th hole was decisive; it reminded me of the 17th hole at Finca Cortesin in the 2023 Solheim Cup. I played an eight iron and the distance was almost identical». She also had words of praise for Andrea Revuelta, with whom she shared a match: ‘She is a very mature player. I’m sure she will win this tournament in the future’.
Among the Spanish players, Andrea Revuelta was one of the main characters. The young amateur from Madrid, who yesterday signed a historic round of 64 strokes, clung to the course despite a difficult start that included a double bogey on hole 4. Revuelta closed the day with -1, finishing tied for fifth with a -12 total and taking the Celia Barquín Award for the best amateur of the tournament. «It has been an incredible week. I´m so thankful to the club, the Federation and the organisation for everything they have done to make this tournament possible. It is an honour to win this award in honour of a player who is a symbol in Spain», said the player from Madrid.
Spanish talent also shone with Ana Peláez, who finished eleventh with -9, and the amateur Carla Bernat, who closed the tournament fourteenth with eight under par. Marta Martín, with -7, completed the outstanding national role in this edition of the Spanish Open.
The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho 2024 concludes as a true celebration of women’s golf in a Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf that has lived up to expectations, consolidating Malaga as an epicentre of international women’s golf.
AROUND THE GREEN
The Blanca Foundation, present on all the holes
The Blanca Foundation, dedicated to supporting the mental health of elite athletes and chaired by Lola Fernández-Ochoa, sister of Blanca Fernández-Ochoa, has had an important visibility during the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho. All along the course, the spectators could see posters with inspiring messages from various athletes, showing their support for people affected by mental health problems.
Activities for everyone
The tournament was not only a celebration of top-level golf, but also an event designed for the enjoyment of attendees of all ages. The little ones found fun in the Kids Area, while amateurs actively participated in the activation hole and the simulator organised by Andalucía, Costa del Sol and the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation.
In addition, the public had the opportunity to visit the Oysho showroom, located next to the clubhouse, where they discovered the latest trends in sports fashion and competed in the mini-golf holes for various prizes. For food lovers, the Iberian ham tasting was one of the highlights, complemented by the information tents of the Malaga City Council, TOA Shoes and Awolf, which offered interactive content and exclusive experiences to enrich the experience of the attendees.
Awards for the best round at Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf
In addition to the prizes for the first classified and the best amateur, the club wanted to recognise the historic rounds achieved yesterday by Andrea Revuelta and Rosie Davies. With a total of 64 strokes, both players recorded yesterday the lowest score in a women’s professional tournament at Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf and were awarded a trophy in recognition of the club.