Azahara Muñoz
Encyclopedia
Azahara Muñoz Guijarro (born 19 November 1987) is a Spanish
professional golfer
on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour
.
in southern Spain and had a successful amateur career in both Europe and the United States. She won the 2002 Spanish Amateur title at age 14, the 2004 Girls British Open Championship, and was the 2009 British Ladies Amateur champion. Additionally, she was runner-up to Amanda Blumenherst
at the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur in Eugene, Oregon
, and was a member of Europe's Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2002, 2003, and 2005.
At Arizona State, she was the 2008 NCAA Individual Champion
in her junior year, winning by making a 25-foot (8 m) putt in the first hole of a playoff against UCLA
's Tiffany Joh
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Surgery on her right wrist in January 2009 sidelined her for over a month during her senior year. In May, Muñoz finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in Maryland
to lead the Sun Devils to the 2009 NCAA team title. She was the Edith Cummings Munson Award recipient in 2008 & 2009, the only double winner of the award. Muñoz was also 2006–08 NGCA Academic All-American, 2006–09 First-Team All-Pac-10, 2006–07 NGCA Second-Team All-American, 2009 NGCA All-American and 2009 Pac-10 Scholar of the Year. She graduated magna cum laude from ASU in May 2009 with a bachelor's degree
in psychology
and a minor in business.
In a final summer of amateur play, Muñoz won the match-play British Ladies Amateur in Wales
over ASU teammate and compatriot Carlota Ciganda, then won gold medals (individual & team) for Spain at the 2009 Mediterranean Games
in Italy
. Although the runner-up in 2008, she opted not to participate in the 2009 U.S. Women's Amateur. She played in three professional majors
as an amateur in 2009, placing T-40 twice.
in California, in which she finished second and advanced to the final stage in December.
Back in Spain, she received a sponsor's exemption into the 2009
Madrid Ladies Masters
, and made her professional debut on 1 October on the Ladies European Tour
(LET). With a 64 (−9) in the final round, she won the three-round event on the first playoff hole, defeating former ASU teammate Anna Nordqvist
with an eagle putt; Muñoz earned €
50,000 and a three-year LET exemption.
Following a rain-shortened one round victory in Barcelona
for €5,000 on the Banesto
mini-tour in late October, Muñoz finished fifth at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament
in December in Florida to earn full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for 2010.
She ended the year ranked 179th in the Women's World Golf Rankings
.
, Muñoz made the cut in her first eleven events, and won over $402,000 in LPGA competition with two top ten finishes. She made the top twenty in the three majors
she played, was 30th on the money list, and 17th in scoring. Muñoz handily won the competition for LPGA Rookie of the Year with 704 points; the runner-up was compatriot Beatriz Recari
with 419.
She won an additional €26,380 in five events on the Ladies European Tour (total 2010
LET earnings were €96,633 in seven events, with €70,253 from the two events co-sanctioned by the LPGA).
Muñoz ended the year at 41st in the Women's World Golf Rankings
.
1 Muñoz sank an eagle putt on the first playoff hole to win.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
.
Amateur career
Muñoz was born in MálagaMálaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
in southern Spain and had a successful amateur career in both Europe and the United States. She won the 2002 Spanish Amateur title at age 14, the 2004 Girls British Open Championship, and was the 2009 British Ladies Amateur champion. Additionally, she was runner-up to Amanda Blumenherst
Amanda Blumenherst
Amanda Blumenherst is an American professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She was a three-time National Player of the Year at Duke University and won the U.S. Women's Amateur title in 2008....
at the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, and was a member of Europe's Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2002, 2003, and 2005.
At Arizona State, she was the 2008 NCAA Individual Champion
NCAA Women's Golf Championship
NCAA Champions for women's golf:-Division I:-Division II-III combined:-Division II:-Division III:-Team:The following schools have won more than one team championship:*15: Methodist*7: Arizona State*5: Duke, Rollins*4: Florida Southern...
in her junior year, winning by making a 25-foot (8 m) putt in the first hole of a playoff against UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
's Tiffany Joh
Tiffany Joh
Tiffany Joh is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and on the Futures Tour.-Childhood:...
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Surgery on her right wrist in January 2009 sidelined her for over a month during her senior year. In May, Muñoz finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
to lead the Sun Devils to the 2009 NCAA team title. She was the Edith Cummings Munson Award recipient in 2008 & 2009, the only double winner of the award. Muñoz was also 2006–08 NGCA Academic All-American, 2006–09 First-Team All-Pac-10, 2006–07 NGCA Second-Team All-American, 2009 NGCA All-American and 2009 Pac-10 Scholar of the Year. She graduated magna cum laude from ASU in May 2009 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and a minor in business.
In a final summer of amateur play, Muñoz won the match-play British Ladies Amateur in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
over ASU teammate and compatriot Carlota Ciganda, then won gold medals (individual & team) for Spain at the 2009 Mediterranean Games
2009 Mediterranean Games
The 2009 Mediterranean Games , officially known as the XVI Mediterranean Games, took place in Pescara, Italy, from 25 June to 5 July, 2009...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Although the runner-up in 2008, she opted not to participate in the 2009 U.S. Women's Amateur. She played in three professional majors
Women's major golf championships
Women's golf has a set of major championships which parallels that in men's golf, but the women's system is younger and has been less stable than the men's. Many professional stroke play events for women are played over three rounds , but the majors are played over four rounds , which is the...
as an amateur in 2009, placing T-40 twice.
2009
Muñoz turned professional in September 2009, two weeks prior to the first stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying TournamentQualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
in California, in which she finished second and advanced to the final stage in December.
Back in Spain, she received a sponsor's exemption into the 2009
2009 Ladies European Tour
The 2009 Ladies European Tour was a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from January through December 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour ....
Madrid Ladies Masters
Madrid Ladies Masters
The Madrid Ladies Masters was a professional golf tournament in Spain on the Ladies European Tour. The 54-hole event was held at the par-73 Casino Club de Golf Retamares in early October and played for three years, from 2007 to 2009....
, and made her professional debut on 1 October on the Ladies European Tour
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
(LET). With a 64 (−9) in the final round, she won the three-round event on the first playoff hole, defeating former ASU teammate Anna Nordqvist
Anna Nordqvist
Anna Maria Nordqvist is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:...
with an eagle putt; Muñoz earned €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
50,000 and a three-year LET exemption.
Following a rain-shortened one round victory in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
for €5,000 on the Banesto
Banesto
Banesto is a Spanish bank, 88.4% owned by Banco Santander. Currently Banesto is the fifth-largest banking group in Spain, operating around 1,770 branches....
mini-tour in late October, Muñoz finished fifth at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
in December in Florida to earn full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for 2010.
She ended the year ranked 179th in the Women's World Golf Rankings
Women's World Golf Rankings
The Women's World Golf Rankings, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Rolex Rankings, were introduced in February 2006. They are sanctioned by the five main women's golf tours and the organisations behind them: Ladies Professional Golf Association , Ladies European Tour, Ladies Professional...
.
2010
In her rookie season of 20102010 LPGA Tour
The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010...
, Muñoz made the cut in her first eleven events, and won over $402,000 in LPGA competition with two top ten finishes. She made the top twenty in the three majors
Women's major golf championships
Women's golf has a set of major championships which parallels that in men's golf, but the women's system is younger and has been less stable than the men's. Many professional stroke play events for women are played over three rounds , but the majors are played over four rounds , which is the...
she played, was 30th on the money list, and 17th in scoring. Muñoz handily won the competition for LPGA Rookie of the Year with 704 points; the runner-up was compatriot Beatriz Recari
Beatriz Recari
Beatriz Recari Eransus is a Spanish professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:...
with 419.
She won an additional €26,380 in five events on the Ladies European Tour (total 2010
2010 Ladies European Tour
The 2010 Ladies European Tour was a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2010. The tournaments were sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour ....
LET earnings were €96,633 in seven events, with €70,253 from the two events co-sanctioned by the LPGA).
Muñoz ended the year at 41st in the Women's World Golf Rankings
Women's World Golf Rankings
The Women's World Golf Rankings, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Rolex Rankings, were introduced in February 2006. They are sanctioned by the five main women's golf tours and the organisations behind them: Ladies Professional Golf Association , Ladies European Tour, Ladies Professional...
.
Ladies European Tour (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score |
To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up | Winner's share (€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Oct 2009 2009 Ladies European Tour The 2009 Ladies European Tour was a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from January through December 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour .... |
Madrid Ladies Masters Madrid Ladies Masters The Madrid Ladies Masters was a professional golf tournament in Spain on the Ladies European Tour. The 54-hole event was held at the par-73 Casino Club de Golf Retamares in early October and played for three years, from 2007 to 2009.... |
71–68–64=203 | -16 | Playoff 1 |  Anna NordqvistAnna Nordqvist Anna Maria Nordqvist is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:... |
50,000 |
1 Muñoz sank an eagle putt on the first playoff hole to win.
Results in LPGA majors
| Tournament | 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... | 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... | 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Nabisco Championship Kraft Nabisco Championship The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983... |
T40 | DNP | T52 |
| LPGA Championship LPGA Championship The LPGA Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Wegmans LPGA Championship, is the second-longest running tournament in the history of the Ladies Professional Golf Association surpassed only by the U.S. Women's Open. It is one of four majors on the LPGA tour... |
DNP | T11 | T8 |
| U.S. Women's Open | T40 | T19 | T45 |
| Women's British Open Women's British Open The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons... |
CUT | T19 | T49 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
LPGA Tour career summary
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best finish | Earnings ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T40 | n/a | 75.00 | ||
| 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
21 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | T4 | 402,497 | 30 | 71.29 | 17 |
| 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
23 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | T2 | 520,269 | 24 | 72.11 | 30 |
- official through 21 November 2011
Solheim Cup record
| Year | Total Matches | Total W-L-H | Singles W-L-H | Foursomes W-L-H | Fourballs W-L-H | Points Won | Points % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 4 | 2-1-1 | 1-0-0 | 1-0-1 | 0-1-0 | 2.5 | 62.5% |
| 2011 2011 Solheim Cup The 2011 Solheim Cup was the 12th Solheim Cup matches, held between 23 September and 25 September 2011 at Killeen Castle in County Meath in Ireland... |
4 | 2-1-1 | 1-0-0 def. A. Stanford Angela Stanford Angela Stanford is an American professional golfer who currently competes on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:Stanford was born in Fort Worth, Texas. As a junior golfer, she won the Fort Worth Girls Championship four times , the 1996 Texas State 4A High School Championship and the 1996 PING Texas... 1 up |
1-0-1 won w/ C. Matthew Catriona Matthew Catriona Isobel Matthew MBE is a Scottish professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and is also a member of the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:... 3&2, halved w/ C. Matthew |
0-1-0 lost w/ M. Hjorth Maria Hjorth Maria Anna "Mimmi" Hjorth is a Swedish professional golfer. She attended the University of Stirling in Scotland. She won more than twenty amateur titles including the 1995 European Ladies Amateur Championship. She turned professional in 1996 and played mainly on the Ladies European Tour that year... 3&1 |
2.5 | 62.5% |