Caroline Masson, match referee Jane Brown and Azahara Munoz before the morning action at Royal St David's Golf Club, Harlech. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency. Click to enlarge.

Carlota Ciganda, match referee Beryl Davies, and Laura Collin before the start of the semi-finals (Cal Carson Golf Agency. Click to enlarge the image.

Ciganda v Munoz in first all-Spanish

final of Ladies British Open amateur

This afternoon’s 18-hole final of the Ladies British open amateur championship over the Royal St David’s Golf club links at Harlech, North Wales will be contested by two Spanish players, the No 1 seed Carlota Ciganda, a 19-year-old from Pamplona, and the No 2 seed, Azahara Munoz, a 21 year-old from Malaga.
All several Spaniards have won the title in recent years, include Carlota herself in 2007 at Alwoodley, when she was only 17, this is the first all-Spanish final in the history of the tournament.
European champion Ciganda by no means had things all her own way against Laura Collin (John O’Gaunt), the 22-year-old former Bedfordshire champion, before winning by 2 and 1.
Ciganda was two under par and Collin level par for the 17 holes of an absorbing match.
Azahara Munoz, winner of the British girls championship at Lanark in 2004, is playing in the Ladies British open amateur championship for the last time – she is to turn professional after next month’s US Women’s Open for which she has accepted an invitation to compete as an amateur.
She produced her best golf since the qualifying rounds in beating Caroline Masson from Ladbeck Germany by 4 and 3 with five-under-par figures.
Laura Collin lost only one hole over the outward half against Carlota Ciganda who won the second with a par 4.
Collin squared with a birdie 4 at the long third and went three up with a par at the fourth and an eagle 3 at the long fifth.
Out in one-under-par 36, the English girl was one up on the Spanish No 1 seed who turned in one-over-par 38.
Ciganda won her second hole of the semi-final at the 10th which Collin bogeyed to be only one up.
The next four holes (11th to 14th) were halved in par-par-birdie-par figures as Collin hung on to her narrow lead.
Ciganda got back on level terms for the first time since she fell behind at the sixth by birdieing the long 15th.
The Spanish player made it back-to-back birdies with a 3 at the 16th to go one up.
Ciganda won a third hole in a row with a par at the 17th for a 2 and 1 victory.
Azahara Munoz played some sparkling golf to reach the turn in four-under-par 33 and be four up on Carline Masson.
Azahara birdied the second to lead and, when Masson bogeyed the fifth, a par was good enough to see Munoz double her lead.
A birdie 3 put Munoz three up butr Masson countered with a birdie of her own – a 4 at the long seventh, to be only two down.
But Munoz surged four up with a birdie 4 at the eighth and a birdie 2 at the ninth where the Spanish player almost had a hole in one. Her tee shot lipped out and came to rest a foot away from the flagstick.
Masson scored her second success of the match with a par 3 at the short 11th to cut her deficit to three holes.
The German player got another one back, thanks to a birdie 4 at the 13th.
Munoz went three up for a third time in the match with her second birdie 2, this one at the 14th.
Another birdie – her sixth of the round – by Munoz at the long 15th finished the match with a 4 and 3 margin in her favour.
Masson, although beaten, was one under par for the 15 holes.

HOLE-BY-HOLE LOOK AT THE SEMI-FINALS

CARLOTA CIGANDA v LAURA COLLIN
1st hole. Ciganda 4, Collin 4.
2nd hole Ciganda 4, Collin bogey 5. Ciganda 1 up.
3rd hole. Ciganda 5, Collin birdie 4. Match all square.
4th hole. Ciganda 3, Collin 3.
5th hole. Ciganda 4, Collin 4.
6th hole. Ciganda bogey 5, Collin 4. Collin 1 up.
7th hole. Ciganda bogey 6, Collin bogey 6.
8th hole. Ciganda birdie 4, Collin eagle 3. Collin 2 up.
9th hole. Ciganda 3, Collin 3.
Collin (out in one-under-par 36) two up on Ciganda (out in one-over-par 37).
10th hole. Ciganda 4, Collin bogey 5. Collin 1 up.
11th hole. Ciganda 3, Collin 3.
12th hole. Ciganda 5, Collin 5.
13th hole. Ciganda birdie 4, Colloin birdie 4.
14th hole. Ciganda 3, Collin 3.
15th hole. Ciganda birdie 4, Collin 5. Match all square.
16th hole. Ciganda birdie 3, Collin 4. Ciganda 1 up.
17th hole. Ciganda 4, Collin bobgey 5. Ciganda wins 2 and 1..

CAROLINE MASSON v AZAHARA MUNOZ
1ST hole. Masson 4, Munoz 4.
2nd hole. Masson 4, Munoz birdie 3. Munoz 1 up.
3rd hole. Masson 5, Munoz 5.
4th hole. Masson 3, Munoz 3.
5th hole. Masson bogey 5, Munoz 4. Munoz 2 up.
6th hole. Masson 4, Munoz b irdie 3. Munoz 3 up.
7th hole. Masson birdie 4, Munoz 5. Munoz 2 up.
8th hole. Masson 5, Munoz birdie 4. Munoz 3 up.
9th hole. Masson 3, Munoz birdie 2. Munoz 4 up.
Munoz (out in four-under-par 33) four up on Masson (out in level par 37).
10th hole. Masson 4, MJunoz 4.
11th hole. Masson 3, Munoz bogey 4. Munoz 3 up.
12th hole. Masson 5, Munoz 5.
13th hole. Masson birdie 4, Munoz 5. Munoz 2 up.
14th hole. Masson 3, Munoz birdie 2. Munoz 3 up.
15th hole. Masson 5, Munoz birdie 4. Munoz wins by 4 and 3.