Ana Peláez, with a remarkable card of 6 under par, has taken the first step towards the title of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho held this week at the Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf. The Malaga-born player has already made her mark after the first 18 holes of competition, placing second tied with Helen Briem and Pranavi Urs. The Finnish Noora Komulainen, with 7 under par, the sole leader at the end of the first day.
The winner of the Santander Spanish Women’s Professional Championship just a week ago displayed all her arsenal in a magnificent day of golf in which she found her best level. “Being from Malaga and being in my city is very special. To be able to enjoy with the Malaga public during this week is wonderful and I hope to be able to maintain the level throughout the tournament.”
A single bogey on the 16th hole was an anecdote in a spectacular round in which Pelaez started with six consecutive pars before putting the direct from hole seven. With a solid and flawless game, the Malaga native made six birdies in a row between the seventh and twelfth holes that brought the local public to its feet. At the end of the day, she commented: “At the beginning it was hard for me to connect with my golf, but from hole seven I had a second of calm where I could feel a lot of peace and start from scratch”. Regarding his round, he indicated that “there is little to improve after such a good round. Maybe I could have found the rhythm earlier, but with the support of the public and my family, I can’t ask for more”.
The star of Spanish golf, Carlota Ciganda, also joined the party of successes. The 5 under par of the Navarrese, two strokes behind the leader, puts her in the fight for a title she already won in 2021 at Los Naranjos. Her second round of four under par, with two birdies in the last three holes, augurs a special weekend for Spanish golf: “It was a good round. You have to be patient on this course. The greens are more complicated in the second round and you always have to be on the right platform to get a birdie, while in the first round you have a few more options”. As for the level he showed during the day, he commented: “My game with the irons was up to par. The distance control has been very good and the putting has also worked, but it is true that lately I have been struggling a lot with the drive”.
However, the most outstanding player of the day was Noora Komulainen, who knew how to adapt from the first moment to the Guadalhorce course. With five birdies in the first round and three birdies in a row on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, she made just one bogey on the par four 16th hole and will be looking for her first Ladies European Tour championship this week.
Germany’s Helen Briem and India’s Pranavi Urs also completed two sensational rounds of six under par. Briem, champion in La Sella in her third tournament on the Ladies European Tour, once again showed her spectacular punch and is once again a strong candidate for the title despite her young age.
In addition to Pelaez and Ciganda, several other Spaniards played an outstanding role in this first day of competition. Marta Martín completed a great round of four under par and closed the day in eighth position. Meanwhile, Marta Sanz and Harang Lee carded a 69 for three under par, while the amateur Paula Marti and Teresa Toscano from Huelva are placed twentieth with -2.
With 54 holes still to be played, the tournament is wide open and promises excitement until Sunday. The course, in perfect condition, and a roster full of international and national stars ensure that the public will enjoy an unparalleled spectacle at the Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf.
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Fierce fight for the top-10 of the Order of Merit
Maria Hernandez, currently ranked ninth on the European Tour Order of Merit, remains firm in her fight to stay in the top ten and secure a place in the LPGA Q-Series final and thus secure her card for the American Tour. Madrid’s Marta Martin could also join Hernandez in the top ten if she achieves a top-3 finish at this year’s Open.
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Hole-in-one prizes on the par threes, courtesy of the Malaga City Council
The Malaga City Council will be present throughout the week on the par threes of the Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf, specifically on holes 2, 3, 5 and 17. For all those players who manage to get a hole in one between now and Sunday, the City Council will offer a prize of six exclusive nights in the city of Malaga. To date, a total of eight holes-in-one have been achieved in the twenty-two editions of the Spanish Open.
Andalucía Costa Del Sol Open de Espana – 1st Round
1 Noora Komulainen (FIN) -7 65
2 Helen Briem (GER) -6 66
2 Pranavi Urs (IND) -6 66
2 Ana Pelaez Trivino (ESP) -6 66
2 Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER) -6 66 2 Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER) -6 66 6 Pia Babnik (SLO) -5 67 6 Carlota Ciganda (ESP) -5 67 6 66
6 Pia Babnik (SLO) -5 67
6 Carlota Ciganda (ESP) -5 67
8 Kim Metraux (SUI) -4 68
8 Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) -4 68
8 Anne Van Dam (NED) -4 68
8 Marta Martin (ESP) -4 68
8 Camille Chevalier (FRA) -4 68
8 Shannon Tan (SIN) -4 68
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