Azahara Muñoz

Azahara Muñoz Guijarro (born 19 November 1987) is a Spanish professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour.

Azahara Muñoz
Personal information
Full nameAzahara Muñoz Guijarro
NicknameAza
Born (1987-11-19) 19 November 1987
Málaga, Spain
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Nationality Spain
ResidenceSpain
Career
CollegeArizona State University
(2009, Psychology)
Turned professional2009
Current tour(s)LPGA Tour (joined 2010)
Ladies European Tour (joined 2009)
Professional wins6
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour1
Ladies European Tour5
Best results in LPGA major championships
ANA InspirationT7: 2014
Women's PGA C'shipT4: 2014
U.S. Women's OpenT19: 2010
Women's British OpenT12: 2014
Evian ChampionshipT19: 2013
Achievements and awards
LPGA Tour
Rookie of the Year		2010
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Muñoz and the second or maternal family name is Guijarro.

Amateur career

Muñoz was born in Málaga, Andalusia 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 Amateur 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 at 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.[1] 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 and placed T-40 twice.

Professional career

2009

Muñoz turned professional in September 2009, two weeks prior to the first stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament 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). After shooting 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.[2]

Following a rain-shortened one-round victory in Barcelona for €5,000 on the Banesto mini-tour in late October,[3] Muñoz finished fifth at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in December in Florida to earn full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for 2010.[4] She ended the year ranked 179th in the Women's World Golf Rankings.[5]

2010

In her rookie season of 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 she played, was 30th on the money list, and 17th in scoring.[6] Muñoz handily won the competition for LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year with 704 points; the runner-up was compatriot Beatriz Recari with 419.[7][8]

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).[9] Muñoz ended the year at 41st in the world rankings.[10]

2012

Muñoz notched her first LPGA Tour victory at the Sybase Match Play Championship in Gladstone, New Jersey with a 2 and 1 victory over Candie Kung. In the semifinal round of match play against Morgan Pressel, Muñoz trailed by two through 11 holes. Pressel appeared to have won the 12th hole, which would have given her a three-hole lead over Muñoz, but a slow-play penalty was ruled against Pressel. Muñoz ended up winning the semifinal match against Pressel, 2 and 1.[11] The victory in May vaulted Muñoz from 27th to 19th in the world rankings[12] and from tenth to second on the 2012 money list.

Professional wins (6)

LPGA Tour (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up Winner's
share ($)
1 20 May 2012 Sybase Match Play Championship 2 and 1 Candie Kung 375,000

LPGA Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2014 HSBC Women's Champions Paula Creamer Lost to eagle on second extra hole
2 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open Cheyenne Knight
Stacy Lewis
Emily Kristine Pedersen		 Lewis won with birdie on first extra hole

Ladies European Tour (5)
No. Date Tournament Winning
score		 To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up Winner's
share (€)
1 3 Oct 2009 Madrid Ladies Masters 71-68-64=203 −16 Playoff1 Anna Nordqvist 50,000
2 29 Sep 2013 Lacoste Ladies Open de France 68-65-68-65=266 −14 1 stroke Valentine Derrey
Gwladys Nocera		 37,500
3 5 Oct 2014 Lacoste Ladies Open de France (2) 67-68-67-67=269 −11 1 stroke Amy Boulden
María Hernández		 37,500
4 25 Sep 2016 Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De España 72-66-70-70=278 −10 1 stroke Beth Allen 45,000
5 24 Sep 2017 Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De España Femenino (2) 69-64-67-69=269 −19 2 strokes Carlota Ciganda
Lee-Anne Pace		 45,000

1 Muñoz sank an eagle putt on the first playoff hole to win.

Results in LPGA majors

Results not in chronological order before 2020.

Tournament200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
The Evian Championship ^ T19 T24 CUT 72 T48 T33 CUT NT
Women's British Open CUT T19 T49 CUT CUT T12 T50 T17 T23 T47 T41 T39
ANA Inspiration T40 T52 T15 CUT T7 T56 T27 T20 T68 T69
Women's PGA Championship T11 T8 CUT CUT T4 T53 T30 CUT CUT T37 CUT
U.S. Women's Open T40 T19 T45 T21 T48 T22 T32 CUT 62 T41 T55 T54

^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013

  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied

Summary
TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
ANA Inspiration000013109
U.S. Women's Open0000031211
Women's PGA Championship000123116
The Evian Championship00000275
Women's British Open000004129
Totals00013155240
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 9 (2013 Evian – 2015 British Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)

LPGA Tour career summary
YearTournaments
played		Cuts
made*		Wins2nd3rdTop 10sBest
finish		Earnings
($)		Money
list rank		Scoring
average		Scoring
rank
2009 3 2 0 0 0 0 T40 n/a n/a 75.00 n/a
2010 21 17 0 0 0 2 T4 402,497 30 71.29 17
2011 23 21 0 1 1 3 T2 520,269 24 72.11 30
2012 26 22 1 2 1 9 1 1,230,751 8 70.90 9
2013 26 21 0 1 0 3 2 457,996 31 71.50 28
2014 27 26 0 2 0 10 2 1,051,332 9 70.47 8
2015 23 21 0 0 1 5 T3 504,100 32 71.28 23
2016 27 24 0 0 0 5 T5 440,802 43 71.34 37
2017 26 21 0 0 0 0 T15 286,417 63 71.47 61
2018 26 24 0 1 0 2 2 568,975 38 71.27 37
2019 26 25 0 1 1 7 T2 667,184 30 70.53 21
2020 14 10 0 1 0 1 T2 181,537 64 72.13 74
  • official through 2020 season[13]

* Includes matchplay and other events without a cut.

World ranking

Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.

YearWorld
ranking		Source
2009179[5]
201041[10]
201140[14]
201216[15]
201331[16]
201414[17]
201530[18]
201650[19]
201772[20]
201854[21]
201943[22]
202069[23]

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

Solheim Cup record
YearTotal
matches		Total
W–L–H		Singles
W–L–H		Foursomes
W–L–H		Fourballs
W–L–H		Points
won		Points
%
Career 16 6–8–2 1–3–0 4–2–1 1–3–1 7 43.8
2011 4 2–1–1 1–0–0 def. A. Stanford 1 up 1–0–1 won w/ C. Matthew 3&2,
halved w/ C. Matthew		 0–1–0 lost w/ M. Hjorth 3&1 2.5 62.5
2013 4 2–2–0 0–1–0 lost to B. Lang 2&1 1–1–0 won w/ K. Icher 2&1,
lost w/ K. Icher 1dn		 1–0–0 won w/ C. Ciganda 1 up 2 50
2015 3 0–3–0 0–1–0 lost to L. Salas 3&1 0–1–0 lost w/ K. Icher 2&1 0–1–0 lost w/ C. Ciganda 3&2 0 0
2019 5 2–2–1 0–1–0 lost to A. Yin 2&1 2–0–0 won w/ C. Hull 2&1
won w/ C. Hull 4&3		 0–1–1 halved w/ C. Hull
lost w/ C. Ciganda 2&1		 2.5 50.0

References
  1. "Azahara Munoz Profile". Arizona State University. Archived from the original on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  2. "Muñoz beats Nordqvist in Playoff on Professional Debut". Ladies European Tour. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  3. "Barcelona leaderboard". Banesto Golf Tour. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  4. "2009 Final Qualifying Tournament – results" (PDF). LPGA. 6 December 2009.
  5. "Women's World Golf Rankings". Rolex Rankings. 29 December 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. "2010 Player Performance Record". LPGA. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  7. "Munoz Clinches Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year Race". LPGA. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  8. "Stats: Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year: 2010". LPGA. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  9. "Azahara Muñoz – 2010 season results". Ladies European Tour.
  10. "Women's World Golf Rankings". Rolex Rankings. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  11. "Azahara Muñoz wins match play". ESPN. Associated Press. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  12. "Women's World Golf Rankings". Rolex Rankings. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  13. "Azahara Munoz stats". LPGA. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  14. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 27 December 2011.
  15. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 31 December 2012.
  16. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2013.
  17. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 29 December 2014.
  18. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2015.
  19. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 26 December 2016.
  20. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 25 December 2017.
  21. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 31 December 2018.
  22. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2019.
  23. "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2020.
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