Lucía enjoyed a splendid morning at Real Golf de Pedreña for the final day of competition of the Santander Golf Tour. The players gathered early on the driving range, preparing mentally for the semifinals, which featured three Spanish players who would guarantee national representation in the final.

In the first match, Marta Muñoz and María Villanueva (accompanied by her coach and caddie, Pello Iguarán) promised a thrilling duel after both had displayed impeccable play in the previous rounds. On the first few holes, both players started somewhat conservatively, trying to avoid mistakes. The player from Gipuzkoa quickly took the lead with a birdie on the 2nd hole, but Marta remained competitive and, starting with the 6th hole, strung together two consecutive birdies to move two points ahead at the end of the front nine. On the back nine, a bogey by the player from Gipuzkoa on the 10th and a spectacular putt from the edge of the green by Marta on the 13th hole gave the player from Ávila a four-point lead. She ultimately closed out the match on the 16th hole with a 3&2 and was ecstatic: “I’m very happy with how I competed. I struggled a bit with my irons at the beginning, but then I fine-tuned them and things clicked.” She also emphasized that “the difference-maker was definitely my mindset. I stayed focused throughout the match, and hopefully the final will go just as well.”.

On the other side of the draw, Russia's Nina Pegova faced off against Amaia Latorre from Álava. The match quickly swung in favor of the player born in Chelyabinsk, who is always very comfortable in this format and managed to tip the scales from the very first holes. Amaia, who carded a 31 in the quarterfinals, was hampered by poor putting and by the 9th hole was already five strokes behind her opponent. Nina, with a calm and composed demeanor, shot a par in the front nine and finished off her rival with two birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, which proved decisive for the final result. The player from Álava fought hard on the 12th and 13th to close the gap, but ultimately succumbed on the 14th, 5&4.

Thus, fate presented us with a clash between two teammates and rivals who knew each other very well. Marta Muñoz and Nina Pegova had been training together in Ávila just two weeks prior and were coming off a commendable fifth-place finish as a pair in the doubles tournament held in El Bosque (Valencia) last May. However, in a final of this magnitude, there was no room for mercy, and the tension was palpable from the first tee. The Ávila native had the opportunity to lift her first professional title in the week leading up to the Santander Golf Tour LETAS at the course where she grew up: Naturávila Golf.

Following the same pattern as in the morning, the Russian player dominated the first few holes, giving Marta Muñoz no chance. By the 5th hole, she had already racked up three birdies and was four points ahead of the player from Ávila, who couldn't find an answer to her opponent's accuracy. On the 8th hole, Marta had a chance to close the gap, but the birdie slipped away by mere centimeters, and the Russian finished the first nine holes of the final with a five-point advantage. Seeking a comeback, Marta missed several birdie opportunities on holes 10, 11, and 12, failing to make the cut and closing the gap. With both players parring the 13th, they were sluggish going into the 14th, and the Russian sealed her victory with a three-meter putt, securing her first win on the Santander Golf Tour.

Back at the clubhouse, the Russian golfer expressed her joy at winning the title: “I competed very well all week. Real Golf de Pedreña is a club where I’ve always done very well, and it’s a joy to win here.” She also mentioned her friendship with Marta: “I’ve played with her many times. We’ve played together as a pair and we know each other well, so I wish her all the best next week at Naturávila. It’s her course, and I’m sure she’ll do very well.”.

In the match for third and fourth place, Amaia Latorre managed to take the victory against her friend María Villanueva and both added their second top-5 in three weeks after the good game displayed in Izki Golf.

SOURCE: Santander Golf Tour