The third round of the US Women's Amateur 2024 Match Play, that is, the 1/16 final, was an impossible barrier to overcome for Rocío Tejedo, who clearly lost to the American Kendall Todd (7/6).
Thus, the tournament held at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, was left without any Spanish representation. One by one, the six players who began this exciting American adventure fell by the wayside, culminating in a victory for Filipina Rianne Malixi, who defeated American Asterisk Talley 3-2 in the final.
The golfer from Castellón couldn't find her best game during her match and perhaps paid the price for the tremendous effort she had to make to win the previous match, the 1/32, where she was trailing for a good part of the game.
In any case, Rocío Tejedo's tournament performance is more than meritorious, as she competed head-to-head with some of the best players in the world and finished among the top 16.
Four out of six Spanish women advanced to the Stroke Play stage
The US Women's Amateur completed its first two days, played under Stroke Play format, with a good result for the Spanish representation, since of the six players who traveled to the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, four qualified for the next phase, the Match Play, which will then proceed through the elimination rounds until the final.
Rocío Tejedo, Carla Bernat, Andrea Revuelta and Paula Martín were the Spanish golfers who managed to get into the top 64, positions that gave access to the direct eliminations, while Marta López and Carolina López-Chacarra were the players who had to pack their bags early.
Rocío Tejedo became the highest-placed Spaniard, finishing in 26th place after completing the two rounds with 147 strokes (+5). She was followed by Carla Bernat and Andrea Revuelta, tied for 38th place with a total of 149 strokes (+7), and Paula Martín, with a total of 151 strokes (+9).
The best in the Stroke Play phase and, therefore, the first seed for the Match Play phase, was the Colombian María José Marín, with a total of 138 strokes (-4).
The tournament has brought together a total of 132 golfers on the American course, some of them among the best ranked in the Women's World Ranking, and almost half of them passed the first cut to undergo the demanding and exciting Match Play format.
Rocío Tejedo, the only Spanish survivor
The first Match Play round of the US Women's Amateur was completely disastrous for Spanish golf, as of the four players who qualified for this phase, the elimination round, only one, Rocío Tejedo, emerged victorious, after convincingly defeating the American Jessica Guiser, as evidenced by the score of 5/3.
Rocío Tejedo saw the American take the lead on the first hole of the match, but she didn't get nervous and after tying the score on the 3rd hole, she took the lead on the 4th hole and would not leave that position until the 15th hole, when she secured her victory and her continuation in the tournament.
Unfortunately, the other Spanish representatives were unable to follow in the footsteps of the player from Castellón. Paula Martín succumbed decisively to American Melanie Green 4&3, while Ángela Revuelta and Carla Bernat took their matches to the final hole but ended up losing by the same score: 1 up. The Madrid native couldn't overcome American Laney Frye, and the player from Castellón fell to Canadian Anna Huang.
Important victory for Rocío Tejedo in the second round of Match Play
Previously, Rocío Tejedo advanced to the round of 32 after defeating American Melanie Green, who had eliminated her teammate Paula Martín in the previous round.
The golfer from Castellón beat the American player by a score of 1 up, in a match in which she showed grit and never gave up, as the match became very difficult for her.
So much so that Rocío Tejedo was down by four holes on the 12th hole, but from that moment on she starred in an excellent run of five holes won out of six that allowed her to tie the match on the 17th hole and finish it on the 18th.
Azahara Muñoz, second in 2008
This tournament, which has had little Spanish presence in recent years, holds in its history the great performance of Azahara Muñoz in the 2008 edition, when the golfer from Malaga came in second after starring in a spectacular final against the American Amanda Blumenherst, who beat the Spanish representative by 2/1.
Results, schedules and additional tournament information below, in the Related Links section.
