Raquel Carriedo-Tomás Explained

Raquel Carriedo-Tomás
Birth Date:8 February 1971
Birth Place:Zaragoza, Spain
Children:2
Yearpro:1995
Extour:Ladies European Tour
LPGA Tour (2003)
Prowins:5
Letwins:4
Otherwins:1
Nabisco:T42: 2003
Lpga:WD: 2003
Wusopen:4th: 2002
Dumaurier:DNP
Wbritopen:T12: 2001
Award1:Ladies European Tour
Order of Merit
Year1:2001
Award2:Ladies European Tour
Player of the Year
Year2:2001

Raquel Carriedo-Tomás (born 8 February 1971) is a Spanish professional golfer, usually called just Raquel Carriedo.

In 2000, she became the first Spaniard to play for Europe in the Solheim Cup. Carriedo was also a member of the team in 2002, and she topped the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit in 2001.[1] [2] [3]

Early life and amateur career

At six years of age, Carriedo started playing golf at Real Club de Golf La Peñaza in Zaragoza, Aragon, 300 kilometers north-east of the Spanish capital Madrid.[4] Her professional instructor was Vicente Ballesteros, elder brother of major winner Seve Ballesteros. She practiced and competed a lot at young age and when she was 16, her instructor told her parents that she should try a professional career in golf, but she did not turn pro until she had finished her studies in tourism eight years later.[1]

During her amateur career she never won a national amateur title nor represented her country at international team championships.

Professional career

With a solid 2000 season on the Ladies European Tour, despite not winning a tournament, Carriedo was selected, as the sixth of seven automatic qualifiers and the first ever Spanish participant to the European team against United States at the 2000 Solheim Cup at Loch Lomond Golf Club, Scotland. Carriedo contributed to a European 1412 to 1112 points win with a tie in the second day fourball match with Laura Davies against Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel.[5]

Carriedo finished the 2000 Ladies European Tour season fifth on the Order of Merit.

After finishing second nine times, Carriedo captured her first professional win in March 2001 at the Taiwan Ladies Open.

At the Compaq Open in August 2001 at Österåker Golf Club outside Stockholm, Sweden, Carriedo was six strokes behind leader Karine Icher after 36 holes and three strokes behind after 54 holes. However, on the 11th hole during the final round, Icher was penalised one stroke due to slow play and continued to four-putt the hole. Carriedo finally won by a stroke and continued the 2001 season winning the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.[2]

At the 2002 U.S. Women's Open at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas, Carriedo reached her best finish in a major championship, finishing lone fourth behind Juli Inkster, Annika Sörenstam and Shani Waugh.

Carriedo made her second Solheim Cup appearance in September 2002, as the second automatic European qualifier, at Interlachen Country Club, Minnesota, U.S.A.[6] In the second day fourball Carriedo came to be paired with her opponent from the Compaq Open the year before, Karine Icher. The pair won their game against Cristie Kerr and Rosie Jones, but Europe lost the match 1512 to 1212.

Carriedo mainly retired from competitive golf after the 2004 season and after having two children, she has been working as a golf instructor.

Awards and honors

Professional wins (5)

Ladies European Tour wins (4)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
118 Mar 2001Taiwan Ladies Open69-67-75=211 −51 stroke Anna Berg Elisabeth Esterl
212 Aug 2001Compaq Open72-67-73-72=284−81 stroke Karine Icher
326 Aug 2001Waterford Crystal Ladies' Irish Open68-66-66=200−161 stroke Sophie Gustafson
45 May 2002Tenerife Ladies Open73-71-77-71=292+41 stroke Johanna Head
Ladies European Tour playoff record (0–2)
No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
11999Donegal Irish Ladies Open[7] Laura Davies
Elisabeth Esterl
Sandrine Mendiburu
Mendiburu won with par on second extra hole. Esterl was eliminated with bogey on first extra hole.
22001La Perla Ladies Italian Open[8] Paula MartíMartí won with par on the first playoff hole

Other wins (1)

Team appearances

Professional

Solheim Cup record

Year Total
matches
Total
W–L–H
Singles
W–L–H
Foursomes
W–L–H
Fourballs
W–L–H
Points
won
Points
%
Career51–3–10–2–00–1–01–0–111.533,3%
200020–1–10–1–0 lost B. Iverson 3&20–0–00–0–1 halved w/ L. Davies0.525%
200231–2–00–1–0 lost J. Inkster 4&30–1–0 lost w/ I. Tinning 1 hole1–0–0 won w/ K. Icher 1 hole133,3%

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022 . Everything you need to know about Raquel Carriedo, the first Spanish golfer to play the Solheim Cup . Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol S.L.U. . 31 August 2023.
  2. Nilsmark . Fredrik . September 2001 . Compaq Open, Regnet blandades med tårar . Compaq Open, The rain was mixed with tears . Svensk Golf . sv . 148–154 . 9/2001 . 2023-09-01.
  3. Web site: 2001 . Ladies European Tour Moneylist 2001 season . Ladies European Tour . 1 September 2023.
  4. Web site: 2023 . Historia de La Peñaza, Más de 45 años siendo un referente en Aragón, Rachel Carriedo . History of La Penaza, More than 45 years being a benchmark in Aragon, Rachel Carriedo . Real Club de Golf La Peñaza . 31 August 2023.
  5. Web site: Golf - Den Stora Sporten, Solheim Cup . Swedish . Golf - the Great Sport, Solheim Cup . Swedish Golf Federation 100 Years . 253.
  6. Web site: 2002-09-17 . A Glimpse at the European Solheim Cup Team . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205437/http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15104&select=7257 . September 27, 2007 . 2023-09-02 . The Golf Channel . mdy-all.
  7. Tävling . Competition . Swedish . Svensk Golf . October 1999 . 19 September 2023 . 10 . 98.
  8. Web site: Burnside . Elspeth . 21 May 2001 . Marti comes of age as fellow Spaniard misses tiddler . 4 June 2022 . Ladies European Tour.