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Reigning European Ladies Amateur champion Celia Barquin Arozamena, who teed it up in the US Women’s Open earlier this year, has been killed on a golf course in America.

The 22-year-old from Puente San Miguel, Spain, who was a student at Iowa State University (ISU), was found dead by authorities on Coldwater Links golf course in the city of Ames yesterday morning.

Police responded at 10.24am to a report of suspicious circumstances after golfers found a golf bag with no one near it on the course. Officers then found a body ‘some distance away’ and determined that Barquin Arozamena had died following an assault.

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Twenty-two-year-old Collin Daniel Richards, who authorities said has no known address, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Naturally, Barquin Arozamena’s death has sent shockwaves around the ISU community.

“Celia had an infectious smile, a bubbly personality and anyone fortunate enough to know her was blessed,” said ISU director of athletics Jamie Pollard. “Our Cyclone family mourns the tragic loss of Celia, a spectacular student-athlete and ISU ambassador.”

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ISU president Dr Wendy Wintersteen added: “This is a tragic and senseless loss of a talented young woman and an acclaimed student athlete.

“We mourn with her family and friends in Spain, her teammates here and all who knew her.

“On behalf of the entire Cyclone family, I extend our deep condolences to Celia’s family and her many friends and teammates at Iowa State. We are deeply saddened.”

As recently as July, Barquin Arozamena captured the prestigious European Ladies Amateur at the Penati Golf Resort in Slovakia in July while in August, she advanced to Stage II of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament.

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