If the start of the Aramco China Championship series was more than promising, the second chapter has lost some momentum for the interests of the Spanish players, although there are more than positive news. The best part is that there are still two chapters ahead and plenty of room to secure an interesting haul in the penultimate tournament of the year.
Let’s break it down. On the more optimistic side, we have Luna Sobrón (-6), Blanca Fernández (-5), and Marta Sanz (-3). As everywhere, the joy is not the same. The most evident thing is that all three have made the cut and will play over the weekend.
Perhaps the most positive news is that Blanca Fernández has made the cut, taking a giant step in her fight to save her Ladies European Tour card. She arrived at Mission Hills in 67th place with almost forty points of margin from the 71st place, which is the first to miss out. It was very difficult for her to lose that spot in this tournament, but by making the cut, she ensures she adds points. Additionally, playing over the weekend ensures she surpasses Amy Taylor, who was in 66th place and missed the cut. The maths still don’t grant her the card, and she still needs to finish in the Spanish Open, but the wind is very favourable.
Blanca delivered the best Spanish card of the day with a score of three under par for a total of five under. Comfortably placed in the top thirty, she will look to seal a good weekend and grab the 2026 card with both hands without waiting for Guadalhorce.
Luna Sobrón appears a few places higher on the leaderboard. This Friday, she gained two strokes on the field and is on the verge of the top ten in a tournament led by the Thai Trichat Cheenglab (-12) thanks to a round of eight under par, closely followed by Ruonin Yin and Ruixin Liu (-11).
The Balearic needs to get into the top five of the tournament if she wants to get closer to the goal of being in the top ten of the year on the circuit and advance to the LPGA Q-School Final. She is just one stroke away from fourth place and three from second place. Very live options.
Things have gone worse for Marta Sanz (-2), who with a round of 74 strokes has lost a lot of ground in her particular fight for the card. She needs at least a top five and has made the cut on the edge. The best news is that she has managed to recover. A double bogey on the 16th and another on the 17th forced her to pack her bags. She managed to lift herself just in time, and with a birdie on the 18th, she made it on the buzzer. She has 36 holes to fly. Mission Hills has shown that few can be made. Just ask Casandra Alexander (-6), who today made ten under on the Chinese course.
Who will have to go to Q-School officially is María Hernandez. The Spaniard has bid farewell to the tournament and her chances of reaching the top 70. The Q-School route remains. Nuria Iturrioz and Marta Martín will also not be part of the weekend. The Balearic takes a step back in her attempt to reach the top ten of the annual ranking, but the Spanish Open remains. Swords held high.
