The Ladies European Tour faces the final round of the year this Sunday. There’s no more. The grand finale is over. Tomorrow the season ends with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España and many things that are still up in the air will be decided: the champion of the Race to Costa del Sol, the players who qualify directly to play the final of the LPGA Tour School and those who save the card. A world at stake.
Ana Peláez has the silver bullet, the last chance. What the Malaga woman has achieved is extraordinary in itself. Whatever happens this Sunday. Of the five who had options to oust Trichat Cheenglab from the first position and win the Race to Costa del Sol, only she and, in big words, Celine Boutier, are still in the race. Ana, moreover, has made this option without having won a tournament throughout the course. This is almost extraterrestrial.
Peláez will go out in the last round four strokes behind Rudgeley’s lead and two from second place. Only winning is good enough for her. But if she achieves it with a great final round, she will have her victory in the Race to Costa del Sol within reach. Really, only Boutier could snatch it from her, but the Frenchwoman would have to finish better than third alone. It’s possible, but by no means easy. By the way, it wouldn’t be bad if the champion of the Race to Costa del Sol gets the LPGA card directly, without having to go through the School final.
Ana has had a very solid tournament. She has only made three bogeys in the three rounds and has cards of 69, 68 and 70 strokes. However, this is not enough to win and she knows it. Tomorrow she will have to fly even lower if she wants to give herself a chance. The good thing is that she hasn’t had the perfect day yet, that day when everything goes your way. Maybe it’s tomorrow.
In addition, Nuria Iturrioz is playing for the chance to get directly into the Final of the LPGA Tour School, in the Q Series. For this she needs a great final round tomorrow. At the moment she is +3 in total after two quite discreet rounds on Friday and Saturday. She will have to open the jar of essences in the last round to give herself a chance. She arrived here in twelfth place in the Race and right now in the projection she is thirteenth. The goal is to get into the top ten. In this sense, Carmen Alonso, who also had a chance to finish in the top 10 this week, has left many options today with a round of 74 strokes.
In addition, the day has once again shown us the winning cheek of Andrea Revuelta (-8). The 17-year-old golfer has played toe-to-toe with a world number 3 like Celine Boutier. The Frenchwoman has made 68 strokes and the Madrid woman has stayed at 69, although she has left a final birdie on the 18th to frame. She missed the bunker exit and hit an exceptional shot with the 9 iron to leave the birdie given. “I’ll take that as the shot of the day. Yesterday I was left in the bunker, I hit the pitch and I was short. I knew I had to hit the 9 iron. When I saw myself in that position, I said I hit the 9 and I nailed it, sure”. And that’s what she’s done. Practically no one hits the drive on hole 18, as the left bunker acts as a magnet and catches almost all the balls. “I got to the tee and I felt like hitting the driver… and that’s why I hit it”. Cheek and daring. Great way to end a round where she also made eagle on hole 12. By the book. Great exit, fantastic 6 iron to three meters and inside.
Today also highlighted the rounds of amateur Julia López, with 68 strokes to place twelfth, and María Hernández, who signed 67 and placed in the top 20. Great performance by the Armada. By the way, it’s not Marta Sanz’s week, but for now her place among the 70 best in the Race to Costa del Sol and, therefore, her card is more than guaranteed.
