Also in Tampa. As in South Africa. Also on the European circuit. In this case, the women’s. Spanish golf has secured two very good victory options at the Aramco Team Series in Florida. One is Carlota Ciganda (-7). The other is Ana Peláez (-6). One and two strokes away, respectively, from Charley Hull (-8), the tournament’s sole leader with 18 holes left. Another Sunday with the Armada on the charge. Carlota is looking for her second consecutive victory in this tournament. Ana, the second of her career on the Ladies European Tour.
It was a complex day at the Feather Sound Country Club. Explosive cocktail. Tricky wind and hard greens. The rounds under 70 strokes could be counted on the fingers of two hands and one was left over. The best round of the day was from Gabriella Cowley (-4), with a powerful 67. From there, make way for Ana Peláez. The golfer from Río Real handed in a card of 68 strokes and placed herself in fourth place alone. A day of movement under conditions.
Ana’s game was superb. She only missed one fairway and four greens. Six birdies and two bogeys, curiously both on par 5s. Anger and annoyance. It could have been better, but there’s not much to fault.
Carlota was not as brilliant as on Friday, but it was enough to place her second. Round of 71 strokes with too much back and forth, four birdies and three bogeys. The Navarrese creates the opportunity to successfully defend the title. Sensational. She will fight against her Solheim Cup teammate, Charley Hull, who seemed the least happy in the revelry set up by the European team after the victory at Finca Cortesín.
Hull was the big favourite to win before the tournament started. At least, that’s what her world ranking said. She does not disappoint. Two rounds of 68 strokes are enough to lead with one stroke over Carlota and Alexandra Forsterling, a German golfer who has taken a liking to winning on the LET. She is chasing her third victory in six months. In addition, in the top 10 there is a group of women with -5, among which stand out Lexi Thompson, Shannon Tan, Pia Babnik, Pauline Roussin or Manon de Roey.
As for the rest of the Spaniards, Marta Sanz and Carmen Alonso are at PAR, María Hernández (+2) and Fátima Fernández Cano (+3). All of them have made the cut. Nuria Iturrioz and Teresa Toscano have been left out.
In the team competition, victory for Pauline Roussin’s squad, with a stroke over Hull and Hewson. The best Spaniard was Marta Sanz, third classified with Caroline Hedwall’s team.
