Carlota Ciganda (-1) is one of the chosen ones who has survived the windy day that was experienced this Thursday in the first round of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, the second tournament of the season of the Ladies European Tour that takes place at the Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.
The Navarrese has placed herself in the fourteenth position, just one stroke from the top 10 and five from the lead that has been caught by the Thai Patty Tavatanakit (-6). If the weather forecast is correct, the Navarrese golfer could have made a top-notch move with this start.
Today the wind has blown (a lot) equally in the morning and afternoon shifts, however for Friday the first few hours are expected to be calmer, with a breeze but without significant gusts, while from one o’clock the radar points to winds that can reach 44 kilometers per hour. The difference between going out early or late can be decisive. Carlota plays tomorrow at first hour, from 7.25, always local time in Riyadh.
It is true that the aftertaste could have been even better. Carlota managed to get three under par with five holes to go. Her round was being very orderly, making important putts, with a birdie and an eagle and without bogeys, however, two stumbles in the final stretch, holes 15 and 17, made her lose some ground.
EAGLE on 12 💥
Ciganda moving in the right direction in Riyadh.#RaiseOurGame | #GolfAndMore pic.twitter.com/dpoXsk6Nm9
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) February 15, 2024
In any case, the round under par, only achievable by 19 players, is very meritorious and puts her in a very good position to launch an attack on Friday taking advantage of the best conditions in the morning.
As for the rest of the Spaniards, Ana Peláez (+1) and María Hernández (+3) are within the provisional cut, marked precisely at +3, while Carmen Alonso (+5) and Nuria Iturrioz (+6) will need a good reaction. Of all of them, the only one who plays in the good shift tomorrow is Nuria.
The wind has hurt quite a few of the world’s best. There are the results of Aditi Ashok (+6), Bronte Law (+6), Linn Grant (+5), Shannon Tan (+5) or Leona Maguire (+4). They have been saved from the fire Emily Pedersen (-1), Lexi Thompson (PAR) and Georgia Hall (+1). The best player in the tournament according to world ranking, Charlie Hull, has started with +2.
As for the lead, it is necessary to highlight the round of Tavatanakit. The Thai has had two hard years. After touching glory in 2021, getting into the top 10 in the world and achieving victory in the Chevron Championship, then Ana Inspiration, she has gone through a real ordeal, especially because of her driver and, more specifically, her tee shots. She has been two years without winning, she has only harvested six top 10s in this time and has fallen beyond the 70th position in the world ranking.
Really, it cannot be said that she has found something in this first round in Riyadh. Rather, it should be said that she has survived her Achilles heel. She has only taken seven streets, half, but has managed to avoid major problems. In 2023 she ended with an average of 58 percent of streets, penultimate position of the entire LPGA.
However, today she has managed to sign seven birdies and a solitary bogey. The key was at the start of her round. She signed four birdies in the first four holes, making a putt on the first six greens. Curiously, her only bogey came on hole 16 (she started on the 10) because of a three-putt.
Tavatanakit has a one-stroke lead over South African Paula Reto (-5) and two over the Dane (of course, when the wind blows) Nicole Broch Estrup (-4) and the Belgian Manon De Roey (-4).
