Carlota Ciganda starts strong at the CME Group Tour Championship and is positioned within the top twenty of the tournament at the beginning of the grand final event of the LPGA.
The Spaniard has delivered a card of 69 strokes, allowing her to take positions from the first day. Carlota has done it by staying true to herself, her statistics, and with a spectacular finish. After all, it is the twelfth participation of the Navarrese in the tournament, and she knows Tiburon Golf Course like the back of her hand. She is the only player who hasn’t missed the final event since 2013.
The Navarrese’s round started with a bogey on the 2nd hole, her true nightmare on the Californian course. In 45 rounds she has played on this course, she accumulates, with today’s stumble, a total of +13 over these twelve years. Just one birdie in all her appearances.
Carlota finished the first nine with seven consecutive pars. With two birdies and a bogey, she reached the tee of the 17th hole with a modest even-par round. At that moment, the Navarrese unleashed herself. She visited her favourite hole on the course. Until today, she had an accumulated score on this flag of 27 under par. The only hole where she had made an eagle in all her participations. This Thursday, she pulled the second one out of the hat. She jumped twenty places in one fell swoop. That, added to another birdie on the last flag of the day, allowed her to finish with a total of 69 strokes. Her thirtieth under-par card at Tiburon Golf Course. Two holes catapult Ciganda.
Starting like a shot is Narin An (-8). The Korean has made eight birdies without error, propelling her to the top of the leaderboard. The American Angel Yin (-7) is second, just one stroke behind. Within the top ten are Allisen Corpuz (-6), Lydia Ko (-5), Celine Boutier (-5), and Linn Grant (-5). The New Zealander could close a dream season after winning the Women’s Open and the Olympic gold. It would be her second victory at Tiburon Golf Course, having precisely defeated Carlota Ciganda in 2014 on the fourth playoff hole.
Those who haven’t had the dream start in Belleair are Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, and Charley Hull (+1). The World Number One, seeking her eighth victory of the season in Florida, has started with a round of 73 strokes, relegating her to 49th place.
Alongside Korda is Lexi Thompson, who is playing her last tournament as a professional. The 29-year-old player and Major champion faces her last dance before bidding farewell as a professional golfer and will have 54 more holes to redeem herself before saying goodbye. Charley Hull, another of the great favourites and champion of the tournament in 2016, has also started with a modest round of 73 strokes.
