Carla Bernat (-3) is competing this week in the first professional tournament of her career. It’s quite a debut. She is playing in the CPKC Women’s Open, an LPGA Tour event held at the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club in Ontario, bringing together the best in the world. Well, the player from Castellón, winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur back in April, has not only made the cut but has also positioned herself near the top after the second round. That’s how our fighters are. Bold. Unapologetic. Confident in their abilities.
Carla has played under par for the first two days, with rounds of 70 and 69 strokes, and is in 15th position, one shot from the top 10 and six from the tournament’s standout leader, Japanese player Akie Iwai (-9), who won just six days ago in Portland. Watch out for the Japanese player who has won seven times on the Japan circuit and already in 2023 claimed consecutive tournaments back home. For now, she has a comfortable three-shot cushion over Minjee Lee (-6), Jeeno Thitikul (-6), and Leona Maguire (-6). Big game hunting in Canada. In the top 10, we also find Megan Khang (-5) and Nelly Korda (-4). No one is missing from the party.
In any case, being on the brink of the top 10 in any LPGA Tour event after two rounds is undoubtedly a success. Even more so when you do it in your first professional appearance and even more significant when you achieve it by coming back after a poor start on the second day. Carla was out of the cut after the fifth hole on Friday. She started poorly, with three consecutive bogeys on holes 3, 4, and 5, putting herself against the ropes. Her reaction was worthy of a fighter. She made a birdie on the 6th and from there her score was five under until the end, with a splendid streak of four birdies between holes 13 and 18. Very solid play from tee to green.
The first objective is accomplished and now it’s just a matter of continuing to look upwards, trusting in that long game that is working very well in Canada and going out to compete without fear of anything, the specialty of this generation. Carla will play this Saturday with Jeongeun Lee5, who led the tournament at times last week in Portland.
The rest of the Spanish players in the tournament have not had the same luck as Carla. Carlota Ciganda (+3), Azahara Muñoz (+4), and Julia López (+7) have missed the cut. Each of them has faced a different issue. Carlota hasn’t quite adapted to the greens of the Ontario course, Azahara has been quite inconsistent with the irons, and Julia has had two days to forget from the tee.
There are other important names that have been knocked out early. These include Yuka Saso, Lexi Thompson, Linn Grant, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and Allisen Corpuz.
