The course at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas is a beast. And if the wind blows as it has been doing this week, it’s enough to make you tremble. Just ask the golfers at the T Mobile Match Play, a LPGA Tour tournament that established a first cut yesterday with the top 65 and tied at +9. Beware, 65 of the 93 participants made the cut. We repeat: +9. It’s unlikely we’ll see a higher cut on the American circuit this year, beyond some angry Major.
Moreover, the lead is at -4 and the top 10, at par. Tough, difficult and very demanding. The key is mainly in the hardness of the greens, a circumstance that combined with the wind turns the game into a relentless battle. Even from the fairway, it’s very difficult to stop the ball.
Well, so far, Carlota has been moving like a fish in water in these challenging conditions. The truth is that the Navarrese player likes horror movies. “I really like this golf course. I like the mental challenge it poses. You end up exhausted, but it’s fun. I’m a fairly aggressive player and I like to aim for the flag and go for the par 5s in two. The strategy is the same as if it were match play. My caddie (Álvaro Alonso) is doing a really good job on the lines of the shots from the tee, as well as the places where we want to bounce on the green,” says Carlota.
The golfer from Ulzama has made the first cut of the tournament tied for the lead with Angel Yin, Rose Zhang and Sei Young Kim. However, the most important thing is today’s cut, the definitive one. The top eight qualify for the matches. You have to be among the top eight. Right now, that cut is at -1, so Carlota has a three-shot margin. It’s a good cushion, but she knows she needs to keep pushing. She asks something of the third round… “I would like to see some birdies on the par 5s (yesterday she didn’t make any). In the past I’ve played the par 5s well. The last two days I didn’t hit good tee shots on the par 5s, so I think that’s why. I would like to see some red numbers there,” she confesses.
Last week she was third, so her game is in perfect order. The key was a check-up in the workshops two weeks ago. “I feel like I’ve been practicing well for a couple of weeks with my coach. He’s been coming to the tournaments and that’s always good. I love to compete. I think when I’m out there I just fight, I give it my all and I think sometimes that’s what you need. Just go out there, compete, and the game is there,” she points out. In other words, don’t force things.
Ciganda is accompanied this week by the troop, by her own, her family and friends, the people with whom she manages to bring out her best golf. That’s usually the case. And so far this week is no exception. “My family is here. My parents, one of my uncles and two of my best friends from home. I play golf with them almost every day when I’m in Navarre. Since I was in university they have been coming to a tournament a year and they chose Las Vegas this time. They love it. They are great golfers and they enjoy a lot at Shadow Creek. It’s always nice to have family close,” she says.
