It wasn’t the dream start for the Armada’s interests on the first day of the Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. This Thursday in Belleair neither Azahara Muñoz (+2) nor Julia López (+3) managed to conquer the course. The two Spaniards arrive in Florida with different urgencies and have not been able to gain ground from the start. Things went better for Carlota Ciganda (-1) in the first 18 holes of the last regular event of the year on the LPGA Tour.
At the top of the leaderboard, Korean Haeran Ryu imposed her rule with a brilliant round of 64 strokes (-6), error-free and with top-level golf that places her as the first solo leader of the tournament.
As mentioned, the start has left some concern although there is plenty of room. Azahara Muñoz, who is fighting to keep her tour card for 2026, signed a 72 (+2) which leaves her one stroke off the provisional cut. It wasn’t a bad day from tee to green, but the putt resisted her. The player from Málaga needs a solid Friday to keep dreaming of repeating the feat she achieved in this same tournament two seasons ago. She needs to get close to the top twenty to dream of keeping the card and has plenty of time.
It also wasn’t the desired start for Julia López Ramírez, who is seeking a place among the top sixty of the year and a spot in the grand final of the CME Group Tour Championship. The Andalusian delivered a 73 (+3), penalised by a couple of errors in the final part of the round. The margin for manoeuvre is small, but there are still three rounds left to turn it around.
The best news of the day was left by Carlota Ciganda, the only Spaniard to conquer the Pelican Golf Club course with a card of 69 strokes (-1). The Navarrese, settled in 25th place in the Race to CME Globe and already with a secured ticket to the final, once again demonstrated composure and precision. Her performance sets the path that Azahara and Julia must follow this Friday if they want to keep their chances alive.
Amid the media excitement over the debut of Kai Trump (+13), granddaughter of the president of the United States, golf has reminded us of its own hierarchy. The young amateur signed a tough 83 in her LPGA debut, last on the table. The media spotlight has been on her, yes, but she is just debuting in an elite tournament and it has shown. She was happy at the end of the day, acknowledging that she was very nervous. Understandable.
