After 24 hours of waiting due to a fickle storm, the Final Stage of the LPGA Qualifying School has finally begun… and Carolina López Chacarra has been the first Spaniard to raise her hand and make it clear that she is eager for something big. The Madrid native has signed a card of 68 strokes, four under par, in an impeccable performance in her first 18 holes at The Crossings.
Carolina has responded to the challenge with a solid round and is fully in the top ten and, more importantly, positioning herself from the first stroke in the prime area that distributes LPGA cards. There is a long way to go—this is a five-day marathon—but starting at the top in such an exam is no small matter. It is quite a statement, and she has opened a cushion of three strokes over the 25th position, which distributes the last card.
Carol started the day with a birdie on the 10th hole and from there chained ten consecutive pars. In the last seven holes, she added four birdies and a solitary bogey, leaving her three strokes off the lead.
Meanwhile, the other two Spaniards still have all the room in the world ahead. Carla Tejedo (PAR), who already has the peace of mind of having a card for 2026, has started within the top 50, a position sufficient to make the cut on the fourth day and from which she can build without haste. She managed to turn around a day that was becoming complicated at times and in which she was +2 after eight holes.
On the other hand, Carla Bernat (+2), despite not finding her rhythm at any point and closing with 74 strokes, has plenty of room to straighten out the week. This is not decided on Thursday; the scores are given at the end. A birdie on the last flag can be a good omen of what is to come. If anyone knows how to fight, it is the winner of the ANWA 2025.
All three have played The Crossings, the longest and heaviest course of Magnolia Grove, turned these days into a soaked carpet where every metre counts. Tomorrow, their particular exam moves to the other venue, The Falls.
If anything has been made clear on this first day, it is that the Final Stage of the Qualifying School is a true international melting pot. The first leader is Canadian Leah John (-7), who signed seven under in her debut. In the top eight, eight different nationalities are mixed with only one American present and Carolina in this select group. The German Helen Briem (-6) has started like a hammer and is just one stroke behind the Canadian. In the top 20, 14 different flags. The future LPGA is brewing here, and it does so with a global accent. There is a long way to go, but Carol has started with the right stride.
