The LPGA Tour returns to US soil after the Asian swing. The Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass 2025 kicks off this Thursday with one of the best fields of the year so far and the return of Nelly Korda to competition. In Arizona, the four Spanish players with a card on the American circuit will also be participating: Carlota Ciganda, Azahara Muñoz, Fátima Fernández Cano, and the young Julia López.
As we say, it is undoubtedly one of the strongest fields of the season gathered in Chandler (Arizona) where 19 of the top 20 in the world will be participating. The World Number One, Nelly Korda, who is defending her title in the tournament, leads the list along with Lydia Ko, who already knows what it is to win this season. The world number 2, Jeeno Thitikul, is also competing and arrives at this tournament as one of the most in-form players, with a victory already this year on the Ladies European Tour, in addition to two top-three finishes on the Asian swing.
The tournament presents a major novelty as it changes venue, adding an extra spice of uncertainty. The tournament moves to the Cattail Course at Whirlwind Golf Club. Located 10 kilometres south of downtown Phoenix, the course opened in 2000 and was designed by Gary Panks. The course is characterised by large and very undulating greens. The fairways are not misleading; they are very wide and large. It will be the first time Whirlwind Golf Club hosts an LPGA Tour event. We will have to wait and see how it responds.
In all this, the Spanish players arrive with two very different objectives. Fátima Fernández Cano, Azahara Muñoz, and Julia López on one side and Carlota on the other. Although when a player takes to the field, the goal of victory is always there, the aforementioned trio first has to pass a test. The first cut of the season.
None of the three have been able to make it in the first two tournaments, and before it becomes a burden, they need to play a weekend. It’s true that it’s not the easiest week because the level is extremely high, but they have more than enough quality to achieve it. In each case, it would have a special meaning.
For Julia López, it would be the first cut made in her LPGA career; she came close in Thailand. A bogey on the last hole 36 prevented her from playing the weekend. She will seek to make amends in Arizona.
If it’s important for Julia, for Fátima it is becoming an urgent need. Between 2025 and 2022, she has accumulated 17 consecutive events without making the cut in the LPGA. A big burden that was also close to ending in Thailand as she was just one shot away from achieving it. The Galician has the level to be on the circuit, and it’s time to break down a barrier that is more psychological than real.
Just like for the other two teammates, for Azahara it would be the first boost to start earning points in the attempt to maintain the card this season. It’s always a good time to start scraping points.
Carlota Ciganda’s case is quite different. The Navarrese has started the year with two top 20 finishes and seeks to confirm in Arizona, at home, her good feelings by taking a step forward and fighting, why not, for a victory a few kilometres from home.
Among the other players of the week, all the winners stand out: Lim Kim, Yealimi Noh, Angel Yin, and Rio Takeda. Alongside them are also great champions like Lilia Vu, Ruoning Yin, Yuka Saso, Celine Boutier, Charley Hull, and Brooke Henderson.
As a novelty, Rose Zhang returns to competition this week, after taking a break from her studies at Stanford University to return to professional golf. Zhang competed in the first event of the year at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, where she tied for tenth place, and announced that she would make a limited number of appearances on the Tour during the first part of the season while dedicating herself again to her studies.
Check the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass results
