Three finalists, three. Carla Tejedo (-5), Julia López (-5) and Blanca Fernández (-4) have managed to pass the second stage of the LPGA Tour School this Friday, held in Florida, at the Panther and Bobcat courses of the Plantation Golf and Country Club. It was a struggle, but it was worth it. Five Spaniards started this last hurdle before the Q Series, and three have made it into the top 35. It should be considered a great success.
They had to fight and show all their grit until the end. It was not exactly a walk in the park, but sometimes all that teeth grinding makes it all the more worthwhile. Until the last hole, none of them were sure of their place in the final. They have shown that, in addition to undeniable quality, they know how to hold on to the course when needed.
Carla indeed gave the impression that it was a walk in the park for her. She played the Bobcat and after the 10th hole, she was three under par for the day for a powerful -8. The qualification was in her hands. It was just a matter of holding on, but the round took a turn. A bogey fell on the 11th, another on the 13th, and one more on the 14th. Suddenly, alarms went off. It seemed that the player from Castellón had plummeted. The cut was at four under par, and she still had four holes to finish her round in full crisis. However, she managed to overcome it like a great fighter. She signed four pars and made it to the grand final.
Julia López had a tougher time than Carla. The player from Málaga started on the 10th of the Bobcat, and her round was an almost maddening roller coaster. Let’s remember she started from -4, the score that was ultimately needed to enter the Final. She began with a bogey on the 12th, a step back. She responded with a birdie on the 16th, but the joy was short-lived due to another bogey on the 17th. She seemed to get back on track with two consecutive birdies on holes 3 and 4, but alarms went off again with a bogey on the 7th. Two holes remained, and she needed two pars to secure her qualification. There she showed all her courage. She signed a par on the 8th and sealed the round like a champion with a birdie on the 9th. Sensational.
Blanca Fernández came from behind and needed a score under par. The player from Madrid also played the Bobcat and, like Julia, started off the pace. She began with a bogey on the 11th hole. She reacted well with a birdie on the 13th, taking advantage of the first of the par 5s, but a new bogey fell on the 1st, putting her against the ropes. She was at -2, with eight holes to go, and needed a two-under-par stretch. She got the first on the 4th hole and had to wait until the 8th to get the second and decisive one that confirmed her place in the Final. A score of -4, right where the cut was. Sensational.
The downside of the week has been for Teresa Toscano (+8) and Miriam Ayora (+11). Neither of them managed to get into the fight to finish among the top 35 and tied. They finished with rounds of 75 and 76 strokes. The winners of this second stage of the School were the English Mimi Rhodes (-14), a golfer affiliated with Andalucía, and the French amateur Adela Cernousek (-14).
The grand Final of the LPGA Tour School will be held from December 5 to 9 at the Crossings and Fall courses of the Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Alabama.
