The round of Julia López today in Singapore was an absolute spectacle. Anyone who had the blessed idea of following the Spaniard through the streets and greens of the Tanjong course at the Sentosa Golf Club would have gone home with a grin from ear to ear and the conviction that golf tickets are given away. What fun. Pure excitement. A roller coaster of genuine thrill. Could it have ended better? Yes. Could it have ended worse? Also. It’s the drama of sport. Capable of the best and the worst.
The golfer from Málaga signed a card of 70 strokes which, at first glance, might not say much. One of so many rounds of two under par that occur throughout a year. Neither here nor there. She has placed in eighth position with a total of -7, still with chances of victory, although they seem a bit remote. In any normal golfer, of course, they would be remote, but in Julia’s amusement park, anything can happen with 18 holes to go. She is four strokes behind the Australians Minjee Lee (-11) and Hannah Green (-11), two of the most reliable players in the world, hence the difficulty in closing that gap.
Tomorrow we’ll see what happens, but first, it’s worth, and very much so, pausing on what happened today. Just the start of Julia López’s round is like getting on the fairground whip. Heart in the mouth. She started with a birdie on the 1st, made two consecutive bogeys on the 2nd and 3rd, reacted with three consecutive birdies on holes 4, 5, and 6, a par on the 7th (do pars exist?), birdie on the 8th, and another bogey on the 9th. Conclusion: a par on the first nine holes… and thanks, for a partial result of 34 holes.
Things calmed down a bit on the back nine, but don’t think entirely. She signed two more birdies on holes 11 and 13 and right there tied for the tournament lead. Five holes remained, and Julia had thrown herself headlong into the battle for victory. That’s the young golfer from Benahavís. She started the tournament back on Thursday with a card of 73 strokes, over par, and less than 36 holes later she is tied at the top. It’s just another reflection of her enormous power and birdie capability.
However, like any amusement park, it also has some bad moments, like when the witch hits you on the head with a broom or your stomach ends up in your throat going down the roller coaster vertically. Julia finished with two consecutive bogeys, something similar to what happened to her last Saturday in Thailand (holes 16 and 17), and went from being tied at the top to being four strokes behind. From being an alternative to victory to an outsider this Sunday if she manages a perfect round. Again, the putter was not her best ally in that final stretch.
Be that as it may, the Andalusian player once again reveals herself as one of the most exciting golfers in the world right now. She is capable of anything. She knows she needs to seek more consistency, but always without losing that aggressive instinct that defines her. It’s the fine line. The delicate balance she must find.
Anything that ends up in the top ten in Singapore will be a good result, although it won’t be an easy task, as there are many very good ones up there. Minjee and Green have a one-stroke advantage over Angel Yin, a golfer very much in Julia’s profile, and Haeran Ryu, while Ariya Jutanugarn is two behind and Linn Grant and Auston Kim are three behind. Kim, leader after the first two rounds, struggled to get through today’s moving day.
Carlota Ciganda (+1) signed her best round of the week. She beat the course and, above all, had a much calmer day. Just one bogey in 18 holes and three birdies. It’s about regaining confidence and leaving Singapore with good feelings. She occupies the 49th position.
