Carlota Ciganda has a date with history this Sunday. As with all these historical moments, it is not easy. She plays the final 18 holes of the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in Texas, trailing by three strokes behind a pair of leaders, South Korean Haeran Ryu and Japanese Mao Saigo.
The Navarrese is seeking her first victory in a major, the first for Spanish golf. Just three weeks ago, Carla Bernat, who is also present at this Chevron, opened the doors to the history of Spanish golf by winning the ANWA in Augusta. The task ahead for Carlota is monumental, although the golfer from Ulzama has a significant advantage, as she is very clear about the roadmap needed to win.
Ciganda is well aware that victory will not just fall from the sky. It never happens in regular LPGA Tour tournaments, let alone in a Major. Therefore, she knows that the first thing she must do is play very well, be brave, aggressive, attack, put in a good round, and wait patiently.
In her opinion, there are three keys to winning this Sunday in Texas. The first is the par 5s. There are four, and Carlota understands that she must at least score three or four under par to have a chance. Here, the Spaniard’s power plays a very important role. She reaches all of them in two, so she needs to hit the best drives of the day, at least finding the fairway, and then proceed with determination.
The second key is to avoid bogeys. In a final round, any mistake can be decisive, halting momentum and complicating a comeback. The two leaders do have more room for error, as happened with Rory McIlroy at the Masters Tournament, but she must play with the precision of a surgeon. A bogey might happen, but not much more.
Lastly, the third key is to deliver a scorecard of at least four under par. That means shooting 68, the best score achieved on Saturday. There is no other way for the numbers to add up. Carlota is three strokes behind and has five players ahead of her. She knows she needs something special.
The best part is the calmness and conviction she exudes. Obviously, the tension is there, but Carlota radiates calm. If victory comes, great. If it doesn’t happen today, she will simply keep trying. No more. This is how she summed up her attitude to TenGolf shortly after finishing the third round yesterday: “tomorrow, all out”. You can’t ask for more.
