The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España has become the best possible stage for the spectacle generated by Carlota Ciganda, one step closer to adding her name to the pedestal of the trophy that adorns the tee of hole 1. Such a feat would be the culmination of a perfect sporting curriculum in our country, the best of the best in all categories.
The Navarre golfer, first with 10 under par, has 18 holes left and a multitude of successes and efforts to complete it, but has already laid the groundwork to undertake the feat. Behind, the sporting threat of, above all, the Thai Atthaya Thitikul, three strokes behind, a distance that seems wide but is far from definitive.

The Spanish golfer calmly recounted the details of a round full of all kinds of emotions: “Making two under par in these circumstances, in a tough day, with wind, is better than yesterday’s -6. I’m in a good position going into the last day, I have confidence in myself to face whatever may come up. The key is to keep calm, go step by step to solve what may arise. I have played on occasion with the Thai Atthaya Thitikul and I know she is a dangerous player, capable of anything”.

Lurking in the first round, a step forward in the second and a plausible consolidation in the third, the tournament lives intensely a typically Carlotian spectacle, one that experiences risk with intensity and therefore enjoys a way of playing that sublimates when it goes well and submits to penance when it goes wrong.

The glaring example took place on this third day, when Carlota Ciganda shared experiences with those who until that moment had accumulated the best merits to participate in the stellar match. Fatima Fernandez Cano and French Anne-Lise Caudal hit hard from the tee, presenting credentials that Carlota Ciganda was responsible for neutralizing with a spectacular run of hits, three consecutive birdies from hole 2 to 4 that gave her the untouchable label.

Things of golf, things of the overflowing game of Carlota Ciganda, the Navarre wasted however its impressive dynamic with three consecutive bogeys, between 5 and 7, which made him return to the starting box.

At that point, a breath away from the halfway point of the third day, the rest of the contenders for the victory were struggling to offer an optimal performance, an ideal disrupted by mistakes made here and there that kept Carlota Ciganda unscathed.

Fatima Fernandez Cano was complicated at more points of the course than she would have liked -75 strokes at the end-, while the French Anne-Lise Caudal suffered from similar difficulties, clearing the way for new contenders for the title.

That status was strongly assumed by Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, a young girl of just 18 years old who mathematically, whatever happens in this tournament, is the winner of the Race to Costa del Sol on the basis of her previous prestigious merits.

The Asian, a dangerous rival, made four birdies in the first ten holes, getting dangerously close to Carlota Ciganda before the Navarrese cleared doubts with a birdie on the 11th hole, almost the same point where the Thai was related for the first time with the failure, bogey on the 12th that momentarily widened the advantage to give more oxygen if possible to the emboldened Navarrese.

From then until the end, the day resulted in a spectacular head to head between the two protagonists that will also extend throughout the final round. Carlota Ciganda and Atthaya Thitukul, the latter playing two games ahead in this third round, engaged in a memorable head to head distance, Thai birdie on the 14th hole, birdie ‘made in Carlota’ on the 13th, Carlota’s ball in the water on the 15th, Thai birdie on the 17th and, as a final highlight, an impressive birdie by the Spaniard on the last hole.

The fans could not get out of their astonishment, a continuous taking and continuous subjected to the spectacular ‘showtime’ of Carlota Ciganda, which makes this Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España in one of the biggest golf shows of the season, which the Navarre wants to culminate with success “to fulfill my best dreams.

CLASSIFICATION (after the third day)
1.- Carlota Ciganda (ESP), 206 (70+66+70)
2.- Atthaya Thitikul (Tai), 209 (72+70+67)

3.- Maja Stark (Swe), 211

Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 211
5.- Fátima Fernández Cano (ESP), 212 (69+68+75)
10.- Laura Gómez (ESP), 215 (76+71+68)
10.- Ana Peláez (ESP), 215 (71+70+74)

AROUND THE GREEN

Other Spaniards with many options of top 10
The stellar performance of Carlota Ciganda in this tournament overshadows the equally remarkable performance of other Spanish players. Fatima Fernandez Cano, ranked fifth, lost her chances of victory in a third day where mistakes outnumbered successes. Two players from Malaga, Ana Pelaez and Laura Gomez, are flirting with the top 10 thanks to their repeated hits, while Carmen Alonso, the player with the most Spanish Opens behind her, aspires to break into the top ten starting in the last round from her current fourteenth place.

Laura Gómez, pride of Marbella
In a windy and convoluted day, the local Laura Gómez showed her quality without being weighed down by the responsibility or the looks of her family and friends. Her 68 has special relevance as the second best round of a difficult day for the participants of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España. “The key has been to play with the wind, low balls and do everything possible so that it does not harm you”, explained the player from Marbella. “Playing at home and having the support of my family, who have been following me all 18 holes, is always very special. To be able to play this well in front of my family is a source of pride”.

From his mother’s arms to carry his bag
Thirteen years ago, at La Sella Golf, we saw Ursula Wikstrom hugging and carrying her son Erni after a round played in the VCI European Ladies Golf Cup. At Los Naranjos Golf Club, the then child is now a long-limbed teenager who accompanied his mother as caddie during the second round of this final event of the Race to Costa del Sol. In addition, the Finn has a powerful entourage that serves as an infallible spur. “My family accompanies me. There are also people from the club where I grew up who live here and other Finns. It was great that they followed me and encouraged me,” said Wikstrom, who occupies the provisional third place in the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.

Course record for Carlota Ciganda and Lina Boqvist at Los Naranjos
The record of 66 strokes achieved by Carlota Ciganda and the Swedish Lina Boqvist on the second day of this Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España is the new course record at Los Naranjos Golf Club. The golfer from Navarre completed the 18 holes without failure, signing birdies on holes 1, 3, 7 and 10, apart from achieving a sensational and decisive eagle on the 14th hole. On this par 5 she reached the green by two strokes before holing a putt of significant distance that allowed her to lower her card to 6 under par. For her part, the Nordic player did not miss any spot on the course, taking advantage of holes 1, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 16.