Carlota Ciganda has been one step away from becoming the fourth Spanish player to win on the American Women’s Tour (LPGA), but she came up against the world number one, South Korea’s Inbee Park, who suffered until the last putt to win her particular duel against a sensational Carlota.
In a week in which much of the spotlight was on the Madrid Challenge, which ended at El Encín Golf with a victory for Frenchman François Calmels, as reported in rfegolf.es, the Navarrese golfer has earned the spotlight of world golf.
Inbee Park won the North Texas LPGA Shootout – her third title of the year – with 12 strokes under par, improving by only one shot over the Spaniard, who was the leader until the fateful 16th hole.
A double bogey on this hole transferred the lead from Carlota’s hands to those of the oriental golfer, who showed why she is currently the best player in the world. In the final three holes the two signed two pars and a birdie, although the Spaniard took a risk in search of an eagle that would take the tournament to the play off.
After the first three rounds Carlota Ciganda was in the lead with -11, a result of rounds of 66, 70 and 66 strokes. The player from Ulzama was two strokes ahead of Inbee Park and the German Caroline Masson, who was her great rival in the fight for the number one ranking of the European Tour in 2012.
At Las Colinas Country Club (Irving, Texas, United States), Azahara Muñoz and Beatriz Recari also made the cut, and have now passed 41 consecutive rounds.
Larrazábal, sixth in South Korea
Pablo Larrazábal also had his chances of winning the Ballantine’s Championship, which was played at the Blackstone GC course (Icheon, Seoul, South Korea). There, the Spaniard was sixth, four strokes behind the champion, the Australian Brett Rumford, who played the victory in a play off playoff with his compatriot Marcus Fraser and the Scotsman Peter Whiteford.
Pablo Larrazábal started this final day in second place, just one stroke behind Sweden’s Alexander Noren, provisional leader. After missing the cut last week in Valencia, the Catalan showed his best golf of the year with rounds of 70, 70 and 68 strokes. His 73 strokes on the final day distanced him from the title, but certified that he is on the right track.
With -6 and in eleventh place finished José Manuel Lara, who was the leader on the third day. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (par), Alejandro Cañizares (+3) and Javier Colomo (+6) also made the cut.
Leave a Reply