Spain’s Carlota Ciganda began her Ladies European Tour (LET) season in style with a great week at the season-opening event – the 2026 PIF Saudi Ladies International.
The eight-time LET winner got married over the winter break and spent six weeks without touching her golf clubs before beginning her season at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on the LPGA Tour.
Ciganda started the first day of competition in Saudi Arabia in style with an ace at the eighth hole at Riyadh Golf Club winning a two-year lease on a Lucid Air Pure.
“I had 144 metres on the eighth,” said the Spanish star. “So, I played a par-3 a couple of holes before that, and it was 141 and I hit a 9-iron. It was pretty cool, so I just hit the same club.
“The wind was very similar, and it just went straight to the pin. We couldn’t see, so I didn’t know what had happened and then the cameraman said it went in. It took us a few seconds to realise. It was very nice and I’m very happy to have a hole-in-one and start the day like this.”
Ciganda produced rounds of 67-68-68-68 in Riyadh to finish in a share of fourth place on 17-under-par.
Having taken so much time off, the Solheim Cup star was pleased with the small pre-season she had completed.
She explained: “Overall, it was a very nice solid week. I played really well, I had good fight on the weekend. Yesterday was a shame with the three-putt on 18 and today I started pretty good.
“I was two-under after six and then got a little unlucky as I was in the fairway on seven and I had the palm tree in front of me so I couldn’t hit it to the pin. I hit it long and made a six as I missed the short putt. I kept fighting, I was four-under in the last ten holes and three birdies in the last four. I was happy the way I played. I like the course here, I’m pretty happy.
“It’s been nice. With the wedding, I wanted some time off and I had a tournament in Florida, but I just wanted to take some more time. I think I have been doing a great pre-season with my coach.
“We did a couple of different things and I just keep improving every year – that’s what I’m trying to do. It’s nice to have some weeks to get ready with my trainer and physio, getting the body ready and everything. It was good to have that month of practice.”
Ciganda will now head to Asia on the LPGA Tour with the Honda LPGA Thailand and HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
She added: “Now I go to Thailand and Singapore. It’s two weeks on the LPGA and I have been playing there for more than ten years now. I enjoy playing there, they are nice courses and they treat us very nicely. I’m always looking forward to those two weeks.”
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