- Carlota Ciganda secures her seventh LET title
- The Spaniard moves up to seventh in the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol
It was seventh heaven for Carlota Ciganda as she won the individual title at the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Florida.
The Spaniard began the final round one off the lead but started with two bogeys in her opening three holes at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach.
However, the Solheim Cup winner soon rolled in three birdies on six, seven and nine to be in control at the midway mark of her day.
Another dropped shot on 10 was soon eradicated by a birdie on 13, but then Ciganda found the water on 16 and made a double bogey.
But the 32-year-old held her nerve and made two pars on her last two holes to finish on two-under-par, which was enough for her to clinch her seventh LET title.
“To win, I think it’s always special. It’s not easy to win nowadays,” said Ciganda. “I think there are a lot of good players and a lot of the youngsters are coming very strong.
“To come here and win also with some big names like Lexi, Lydia Ko and Alison Lee – they are all great players – and the top Europeans. I love playing in Europe. It’s a great atmosphere. It is always very friendly and like a family.
“Since I came here and played this golf course, I thought patience was the key for this week. I think it’s a very tricky golf course. Pretty much every hole has a creek or a lake or a hazard. It’s a great ball-striking golf course, you have to hit it to the right spot.
“I said to myself be patient and try to give yourself birdie chances. I thought not even five or 10 people were going to finish under par just because of the wind and the course. I played really well all three days. My putting was great as well. I’m just very happy to get it done.
“On the last, I hit a first great putt, and I think if I go and tap that in, I think it’s easier. You have to wait and you know it’s the putt to win. All of a sudden you get all this excitement and just nerves. I was nervous, I’m not going to lie, and I think I held myself pretty good and very happy to get it done.”
Czechia’s Klara Davidson Spilkova produced a round of 74 (+2) to finish in second place in Florida on one-under-par.
It was a bogey-bogey start for the two-time LET winner but she soon rolled in a birdie on three before a double bogey on five and another dropped shot on nine.
However, Spilkova recovered well and stayed patient on her back nine rolling in birdies on 13 and 15 to finish only one shot behind winner Ciganda.
The Czech star explained: “It was difficult, mentally. It was quite a difficult golf course. The first day was my best day, it was a nice flow and I was hitting a lot of pars and then the last two days was like a real rollercoaster.
“But I fought back on the back nine today. I was really good and felt really good and after the first nine, I’m very proud of myself. It’s just that one shot or two would have been nice, but it’s okay.”
Germany’s Olivia Cowan produced the joint-best round of the day with a 68 (-4) to finish in a share of third place on even par alongside world number three Lydia Ko.
Slovenia’s Ana Belac rounded off a good week in a tie for fifth place alongside American Alison Lee on one-over-par with France’s Celine Herbin and Scotland’s Louise Duncan one shot further back.
Sweden’s Linnea Johansson ended the tournament in ninth place on three-over with five players in a tie for tenth place on four-over.
In the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol, Aditi Ashok still leads and now has 1,260 points at the top of the standings.
Sweden’s Linn Grant sits second with 1,005.33 points having increased her total with Spain’s Ana Peláez Trivino in third with 887.33 points.
Czechia’s Spilkova moves from ninth to fourth with her second-place finish and now has 804.16 points, while France’s Pauline Roussin is fifth with 588 points.
England’s Lily May Humphreys is sixth with 561.33, winner Ciganda jumps from 78th to seventh and now has 560 points to her name.
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai is in eighth, England’s Alice Hewson is ninth and Sweden’s Maja Stark rounds out the top ten.
