The 2023 Race to Costa del Sol reaches its dramatic conclusion this week as the Ladies European Tour (LET) plays its final event of the season in Spain.
Real Club de Golf Las Brisas situated near Marbella is the stunning venue for this week’s Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.
And what a tournament there is in store as six players still have a mathematical chance of winning the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol.
Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab sits at the top of the standings with 1,961.72 points having clinched top spot following her second-place finish in Mallorca last week.
The LET rookie, who is also trying to become the sixth player to win both Rookie of the Year and the Race to Costa del Sol in the same season, won her maiden title on Tour at the Big Green Egg in September.
Her consistent performances have ensured that she finds herself at the top of the standings with one event left to play, but it did come as a surprise to her last week.
Cheenglab, who is now number 90 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, said: “I didn’t think about being number one in the Order of Merit, I only thought about winning it last week when I realised, I was number one! I just wanted to be in the top three and secure the Rookie of the Year title.
“I thought about playing on the LET when Jeeno [Atthaya Thitikul] came here and had success on the Tour. Not a lot of Thai players come here but I’ve challenged myself to be here. It’s destiny.”
Sitting in the second place in the rankings is world number three Celine Boutier, who shot to the top of the Race to Costa del Sol following her maiden Major win.
The Frenchwoman won the Amundi Evian Championship and followed it up with a win at the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open which catapulted her to number one spot.
And having won four times in the calendar and been on the triumphant European Solheim Cup Team, Boutier is hoping to finish on a high in Spain.
Boutier explained: “It’s been a very positive year for me, being able to win four tournaments was huge and the win in Evian was the highlight for me. It was a huge achievement and a goal that I had set for myself for a long time. I’m very happy with how this season has turned out.
“It would mean a lot to win the Race to Costa del Sol, I always feel a little bit more at home in Europe. I feel like I’ve had great memories of playing golf in Spain, just in amateur golf. I have never had a chance to play here as a professional besides the Solheim Cup, which wasn’t too far from here, and I feel very happy to be in this position and I know how good the competitors are. I’m going to try and give it my best shot and the best I can and hopefully that will be enough.”
While Diksha Dagar, who is third in the rankings, is after her own piece of history as she would become the first Indian to win the title.
The 22-year-old won her second LET title back in June at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open and has had a pretty consistent year.
“It would mean a lot for the Indian people if I were to win the Race to Costa del Sol,” commented Dagar. “It would make the country proud and golf in the Indian community is one day hoping that someone would win.
“When I was playing at the Hero Indian Women’s Open, someone asked me about winning the Race to Costa del Sol. I can only focus on myself, stay in the process, and follow the same routine. Even if it is destiny and it’s bound to happen, I just have to focus and play my own game.”
Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, Germany’s Alexandra Försterling and Spain’s Ana Peláez Trivino also all have a chance to take home the trophy.
The trio would need to secure victory this week and then dependent on the results of the other contenders, they could win the Race to Costa del Sol.
The first round gets underway at 10 am (local time) on Thursday with the final group, including Cheenglab and Boutier, teeing it up at 12.01 pm with the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol champion set to be crowned at the end of play on Sunday.
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