Ciganda clinches first LPGA win at KEB Hana Bank Championship
Carlota Ciganda of Spain poses with her trophy after winning the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship at Sky72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, Sunday. / AP-Yonhap
By Kim Jeong-kyoo
Carlota Ciganda, 26, shouted with her arms wide after her championship birdie putt on the first sudden death playoff hole. After an enthralling final-round tussle with America’s Alison Lee, the Spanish golfer captured the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship trophy on Sunday. Ciganda birdied the first playoff hole while Lee made par.
Ciganda started out pleasantly with a birdie on the first hole, adding four more birdies in the front nine. She birdied the first hole of the back nine, but double-bogeyed the par-4 14th hole. After that setback, she hit her next tee shot into the fairway bunker. But she safely hit the green in regulation, making par with an easy tap-in putt.
She hit an erratic tee shot again into the deep rough, failing to reach the green with her next shot. She reached the green with her third shot, but far from the pin. On the 16th hole, she had her first bogey with a two-putt, leaving Lee one shot behind her.
On the par-3 17th hole, Ciganda hit an 8-iron to land her ball onto the green. After making an easy par, Ciganda stood on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead ahead of Lee playing behind her. Ciganda did not use her driver to hit her shot off the tee. She sent her ball successfully into the middle of the fairway. But she pulled her second shot into the rough, hitting her poor third shot far away from the hole. Ciganda had a horrible three-putt on the 18th hole to end the final round at a 2-under-par 70 for an overall score of 278. Ciganda waited in the clubhouse for the possible sudden death playoff, sitting one shot behind Lee.
Lee, 21, faltered with three bogeys in the front nine and another bogey on the par-4 tenth hole. She collected her first birdie on the par-4 15th hole, chasing Cigande at 12-under-par by two strokes. After hitting her tee shot into the rough, Lee failed to reach the green in two, sending her ball near the green. However, she saved a good par with a perfect chip shot, which hit the hole to come to a stop near the hole.
Lee hit a good tee shot on the par-3 17th hole, sending the ball not so far from the pin. She dramatically drained a lengthy putt for a precious birdie to co-lead the field with Ciganda. Lee banged her tee shot onto the fairway using her driver. But sadly, she hit her third shot into the water hazard, leaving her fans’ mouths agape. She bogeyed the final hole for a sudden death playoff. Lee collected two birdies, incurring five bogeys for a 3-over-par 75 in the final round.
On the first playoff hole, Ciganda hit her tee shot onto the fairway, Lee sending her ball into the rough. Ciganda used her iron for the second shot. Lee used a utility hybrid club in the rough to pull her second shot into the left rough. Ciganda sent her third shot near the hole, leaving her in a position to birdie. Lee hit her third shot into the rough past the green. With her fourth chip shot, Lee put her ball an inch or so away fro mthe hole for a tap-in par. She almost got her ball into the hole.
However, Ciganda made the critical clutch putt for a birdie to win her first championship on the LPGA Tour.
Kim Min-sun of Korea tied third with China’s Shanshan Feng, hitting a 1-under-par 71 for an overall score of an 8-under 280. She birdied four holes with one bogey and one double-bogey.
Fellow Korean Hur Mi-jung tied fifth with a total score of 7-under-par 281 with Brittany Lang of the United States. Defending champion Lexi Thompson tied 13th with a 4-under-par 284. Kim In-kyung had a 5-under-par 283, Chun In-gee hitting 4-under 284. Lydia Ko posted a 3-over-par 291.
Kim Jeong-kyoo is a Korea Times golf columnist. He can be reached at kimjstar@hanmail.net.