Carlota Ciganda made the most of calm morning conditions Thursday, carding seven birdies against two bogeys for a 5-under 67 to sit solo third after the opening round of the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.

Spain’s Ciganda, who finished tied for ninth in the first playing of this event last year, sits one shot behind co-leaders Melanie Green and Brianna Do, who each posted 6-under 66 at El Camaleon Golf Course.

The 35-year-old wasted little time finding her rhythm, rattling off three birdies in her first five holes to move to 3-under. A bogey on the par-5 seventh dropped her back to 2-under, but Ciganda steadied and made the turn in 34.

She picked right back up on the back nine, birdieing No. 10 and 11 to climb to 4-under. After pars on holes 12 and 13, a bogey on the par-4 14th nudged her back to 3-under, but Ciganda quickly answered with a birdie on the par-3 15th to return to 4-under. She capped her round with a birdie on the par-4 17th before parring the final hole to post 67.

“Started playing very good,” said Ciganda, a three-time LPGA Tour winner. “It was nice this morning. There wasn’t much wind, so I took advantage of that — three birdies on the first five holes.”

When asked about the course strategy heading into the week, Ciganda pointed to keeping the ball in play to be the real key to scoring at El Camaleon.

“I think for me it’s more ball striking tee-to-green,” she said. “If you are playing smart and hitting to your spots, hitting fairways and the greens, I think you don’t need the short game as much. Of course you need to make a few putts to go low.”

The Spaniard earned two top-15 finishes in six starts this season — a T9 at the Aramco Championship and a T12 at The Chevron Championship — and enters the weekend with three rounds to make a run at her fourth LPGA Tour title.

“I think if I can do that every day I’m going to be up there for sure,” Ciganda said. “Yeah, always small things to work on, speed with putting and, yeah, try to hit it well and straight.”

The 72-hole stroke-play event at the par-72 El Camaleon Golf Course is in its second year on the LPGA Tour schedule. Three rounds remain.

Carlota Ciganda Posts 5-Under 67 to Sit One Back After First Round in Mexico

Related Articles