BELMONT, Mich. — Carlota Ciganda birded the last two holes to win the Major LPGA Classic on Sunday for his first victory on the LPGA Tour in over eight years.
Shiganda stepped in to set up a birdie on the 17th, creating a 4-foot comebacker on the 18th on the 18th, avoiding the playoffs with partner Hejin Choi.
“Obviously, after all these years, that’s amazing,” said the 35-year-old Spaniard. “I knew I could do that, but obviously, as the years continue and you start to get older, you start to doubt yourself.”
Shiganda, part of a six-way tie to start the day at Blythefield County Club, shot a 5-under 67 in the ’60s, finishing with a 16-under 272 in the final event before the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Texas.
“I love coming here,” Shiganda said. “It reminds me of Spain in the northern part of Spain. It’s very similar. Lots of trees, peace. I love the golf course.
Shiganda won the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational for the first time since the 8 years, seven months and two days. She has won three LPGA Tour victories and eight times on the Ladies’ European Tour.
“We had a chance to win this tournament,” Choi said. “But the 17-hole bogey was, yeah, I was thinking.”
A fellow Korean player, Somi Lee, was 65 years old and was 14, third in the year.
Thompson had 70, who came in fourth with Celine Butier (67) and Nanna Korsz Madsen (70).
Thompson, the 2015 winner at Blythefield, won the final of 11 LPGA Tour titles at Shoprite LPGA Classic in early June 2019. She created the sixth start of the season with a part-time tour schedule.
“It’s my favorite event on the schedule,” Thompson said. He will also play in the PGA Frisco majors. “The fans are great, they come out and support women’s golf, and that’s what we want.”
The 30-year-old from Florida was in trouble on the par 4th on the 16th. She tried to leave the ball under the tall green hole, but her approach turned round and roughly rolled down the hill from the front. She hit the flopshot eight feet and missed the putt. At 17, she missed the 3 footer.
“It’s not the finish I want to stretch there,” Thompson said. “But as I entered this week, I wasn’t playing great golf, so I turned it over to what I got all week.”
At last year’s event, Thompson lost in the playoffs against Liliav.
Ciganda matched with Beatrice Recali for most wins by Spanish players. The former Arizona State player is the oldest LPGA Tour winner since 36-year-old Eun-Hee Ji on the 2022 T-Mobile Match Play.
