Spain’s Carlota Ciganda survived a wild day of momentum shifts Sunday to win the KEB Hana Bank Championship in South Korea.
Ciganda defeated American Alison Lee in a nervy finish in Incheon.
“It means the world to me,” said Ciganda. “It’s pretty nice to win here in Korea, where women’s golf is so big. I’m just so happy to get my first win here.
Ciganda and Lee took turns giving away leads on a rainy, tough day as they each sought to claim their first LPGA titles.
Five shots behind Lee at day’s start, Ciganda birdied six of her first 10 holes to build a five-shot lead on Lee, who bogeyed four of her first 10 holes. No lead, however, seemed safe on the Sky 72 course.
“It was just tough conditions,” Ciganda said. “It’s not an easy course.”
With Ciganda bogeying four of the final five holes, Lee found herself with a chance to win at the 18th tee, needing a par at the last to secure her first victory and just the third title for the Americans this year. Lee, however, knocked her approach short and right into the water but holed a 6-foot putt for bogey to force the playoff.
After Lee narrowly missed a long chip for birdie at the first playoff hole, watching her ball graze the cup’s edge, Ciganda sealed the victory, holing an 8-foot birdie, to give the Europeans their third title this year.
Ciganda, 26, might have been considered the best player in the LPGA ranks without a victory before this breakthrough. She won three times on the Ladies European Tour before joining the American-based LPGA in 2013. She’s a two-time European Solheim Cup veteran.
“It’s not easy, when you come [to the LPGA] and there are so many good players, good young Koreans, so many young players that play so good,” Ciganda said. “So, I think you have to enjoy life first, enjoy being out there, and then the win just comes to you. I think if you are really looking for the win, it’s tough, because you put more pressure. I think when you let it happen, that’s when it happens.”