Carlota Ciganda birdies 3 of last 4 holes to win on LPGA for first time in nine years

USA Today

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Carlota Ciganda birdies 3 of last 4 holes to win on LPGA for first time in nine years
BELMONT, Mich. - With six players tied for the lead and former champions looming, one shot looked to be the difference between the winner and the group watching her hoist the trophy at the 2025 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
The only question was: Who would make the championship move?
That moment came from Carlota Ciganda on the 17th hole when her approach shot stuck just 3 feet from the hole. She tapped in for birdie and the lead, then birdied 18 to seal her first win in nine years on the LPGA Tour.
She shot 5 under on Sunday at Blythefield Country Club, and was 16 under for the tournament, winning by one shot.
"It is amazing to win. The key was staying in my own bubble. I am very happy with a great finish," Ciganda said. "It has been a long time. I won in 2016. I love playing golf and competing. I just try to control what I can control. I didn't look at the leaderboard all week, but my caddie told me I was T-2 and I was able to hit a couple of birdies and had a great shot to tap in on 17. To birdie three of the last five holes and win by one is pretty special."
While 17 was great for Ciganda, 35, it was a disaster for Hye-Jin Choi, who had to hit out of the trees to get back to the fairway. She had a chance to save par, but missed a short put to bogey, allowing Ciganda to surge into the lead alone with one hole remaining.
They both birdied 18, as Ciganda sunk a 4-foot putt to earn the victory and $450,000 in prize money.
"I was a little nervous (down the stretch), but that is normal. The process is key and believing in that and not thinking about the results or the leaderboard is (the most important thing," Ciganda said. "I had birdies on 8-9-10, three in a row that got me into (contention). I just had to believe."
The process worked for Choi, too, who finished one shot behind Ciganda for the day (4-under) and the tournament (15 under) - one ahead of Somi Lee (14 under). Lexi Thompson was tied for fourth at 13 under with Nana Koerstz Madsen and Celine Boutier.
"Overall it was a really good round for me. I had a chance to win this tournament but the bogey on 17 was the one I am still thinking about," Choi said through a translator. "I had to think about my past tournaments where I didn't play well in final rounds. This week, I tried to focus on the process not the results and was able to hit some good shots."
Thompson was still in contention with two holes to go, but had an approach shot on 16 that rolled back down the hill and needed a 40-foot birdie putt on 17 to keep herself in it, down two shots, and played the putt well, but it ended up 3 feet short. She missed the par putt and bogeyed the hole, dropping her to three shots back and out of the race.
Thompson had three bogeys on the back nine.
Another family affair at Meijer LPGA Classic
Ciganda's fiancé, Jamie Longman, was Thompson's caddie at Blythefield this week, an interesting development with both players in the in the mix and taking the lead in the final round.
"Jamie is amazing. We have been together for 10 years. He helps me with everything in day-to-day life. I am very happy to have him by my side. I can't wait until December."
The couple has planned a December wedding in Spain.
Meanwhile, Ciganda also was happy to win on Father's Day, a Meijer LPGA Classic tradition.
"It is amazing to win on Father's Day. He has been a huge influence on me my entire life. I started playing golf because of him," she said. "We still play together and he plays pretty much every day."