Inbee Park saved her best round of the year - 8-under-par 64 - for Sunday at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by Banamex to secure her 17th LPGA title and fifth this season. Park needed the splendid Sunday, too, with Carlota Ciganda hard charging up from behind with a career-low 9-under-par 63, the best round of the tournament. But when Ciganda got to six-under for the day through seven holes to tie Park, the world No. 2 responded with a beautiful five birdie, zero bogeys 5-under-par 31 on the back to edge Ciganda out by three at 18-under-par for the tournament.
“It was fun. It was birdies after birdies, so it was fun. Carlota really got me going,” Park said. “It was three good rounds but obviously the last round is the one that counts and the last three days I felt like I made some mistakes but today I think I got rid of all of that. I played really well.”
For Park, the win is not only a victory at a tournament that had previously eluded her with three top-fours in the three years prior. It also made the season finale next week - the CME Group Tour Championship - a lot more interesting as Park’s 18-under-par 270 has pushed her ahead of Lydia Ko in the Vare Trophy standings by just 0.0161 shots per round. Park’s victory also puts the Rolex Player of the Year trophy firmly up for grabs next week as she has pulled within just three points of Ko. Park will need a minimum of an eight-place finish to tie Ko in the player of the year standings if Ko doesn’t post a top-10 herself.
“I knew that I had to do something big this week to have any chance coming into the Tour Championship,” Park said. “It’s great. It brings a lot of excitement to have something in your hand finishing off the season. I’ll definitely try to play my best next week, I’ll give it all I got, and just try to play good golf like I did this week.”
Ciganda didn’t leave with the trophy but she did leave with the best round of her career and the knowledge that she can perform in the hunt for victory in the final group. Despite trailing by four shots entering the day, Ciganda birdied the first, eagled the second and was quickly within two shots of Park. Ciganda didn’t relent either with birdies on four, five and seven to tie Park for the lead on the seventh. Despite birdies from Park on six of her final 11 holes, Ciganda still had a shot down the stretch. She pulled within one shot with a birdie on the 14th but made a disappointing bogey on the 16th hole and watched as Park birdied her final two holes for good measure.
“If they told me at the beginning, I’d get a 63, I’d played some really good golf,” Ciganda said. “I started really well with birdie, eagle, so I had a great time. Inbee played unbelievable and she has lots of experience and she knows how to win. Just congratulate her on such a great win.”
This was a long time coming for Park here in Mexico in her estimation. She had been close in years past - runner-up in 2012, fourth in 2013, third in 2014 - but hadn’t been able to close the deal until Sunday.
“I have been playing really in Mexico in Lorena’s event the last few years but I hadn’t been able to win the last few years so I’m just glad to be able to take the trophy this year. It’s a thrill,” Park said. “Lorena has done so much for women’s golf even after she retired, she’s inspired so many professionals. We love to come here and play this tournament and we really miss Lorena as well. It’s always fun to play this tournament.”
2015 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Sei Young Kim finished in third at 13-under-par while Park’s best friend, So Yeon Ryu, finished in solo fourth and showered Park with champagne on the 18th green after she finished. Japan’s Sakura Yokomine finished in fifth at 9-under-par, which was the rookie’s best finish of the season.
CIGANDA’S FUEGO PUTTER
Carlota Ciganda’s putter - and her game - were on fire Sunday on a day she needed only 23 putts and if last year’s CME Group Tour Championship is any indication, this form likely will continue into next week. Ciganda arrives to the CME Group Tour Championship not only on the heels of a runner-up after a career-best in the final round, but she’s returning to the place where she lost in a three-way playoff a year ago to Lydia Ko.
“It’s a new week and I’m going to try to play my best,” Ciganda said. “Start again from zero and just have a day off tomorrow. Practice on Tuesday and just play my game and then I’m ready for the offseason.”
Ciganda, who now has three runner-ups in her career, could have earned her first career LPGA win a year ago at the CME Group Tour Championship. On the third trip down the 18th hole in her playoff with Lydia Ko and Julieta Granada, Ciganda plushed an iron just five feet behind the pin and had the putt for the win. But the putt skirted by the hole, and Ciganda nearly hit it in the water on her approach on the fourth playoff hole and made bogey while Ko calmly two putted for the win.
Either way, with rounds like Sunday in her arsenal, it seems only a matter of time before Ciganda’s breakthrough comes.
“I think the last few months I’ve been playing good,” Ciganda said. “With the putting, I think now I have everything more clear. I knew that when I started putting a little better, I was going to be a little bit closer, so it’s the most important to putt well.”
Ciganda’s been disappointed with her putting throughout 2015. Her putting average of 30.14 is 67th on Tour and her putts per green in regulation (1.86) ranks 86th on Tour but her putting practice last week with two-time Masters Champ Jose Maria Olazabal in Spain clearly paid off.
“Just tried to stay in the present out there cause I thought I could win this tournament,” Ciganda said, “ because I was feeling pretty comfortable out there and I think Mark, my caddie, was doing a great job out there just taking it one shot at a time. I did the best I could. I putted really well today and I think that was the key.”
THE FINAL NINE ARE SET
The end of the race is near and the top nine is set. Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Sei Young Kim, Lexi Thompson, Amy Yang, So Yeon Ryu, Anna Nordqvist, and Shanshan Feng will all battle it out next week for the end-of-season Race to the CME Globe title and $1 million prize at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla. It’s the largest prize in women’s golf, and Ko, the winner a year ago, enters as the No. 1 seed after a stellar five-win season.
Ko, Park, and Lewis each control their own destiny next week. A win and the money is theirs. Ko proved the value of the top three a year ago, entering third in the standings but winning the CME Group Tour Championship to lock up the season-long points race title.
LOUISE SUGGS ROLEX ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
On the heels of clinching the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, Sei Young Kim posted her 11th top-10 finish of the season Sunday. Kim’s solo third is her sixth top-three finish of the season. Kim entered the day three shots back of Park and shockingly lost strokes to the leader on Sunday despite a 6-under-par 66.
For comparison sakes, Kim’s 66 tied the best round of the previous three days of the tournament.
Kim, unfortunately, though needed a win to climb into the top three for the Race to the CME Globe standings. She didn’t ultimately get that but at fourth in the Race to the CME Globe standings, this rookie could potentially become the second consecutive rookie to win in the inaugural two years of the Race to the CME Globe points race.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORENA OCHOA
Happy 34th Birthday to Lorena Ochoa. The tournament host was greeted with a mariachi band and a massive birthday cake on the 18th green Sunday during the closing ceremony.
Ochoa hosted this event for the eighth time this year.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
9 - Nine players - Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Sei Young Kim, Lexi Thompson, Amy Yang, So Yeon Ryu, Anna Nordqvist and Shanshan Feng - are all set to battle it out for the $1 million Race to the CME Globe prize next week. The points reset and each is in position to potentially win a million dollars although only Ko, Park, and Lewis control their own destiny with a win.
34 - Lorena Ochoa, the tournament host and LPGA legend, celebrated her 34th birthday Sunday.
63 - Carlota Ciganda’s final round 63 was a career low for her.
64 - Inbee Park saved her best round of 2015 for her on Sunday - an 8-under-par 64.
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