Carlota Ciganda has searched long and hard for her third career LPGA Tour title over the last seven-plus years, one that has continued to elude the 34-year-old, who hasn’t earned a victory on Tour since the 2016 CitiBanamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by Aeromexico and Delta.
And now, at the FM Championship, the Spaniard will again have an opportunity to find victory lane on the LPGA Tour, sitting just three shots behind 54-hole leader Jin Young Ko ahead of Sunday’s final round at TPC Boston.
Ciganda opened her week in Massachusetts with a sluggish 74, carding five bogeys and three birdies to sit in a tie for 62nd through 18 holes. Friday saw her recover with a 5-under 67, a round that saw her make just two bogeys and seven birdies to vault into a tie for 12th at 3-under overall.
Ciganda then kept the pedal down on Moving Day just outside of Boston, recording another 5-under 67 that was nearly perfect as she only made one bogey and collected six birdies, two of which came back-to-back on the par-5 2nd and par-4 3rd holes.
It was a third-round effort at TPC Boston that Ciganda was pleased with, particularly considering it moved her into a share of third and has her sitting three shots back of the lead, putting her within striking distance of that third LPGA Tour title once again.
“I played pretty solid out there today,” Ciganda said after round three. “I knew I could shoot low. I've been playing really good the last couple of days, and I really like the course. Great birdie on 2. I think the par 5s, I played them very well today, so that was really important. Then, just hitting lots of greens. I wasn't in bad places and made a few putts. Overall, very solid round.”
The FM Championship is Ciganda’s 17th tournament of the 2024 LPGA Tour season, and despite three straight missed cuts that spanned from late June to mid-July, it has been a pretty steady year for the LPGA Tour veteran.
She has earned four top-20 results so far this year, including a tie for third that came at the Ford Championship presented by KCC and a solo sixth showing at The Chevron Championship in April. Ciganda also finished in a tie for 19th at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally in early June, an impressive feat considering how difficult a test Lancaster Country Club presented that week in Pennsylvania.
And now, she sits within five of the lead entering the final round for the sixth time in the last two seasons and will look to battle against TPC Boston on Sunday afternoon as she works to put herself at the top of the leaderboard come the end of the final round in Norton, Mass., at the inaugural FM Championship.
“I think just have the strategy clear for (Sunday),” said Ciganda of her final-round mindset. “Keep doing the same we have been doing the last couple of days. If we do that, we're going to have a chance.”
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