Quieting the critics can be sweet. But after finishing second at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge on Wednesday, with an individual title tacked on, the ASU women golfers must feel like kids in a candy store.
ASU junior Carlota Ciganda, the reigning two-time Pac-10 champion, won the individual crown at the invitational in Palos Verdes, Calif. Ciganda achieved this after shooting a 2-over-par 215, two strokes ahead of Wake Forest senior Natalie Sheary.
Ciganda claimed the win with a 1-over-par 72 on the last day after starting the final round tied for first.
The win was her first ever during the regular season and her fourth overall. She won the 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 championships and the 2009 NCAA West Regional as a freshman.
“It felt good to win something,” Ciganda said.
Her short game and putting were the both important to the win, Ciganda said.
“Wednesday was a hard day. It was raining and really windy,” Ciganda said. “We did a great job of finishing.”
Ciganda was coming off a sixth-place tournament finish in Tucson at the Wildcat Invitational on Feb. 8.
While her win was tremendous, the team can also be pleased with the strides it has made as a whole since the beginning of the year.
The team signed five new members and started the spring season unranked after a fall that left ASU coach Melissa Luellen with three players on her roster. The successful tournament in Tucson sparked enthusiasm, but what they did Wednesday may have paved the groundwork for much more.
No. 14 ASU had the lead with a few holes remaining but lost to No. 3 USC by two strokes. However, the team did exceed expectations by finishing ahead of four top 25 teams in No. 4 UCLA, No. 14 Wake Forest, No. 15 Michigan State and No. 25 Florida.
While it is disappointing for the team to lose so close to the finish line, consistency throughout the tournament is a positive sign. ASU was the only team without a player having a round over 80.
Junior Giulia Molinaro, the only other upperclassman on the team, finished second for ASU and tied for seventh overall with an 8-over-par 221. She bounced back after a rough score in Tucson, where she finished last for the Sun Devils and 31st overall.
With the two upperclassmen finishing in the top 10, all that was required from the freshmen was to survive the course.
That’s exactly what they did. Laura Blanco and Justine Lee tied for 25th place and Daniela Ordonez finished tied for 30th.
Also competing as an individual but not for the team was freshman Brittany McKee, who finished 69th.
For Ciganda, the win was another step in the right direction this season.
“I have more confidence now,” Ciganda said. “I am happy and looking forward to my next tournament.”
The team will continue its season at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship in New Orleans beginning Feb. 27.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
