Carlota Ciganda takes LPGA Classic; first win in eight years

BELMONT, Mich. -- Carlota Ciganda birdied the last 2 holes to triumph the Meijer LPGA Classic connected Sunday for her archetypal LPGA Tour triumph successful much than 8½ years, portion Lexi Thompson had 2 precocious bogeys to dash her bid to extremity a agelong drought of her own.

Ciganda deed to a ft to acceptable up her birdie connected the par-4 17th, past made a 4-foot comebacker connected the par-5 18th to debar a playoff with playing spouse Hye-Jin Choi.

"It feels amazing, obviously, aft each these years," the 35-year-old Spanish subordinate said. "I knew I could bash it, but evidently erstwhile the years support going and you commencement getting older you commencement doubting yourself."

Part of a six-way necktie to commencement the time astatine Blythefield County Club, Ciganda changeable a 5-under 67 -- her 4th consecutive circular successful the 60s -- to decorativeness astatine 16-under 272 connected the tree-lined layout successful the last lawsuit earlier the large KPMG Women's PGA Championship successful Texas.

"I emotion coming here," Ciganda said. "It reminds maine of Spain wherever I'm from successful the bluish portion of the Spain. Very similar. Lots of trees, peaceful. I emotion the play course. Five par 5s, you tin deed it hard here."

Ciganda won for the archetypal clip since the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational, a span of 8 years, 7 months, 2 days. She has 3 LPGA Tour victories and has won 8 times connected the Ladies European Tour, the past successful December successful the Spanish Women's Open.

"I had a accidental to triumph this tournament," Choi said. "But the bogey connected 17 spread was, yeah, conscionable the 1 I'm reasoning about."

Fellow South Korean subordinate Somi Lee was 3rd astatine 14 nether aft a 65.

Thompson had a 70 to necktie for 4th with Celine Boutier (67) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (70).

Thompson, the 2015 victor astatine Blythefield, won the past of her 11 LPGA Tour titles successful aboriginal June 2019 astatine the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She made her sixth commencement of the play successful a part-time circuit schedule.

"It's my favourite lawsuit connected the schedule," said Thompson, besides acceptable to play successful the large astatine PGA Frisco. "Fans are astonishing and travel retired and enactment women's play and that's what we want."

The 30-year-old from Florida ran into occupation connected the par-4 16th. She tried to permission the shot beneath the spread connected the elevated green, but her attack rolled disconnected the beforehand and down a elevation into rough. She deed a flop changeable to 8 feet and missed the par putt. On 17, she missed a 3-footer.

"Not the decorativeness I wanted coming down the agelong there," Thompson said. "But coming into the week I wasn't playing large play and benignant of latched onto thing that got maine done the week."

Last twelvemonth successful the event, Thompson mislaid successful a playoff to Lilia Vu.

Ciganda matched Beatriz Recari for the astir victories by a Spanish player. The erstwhile Arizona State subordinate is the oldest LPGA Tour victor since Eun-Hee Ji astatine 36 successful the 2022 T-Mobile Match Play.