Back-to-back birdies propel Carlota Ciganda to Meijer LPGA Classic title
By Brigette Ramirez
BELMONT, Mich. – Eight and a half years after her last win on the LPGA Tour, Carlota Ciganda is once again victorious, claiming the 2025 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give title with back-to-back birdies on the final two holes.
Ciganda finished the tournament at 16-under par, recording rounds of 69-67-69-67 to earn her third career victory on the LPGA Tour and first since the 2016 Citi Banamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
At 35 years old, Ciganda, the No. 32 player in the Rolex Rankings, also becomes the oldest person to win on the LPGA Tour this year and the 15th different player.
“It feels amazing obviously after all these years,” Ciganda said. “I knew I could do it, but obviously once the years keep going and you start getting older you start doubting yourself. I think this year I have a great team around me. New caddie which is doing an amazing job, and I'm just very happy to, yeah, [be here] with my whole team. I think I [was] just [believing] we can do this, and it's been a great year but obviously winning, it's an amazing feeling.”
With the win, the Pamplona, Spain, native joins Beatriz Recari as the winningest LPGA Tour player from Spain. The 2025 Meijer LPGA Classic is the Spaniard’s first win on American soil and Ciganda is the first Spanish-born player and second European to win the Meijer LPGA Classic following Ireland’s Leona Maguire in 2023.
“I wanted to win in the U.S., and I think winning now against all these really good players, it's very special,” Ciganda explained. “Just very happy, proud [of] how I handled this week, staying present. Yeah, it's been an amazing week.”
2025 marks Ciganda’s eighth appearance at the Meijer LPGA Classic where she’s consistently performed well, recording four top 10 finishes in her last seven starts.
Her best finish at Blythefield Country Club came nine years ago in 2016 when she fell just short of a win, finishing as runner-up after losing to Sei Young Kim in a playoff.
“I love coming here,” Ciganda said. “It reminds me of Spain where I'm from in the northern part of the Spain. Very similar. Lots of trees, peaceful. I love the golf course. Five par-5s, you can hit it hard here. So I really like that. And just staying with Bob and Gretchen [my] host family for almost ten years, [it] doesn't even feel like a tournament. Just feels really comfortable. We had a great vibe going this week and it's been amazing to stay with them and play and obviously to win.”
Heading into the final round on Sunday, Ciganda was tied with five other players atop the leaderboard at 11-under par.
“I was just trying to stay present, focus on my golf,” Ciganda said about her mindset going into the championship round. “Had a good strategy with my caddie, and just trying to stay in our own bubble, do our thing. I thought we did what we could control. It was good enough for us to win and that's what I tried to do.”
Ciganda fell on the leaderboard after making a bogey on the second hole. Her playing competitor for the day, Hye-Jin Choi, took the sole lead at 15-under after making an eagle and two birdies on the first 12 holes.
Halfway through the round, Ciganda trailed by two at 13-under, but was able to come back and earn the victory after making seven birdies on the day, including three consecutive birdies on holes 8 through 10 and back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to close out the round and win by one shot.
Her birdie on the par 5 18th hole sealed her victory, ensuring she would avoid a playoff with Choi, who made a bogey on 17 and finished the day just behind Ciganda at 15-under.
“I was nervous for sure,” said Ciganda about what was going through her mind on the 18th hole. “My heart rate was pretty high right there, but I think that's why I play golf. That's what I want to feel when I have to win a golf tournament. I knew I was leading by one so I was like, ‘If I make a birdie I think pretty much it's going to be mine.’ Also, you have to do it. Hit a good driver, good 7-iron to probably 25 feet, and hit the putt a little too hard. So it was a good four, five feet coming back that I made it and [I] was very, very happy.”
Choi finished the weekend with rounds of 69-67-69-68 and the Sunday playing competitors were the only two tournament participants to record all four rounds in the 60s.
With the win, Ciganda will take home $450,000 and pass $9.8 million in career earnings. With her confidence building after her first win in 3,136 days, she heads into next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to try to make it two in a row.
