Carlota Ciganda is third in the Evian Championship, her best result in a major

The best Carlota Ciganda is back.

The 32-year-old golfer from Navarra finished third this Sunday in the Amundi Evian Championship, one of the five majors played on the women's circuit, a record with which she equals her best ranking in a Grand Slam tournament: she also climbed to the podium at the 2018 US Open and at the 2020 PGA. The Spanish has signed a card of 15 shots under par (rounds of 67, 67, 67 and 68), two behind the Canadian Brooke Henderson (-17).

Only greater success with the

has separated Ciganda from her first victory in a major after collecting so far six wins on the Ladies European Tour (the European circuit), the last one at the Estrella Damm Mediterranean on July 10, and two on the American circuit, LPGA, both in 2016.

Ciganda has recovered the path of her best game, the one that made her win the Order of Merit as the best European player in 2012 and become in 2019 the first Spanish woman to enter the group of the 10 best players in the world ranking (created in 2006; Marta Figureras-Dotti was 12th in 1984 on the money list of the American circuit).

At the French club in Evian-les-Bians, she was close to victory in a very close tournament that ended with seven golfers in the margin of just two strokes (the Spanish tied for third place with four other rivals).

A missed

on the last hole would have taken her down several rungs when she was still in contention for the title with a stupendous

on the 17th.

.@carlotagolf is not messing around 💪

With a birdie on 17, she heads into the final hole one back from the lead.

pic.twitter.com/lCrYyfWU5v

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 24, 2022

The best Spanish in the world ranking (47th until this Sunday, a position that will improve from this Monday) thus recovers her best feelings in the face of her greatest challenge: becoming the first Spanish to win a major.

In this tournament, considered a

only since 2013, she has come close to glory again.

The niece of ex-soccer player Cuco Ziganda, the player who as a child shared football with the pelota court until she decided on golf, winner of the British Amateur in 2007, once again gives an important boost to her great career and regains faith in reaching a big top.

This Sunday she was followed on the date by her parents and by the tennis player Garbiñe Muguruza.

“I have been close, it was a shame to

after not making any

weekend.

If two or three had entered me... It is important to be well with yourself, in Europe I am comfortable, there is a lot of work behind it and the fruits are being seen”, analyzed Ciganda.

Brooke Henderson, with the trophy. JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK (AFP)

Final classification of the Evian Championship.

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