Azahara Muñoz: “Finishing with an eagle is a real energy boost for the final day”

Carlota Ciganda: “The goal is to break par on the final day.”

Two consecutive rounds of 69, the perfect antidote to a very difficult start to the competition, have brought a smile back to Azahara Muñoz's face. The golfer from Malaga once again became a pillar of the Spanish team, as Carlota Ciganda's game continues to struggle, carding a 75 in her third consecutive round over par.

The consequence of these results is noticeable in the standings with 18 holes to go - 21st place for Azahara Muñoz, 48th position for Carlota Ciganda - and in the feelings that each of them conveys at the end of the third round: visible satisfaction from the Malaga native, resignation from the Navarrese.

“I have very good feelings, I played well, getting a good result at the Games makes me feel very proud,” the Malaga native declared, eager to bring out all kinds of positive feelings.

A difficult first round was behind her – “I putted badly on the first hole, but I recovered quickly,” she said, before generating the key elements of her round: three consecutive birdies between the 10th and 12th holes – “seeing the ball in the hole gave me a lot of confidence, plus some great approach shots” – and a wonderful eagle on the 18th hole with a second shot to remember. “Finishing with an eagle is a real energy boost for the final day,” Azahara Muñoz acknowledged emphatically, clearly pleased with herself.

Meanwhile, with a score of 10 over par after three rounds of competition, Carlota Ciganda once again struggled from the very beginning of a difficult round: “I went into the water on my second shot on the first hole and made a double bogey. Then I recovered on the next hole, but I haven't felt comfortable at any point.”.

Hooked on over-par scores, Carlota Ciganda from Navarre has set herself the goal of scoring under 72 strokes in the final round. The challenge, relatively easy under other conditions, has become impossible so far "because my putts just won't drop. I hit good approach shots and leave them close to the pin, but then I miss. And the other issue is that I lose ground on the fairway, even if it's just a little, and recovering on this course is very difficult.".

Only 20 players are under par after three rounds of competition

Only twenty players can boast of finishing under par at the end of the third round of competition, a fact that highlights the widespread difficulties golfers face on a majestic course that offers no respite over its 18 holes. The best performers so far are New Zealander Lydia Ko and Swiss player Morgane Metraux, tied at -9, an average of 3 under par per round.

Morgane Metraux already holds an Olympic record.

Joint leader after the third round, and regardless of her final performance, Swiss golfer Morgane Metraux already holds an Olympic record that will be very difficult to surpass. Her 28 strokes (8 under par) on the first nine holes of the second day set the record. Everything went in for the Swiss player: -6 on the first six holes with a sequence of birdie-par-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie. Her previous career low on nine holes was 30, achieved on the front nine of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in 2023.

Annika Sorenstam opens the day with the wooden stick

Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest legends of women's golf, officially opened the third day of competition by tapping a wooden stick on the ground, a ritual that has been practiced during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It is also carried out in other disciplines, constituting a good way to start the tournament and to recognize figures who have made significant contributions to the history of sport.

The reunion of two old friends

Both are young, just 34 years old, and have maintained a friendship since early childhood, fostered from the beginning by playing golf. They are Carlota Ciganda from Navarre and Marta Silva from Galicia, who met on a golf course in 2000 during the Spanish Junior Championship, held in Santa Ponsa at the time. The victory, the first of a long list of national titles, went to Carlota Ciganda, who went on to win many more tournaments in which Marta Silva also participated, often finishing second. The two have reunited at the Golf National, Ciganda as a player, Silva as a member of the Olympic Channel, which broadcasts the Olympic Games.