Carlota Ciganda has added to her brilliant sporting record the fourth victory in the United States University Circuit by winning the Northrop Grumman Challenge, a competition held at the Palos Verdes Golf Club in California.

The Spanish golfer finished two strokes ahead of American Natalie Sheary, from Wake Forest University, and five strokes ahead of a quartet of players tied for third place.

Accurate and consistent throughout the three days of competition, Carlota Ciganda took the lead at the end of the second round after delivering cards of 73 and 70 strokes, catching up at that moment with the aforementioned Natalie Sheary.

Tied on the tee of the 1st hole at the start of the decisive round, the tournament turned into an exciting head-to-head battle between the two players, with American Natalie Sheary taking the lead by taking advantage of a bogey by Carlota Ciganda on the 3rd hole.

However, demonstrating the ability to react that has characterized her since she was a child, the Navarrese golfer took a step towards the decisive title between holes 8 and 10, a true turning point of the tournament, at which point Carlota Ciganda recorded two consecutive birdies and, to further extend her lead, took advantage of an error by her great rival on hole 10.

The advantage gained allowed Carlota Ciganda a relatively easy second round, which nevertheless required maximum concentration at the end – her mistakes on holes 15 and 17 – but she resolved it successfully since Natalie Sheary, under a lot of pressure, failed on the final hole.

Carlota Ciganda, 20, one of the Spanish amateurs with the most brilliant track record of all time – Spanish champion in all categories, individual European champion in 2004 and 2008, gold medals in European Team Championships Under-16, Junior and Absolute, British Ladies Amateur 2007 – has been in the United States, specifically at Arizona State University, since 2008, where she continues her academic and sports training.

Representing her university, Carlota Ciganda has won three other tournaments, with special mention for the NCAA College League Final in 2009. In 2010, apart from a Cactus Tour Professional event, the golfer from Navarre won the Women's Pac 10 Championship.

FINAL CLASSIFICATION

1.- Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) 215 (73+70+72)

2.- Natalie Sheary (Wake Forest) 217 (76+67+74)