Navarrese player Carlota Ciganda has started the 2008 season with a victory in the I Ranking Sub-18 Qualifying Tournament held at the Jerez course of Sherry Golf, where a large part of the best Spanish players have gathered, including some of those who are developing their studies and their golf career in the United States.

Carlota Ciganda repeated her victory from last year at the Montecastillo course, also in Cádiz, displaying undeniable dominance from the first day. This was despite the fact that the field of contenders included names like local golfer Belén Mozo and Marta Silva from Santiago de Compostela.

The player from Ulzama – who led the leaderboard from the first round – began the day with a six-stroke advantage over Belén Mozo and Marta Silva. On a day marked by the cessation of the wind that had hampered play in the previous two rounds, she turned in a card of 70 strokes, only surpassed by Belén Mozo herself (69 strokes).

The Andalusian golfer finished in second place, nine strokes ahead of Madrid's Patricia Sanz, who overtook Marta Silva on a disappointing day for the Galician golfer, who couldn't manage a score below 82. Patricia Sanz also secured second place in the Under-18 category, which was also won by Carlota Ciganda.

This event counts towards the Women's Under-18 Ranking, along with the Spanish Women's International Championship, Copa de SM La Reina, held at La Reserva de Sotogrande from February 27 to March 2; the Spanish Junior Women's International Championship, at Arcos Gardens from May 7 to 11; and the Spanish Individual Championship for 1st and 2nd Category, which will take place in Castiello from May 29 to June 1. This ranking is the criterion approved by the RFEG (Royal Spanish Golf Federation) for selecting the team that will participate in the Women's Under-18 European Team Championships, scheduled for early July in Scotland.

Last year in Montescastillo, Carlota Ciganda secured another successful start to the season in a close finish that saw Belén Buendía from Murcia take second place and Marta Silva herself finish third. That victory was the prelude to a spectacular season that concluded last December with a strong showing at the Dubai Ladies Masters, where she competed against the best professionals in Europe.

FINAL CLASSIFICATION
1.- Carlota Ciganda 213 (71+72+70)
2.- Belén Mozo 218 (74+75+69)
3.- Patricia Sanz 227 (74+76+77)