Historic moment

The Spanish women briefly led the Olympic tournament, a historic milestone for Spanish golf. However, despite the fervent support of their Spanish fans, the women remained composed and focused on their game. They are so determined to win medals that nothing can distract them.

The captain, nervous

In the moments leading up to the tournament, Marta Figueras-Dotti was having the time of her life (constantly taking photos with every star she met, including Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam), but everything changed as soon as the competition began. “I haven’t been able to sleep a wink all night,” she admitted with a smile. “I’m more nervous than when I was playing myself… I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it through to Saturday,” she joked.

A shorter and different field

It's incredible how much the same course can change depending on the tee box placement. Despite having a course almost a kilometer shorter than the men's, the women are having serious trouble hitting the par 5s in two strokes (with exceptions like Carlota Ciganda, of course). On the practice day, they complained about the course being too difficult, and for the first round, the course was more forgiving. Even so, a third of them couldn't beat it and finished over par.

The audience, lazy

The men's tournament was a complete success, selling out in a historic turnout at Barra da Tijuca. However, the same level of fan support hasn't materialized for the women's tournament. It's hoped that as the competition progresses, and if the weather cooperates (rain is forecast for the following rounds), the excitement of last week will return.

Carlota Ciganda (3rd provisional with -4, 67 strokes today)

“"It's been a good day. I feel great, I played well, and my only complaint is the 15th hole (double bogey). I'm already looking forward to playing again.".

I haven't even looked at the leaderboards; I didn't know I was leading. I had agreed beforehand with my brother (my caddie) to focus solely on our game and not get distracted by anything else. We have to keep in mind that there are still three days to go, and we need to stay calm. I'm very happy to be here, but there's still a long way to go.

The strategy was to play very aggressively. At one point I had four birdies and an egg, and I wanted to keep improving my score… until that stumble on the 15th hole. I hadn't hit it too badly off the tee, but then the ball bounced very poorly, and problems kept piling up (into the sand, into a bush, short, two putts…) culminating in a double bogey. But it's something that can happen, and you shouldn't dwell on it too much. You just have to keep going.

The final round was against the wind, so it wasn't easy to cut shots at the end. We have to keep playing the same way in the coming days. Azahara also had a great result, and we're very motivated. We love playing for Spain, and if we keep this up, we'll be in the fight on Saturday.”.

Azahara Muñoz (7th with -3, 66 strokes today)

Sensations

“The truth is, I’m very happy. Starting is always difficult, but I played very well, very solidly. Especially finishing with that par I made at the end, which felt like a birdie. This course has many tricks; it’s complicated and doesn’t allow for any mistakes, so I didn’t run into much trouble. I only made one bogey (hole 11), and as long as the problems are like that, we can solve them.”.

They were provisional leaders on the board with -4

It's huge. To be honest, I didn't realize we were tied in the standings. By the time I noticed, Carlota was already ahead. Carlota and I are really good friends, and it's amazing to be here together. We're going to give it our all for Spain, that's for sure, and hopefully, we both have a great week.

Wind complications

The second round was a bit more complicated because of the wind, and also because it's the most difficult. I might have made a couple of mistakes off the green, but I continued to play very solidly. I'm very happy with the result.

Strategy for what remains

Well, if I get three less every day I won't be too far off... but I don't want to think about medals or how many I need, or anything like that. The course is very difficult, I have to stay very focused and calm, take it one shot at a time, and hopefully Saturday will be enough.