Costa del Sol Open de España - Day Two

Cayetana Fernández with sister as caddie.  © Andres Lopez Sheridan
Cayetana Fernández with sister as caddie. © Andres Lopez Sheridan

Costa del Sol Open de España - Day Two

by Andrés Lopez Sheridan

Cayetana Fernández has shined in the second day of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.

The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, the most important women's professional tournament held in Spain on a regular basis, which in 2022 was held at the Alferini Golf near Villa Padierna. near Estepona between 24 and 27 November.

The young spanish amateur never ceases to amaze everyone with a great performance that made her finish with a round of 65 strokes (-8). Fernandez has climbed to the top of the standings with a total of 135 strokes (-11), one ahead of Linn Grant, leader of the Race to Costa del Sol. Big words. The Irish Leona Maguire stands third with a total of 137 (-9). The english golfer, Cara Gainer, who leaded the first day finished with 138 strokes (-8), tied with the swiss Morgane Metraux, and the swedes, Maja Stark and Caroline Hedwall.

The seventeen year old, Cayetana Fernández is current U18 World Champion at the World Junior Girls Championship celebrated in october in Canada: "The last Comunidad de Madrid Ladies Open taught me a lot, it helped me to manage the fact that there are a lot of people following you, that there are cameras around, and it also helped me not to get nervous when playing with professional players, who are my idols".

With a round with eight birdies and no bogeys, Cayetana Fernández did not hesitate to describe it as "almost perfect, especially with the putt, and the icing on the cake was to finish with a birdie on the 18th hole. I can't put any downside to this day, with my sister as caddie, my mother and my coach following me... It was a perfect day".

Another key to the day has been to control the nerves, inevitable in an event like this, and playing with a caddie, in this case his sister, has been a great support, in addition to the fact that "sharing the game with professionals perhaps puts the objectives on a larger scale. Here I have nothing to lose, I play more relaxed and try to enjoy the learning that I take away with me".

Although Cayetana Fernández acknowledged that she has arrived at Villa Padierna "with a lot of confidence after several weeks playing well, you never expect to make such a good round, especially on such a demanding course", and above all, she has her feet on the ground, as "I don't have an environment that pays me many compliments, I know I'm having a good tournament, but I also know that golf is a sport where you have to be humble".

Carlota Ciganda was penalised for her mistakes, she shot 73 strokes, par of the course, as "the mistakes I made were quite big, you have to avoid double bogeys", she lamented.

However, the player from Navarra was left with the positive, which is that "I have made 11 birdies in 18 holes in the two rounds, if I can focus on the good, I think I can have options on Sunday.

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