Cheenglab leads the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho with Carlota and Azahara spearheading the Spanish comeback
- The Navarrese player climbs to -7 and the Malaga player stands at -6 on a Saturday that keeps Spain in the fight for the top spots
- The Thai player leads with -15, France’s Delacour is three strokes behind, and everything points to a Sunday of maximum excitement in the heart of Malaga
The third day of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho kept the crowd on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Although Trichat Cheenglab remains in the lead at -15, the tournament took a completely different turn from Friday, when the Thai player seemed unbeatable. Her par round today, combined with a sensational -6 from France’s Perrine Delacour (-12 overall), has brought excitement back to the championship and opened up a range of possibilities for the final day. Behind them, Nastasia Nadaud (-10) and a chasing pack led by Kirsten Rudgeley and Smilla Soenderby (-9) are keeping the suspense at the top alive.
Cheenglab faced Saturday with the enormous moral advantage afforded by his course record (-9) on Friday. However, far from repeating that performance, she had a much more human round. She strung together six pars to start, added birdies on the 7th and 9th and got to -17 overall, but several missed putts in the second round — including an unusual one on the 17th from just half a metre — brought the tournament back into balance. Even so, her consistency remains admirable: two days without bogeys until the 15th hole today, total serenity from the tee and a competitive maturity unusual for a player who has only one LET victory to her name. After her round, she commented: “Perhaps for the Thai fans it was a worse round than expected, but tomorrow I will give my best to try for my second victory on the Ladies European Tour. Tomorrow I want to shoot five under par and I think that will be enough.”
While Cheenglab slowed down, Carlota Ciganda had her best day of the week and earned the applause of the Malaga crowd. The Navarrese player, who had started at -3 and without the confidence that led her to win the title in 2024, showed her strongest form in the first round: three consecutive birdies on the 3rd, 4th and 5th, another on the 7th and a clear decision not to give up prematurely. On the 10th, she scored her fifth birdie of the day, but from the 13th onwards, her putter lost its spark and her comeback slowed down. Even so, her total of -7 keeps her among the best Spanish players. ‘I played very well from tee to green. Winning is practically impossible unless something very unusual happens at the top, but tomorrow I’ll go out and give it my all,’ she explained honestly.
The other big national name, Azahara Muñoz, also had a solid Saturday to finish at -6. The Malaga native showed flashes of brilliance with birdies on the 4th, 9th, 16th and 18th, and despite some ups and downs with her putter, she once again demonstrated her reliability at the Real Guadalhorce Golf Club. “I’m calm, hitting the ball well. We have to keep enjoying this weekend,” she said after the round.
In the Spanish battle, the field remains wide open. At -5, Nuria Iturrioz and Teresa Toscano remain in contention for a top-10 finish. Amateur Andrea Revuelta, also at -5 and one of the players most loved by the fans, fought with determination despite a double bogey on the 12th. ‘I’m playing very well, even though today’s result doesn’t reflect that,’ she explained. Ana Peláez (-4), who shot a 67 on Friday, continued to perform consistently in her hometown and is very close to securing her card on the European Tour for next season.
Among the big international stories, the battle for the Order of Merit remains as exciting as ever: Shannon Tan and Mimi Rhodes share sixth place at -8. The equation remains open and promises a thrilling conclusion on the final day, which will take place tomorrow from 09:00.
Around the green
Fierce battle to keep their cards
The Open is proving decisive for players fighting to keep their LET cards. Among them is Spain’s Ana Peláez, who started the week right on the edge of the annual rankings and made a key leap forward after her 67 on Friday and her strong performance today. Aunchisa Utama (70th) and Camille Chevalier (76th on arrival) have also improved their positions, while others, such as Sarah Kemp and Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen, will need a very low round to stay on in 2026.
The Golf Team Germany prepared its assault on Guadalhorce in Sotogrande
The German team spent the week leading up to the Open training on the Andalusian coast. Helen Briem, Patricia Schmidt, Leonie Harm, Olivia Cowan and several amateurs completed intensive sessions in Sotogrande to acclimatise before arriving at the tournament, a preparation that is paying off in their performances in Malaga.
Shannon Tan, with a very clear goal
The Singaporean is not only fighting for the Open: she wants to end the year as No. 1 on the LET. She has spent two full weeks in Malaga, training exclusively at Guadalhorce to memorise every detail of the course. Tied with Rhodes and with the annual title at stake, Tan faces Sunday with absolute determination.
The latest news on the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho can be followed on the website openfemenino.com, the Twitter account @Openfemenino, the Instagram account @spanishopen and the Facebook page @openfemenino. It is sponsored by Andalucía and Costa del Sol as main sponsors, together with Oysho as naming partner and textile sponsor of the tournament. Malaga City Council, Mahou, Solán de Cabras, Hisúmer Cincoro, Audi Safamotor, Best Garden, Carrasco Ibéricos, Essse Café, Greenmowers, Kyocera, PING, Reale and Swing Line are also among the key supporters of the tournament. The LET, RFEG, RFGA, Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf y Deporte & Business are collaborating in its organisation.