Irving, TX – Carlota Ciganda carded a 5-under 66 on Saturday to move two strokes clear of the field after 54 holes of the inaugural North Texas LPGA Shootout.
Ciganda finished three rounds at 11-under-par 202. She is looking for her first LPGA Tour title.
World No. 1 Inbee Park posted a 4-under 67 to move into a share of second place at minus-9. She was joined there by second-round leader Caroline Masson, who overcame an opening double-bogey to shoot 2-under 69 at Las Colinas Country Club.
Na Yeon Choi (66) is alone in fourth at 8-under-par 205. Christina Kim (67), Karine Icher (67), Jee Young Lee (67) and 2011 U.S. Women's Open champion So Yeon Ryu (68) share fifth place at minus-6.
Ciganda, a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, broke free from the pack with a birdie on the par-5 third. Her tee shot at the par-3 sixth stopped within two feet and she kicked that in for birdie.
The Spaniard came right back with a birdie on the seventh, which moved her three clear of the field at minus-9.
Ciganda chipped to two feet at the par-5 10th and tapped in for birdie. She carded the fifth birdie of her round at the 12th to extend her lead to four.
That birdie came after her drive stopped in a drainage ditch, and she played out of the hazard. Ciganda's second bounced off the backside of a bunker to within 15 feet and she drained that birdie effort.
"I just tried to hit it as well as I could, and I think I was pretty lucky. It bounced really well to the right, and then I was lucky again to make that putt," Ciganda stated.
Ciganda stumbled to a bogey at the par-4 14th, but recovered that stroke with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 17th. She parred the last to end two clear of the field.
"I was just trying to focus on my game, just trying to play my own game and stay in the present. I wasn't very nervous. Just a round of golf," said Ciganda. "I love playing golf and I feel very lucky to be here on the LPGA."
Park played the front nine in even par with a bogey at the first and a birdie on the third. On the back nine, she birdied 11 and 14 to move to 7-under. Park closed with back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18.
Masson struggled to a double-bogey on No. 1. She got one stroke back with a birdie on the fourth. She traded a bogey for a birdie from the sixth. Masson got back to even-par for her round with a birdie on the par-5 10th. She birdied the 13th and 18th to move into a share of second.
There was a second cut on Saturday that trimmed the final round field to 51 players. Among those that failed to make the final round were Brittany Lang, Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis and 2012 Kraft Nabisco winner Sun Young Yoo.
NOTES: This is the first time Ciganda has owned the 54-hole lead on the LPGA Tour ... After she putted out on No. 9, her last hole, Lang's boyfriend walked onto the green and proposed to her. She said yes ... Dewi Claire Schreefel made the cut on the number of plus-3, then fired the low round of the day Saturday as she fired a 65 to jump into a share of 15th at 3-under 210.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.