Fatima Fernandez Cano birdied her first three holes Saturday at the 2022 Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic. A bogey on the fourth was the only blemish on her scorecard. She made the turn with an eagle on the ninth. Then notched another eagle and four more birdies on the back nine at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona.
In the end, Fernandez Cano signed for an 11-under 61 in the third round, setting a course and career record. Oh, it also happened to tie the lowest score in Epson Tour history.
“It’s my lowest score ever, I think even in practice to be honest,” she said after a round that included 16 greens in regulation. “Just had it going out there. A really good day and go into tomorrow with a good mindset.”
Michaela Finn shot a 61 in the first round of the 2021 season finale.
Fernandez Cano’s theatrics also shot her to the top of the leaderboard at 15 under. She’ll sleep on the 54-hole lead by a shot over Laura Restrepo and by two over Haylee Harford. Alana Uriell and Sophie Hausmann are tied for fourth at 12 under.
Defending champion Ruixin Liu is among a group tied for 10th at 9 under.
After her front-nine 31, Fernandez Cano stepped on the gas pedal on the back nine. She birdied the 10th before consecutive pars on Nos. 11 and 12. She then holed out for eagle on the par-4 13th before tacking on three more birdies.
“She was on a different level,” her caddie James Longman said.
“I’m happy with the fact I stayed aggressive,” Fernandez Cano said. “No. 13, had a bad lie in the fairway. Luckily, we had a really good club at it and good shot from 145 yards. Then No. 15, had an eagle putt lip out and that’s when I knew this round was getting close to a number in the very low 60s.”
This is the second event on the Epson Tour’s 2022 schedule. In January, the LPGA announced a five-year deal with Epson to make the tech company the title sponsor of the “Road to the LPGA” qualifying tour, formerly known as the Symetra Tour.
Now in its 42nd season, the newly-named Epson Tour will award LPGA membership to the top 10 players on the Race for the Card money list at the end of each season.
