Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, April 30, 2026.– A two-way tie for first place marked the opening round of the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, played under strong winds and intense heat at El Camaleón Golf Course, host of the tournament’s second edition.
The 36-year-old American veteran Brianna Do and her compatriot Melanie Green, competing in her rookie LPGA season, topped the leaderboard after both carded a 66 (-6).
They hold a one-shot lead over Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who opened with a strong 67 (-5) to sit in third place.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda and Mexico’s Gaby López—a fan favorite—are tied for fourth at 68 (-4), alongside Thailand’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham, South Korea’s Soo Bin Joo, and Japan’s Elika Hara and Cocona Sakurai.
During the opening round, López delivered a standout performance despite some struggles early on the back nine, highlighted by a spectacular eagle on the 18th hole. She recorded five birdies, one eagle, one bogey, and a double bogey—her most challenging moment of the day.
“I’m happy with my solid first round and the level of competition. I’m very pleased to be right there alongside the world No. 1, competing in the kind of battles we all dream about.
Aside from one bad swing that cost me two shots, I played well and was able to recover. The wind made some shots difficult, but I managed a great birdie on hole 8,” López said after her round, also expressing appreciation for the strong support from fans.
“I love seeing all the girls and boys out there. It’s important for them to see that we’re competing at the same level as the best in the world—that Mexico has a lot of quality,” added the world No. 27.
