THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

October 21, 2020

Carlota Ciganda

Reynolds Lake Oconee

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to another LPGA Zoom press conference. In a few seconds we'll be speaking with Carlota Ciganda.

Welcome, and thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us. To ease into the questions, we had last week off. May I ask what you did last week?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Last week, yeah, I went with my boyfriend to Hilton Head. We spend the week there and it was great. I mean, just some relaxing time, just some -- rented some bikes and played some pickleball and had some good food. It was a nice week off.

THE MODERATOR: And Hilton Head has a lot of golf I think.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: A lot.

THE MODERATOR: Did you play any?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: We played a couple days but didn't play or practice that much. It was just like some holidays.

THE MODERATOR: That sounds amazing. You've got two weeks of great views then I'm sure, the beach and now beautiful Lake Oconee. So many people are curious because we just announced the 2023 Solheim Cup news that it will be hosted in Spain. How excited were you when you heard the news?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, very, very happy. I mean, it's a dream come true to have the Solheim Cup in Spain. I mean, I hope I can be on that team and win the Cup for Europe.

Yeah, I think it's such an amazing opportunity for Spain. Golf is quite big in south where the Solheim Cup is, but I think it's just going to be really nice the next three years promoting the Solheim Cup. Obviously with Aza and me on the team we can be there, so I think it will be really good for Spanish fans.

I think it's just great. Alessia Nino does a great job organizing everything, and I'm just very happy for them, for Spain, and yeah, for Europe.

THE MODERATOR: Some media have been asking, but what does it mean to you to have the Cup held in your home country?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I mean, it means everything. I think that tournament is one of my favorites, no doubt. I love playing on a team, playing for Europe, for your teammates, for a captain. To have it in your own country with all the people watching and all your family and your fans, it's just going to be unbelievable.

THE MODERATOR: How did you react to the news that the Ryder Cup and Solheim will be back to back?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, it's something different. I still think it would be better to play the year that the Ryder Cup is not playing. I think I like the other way.

But I think it's good to try and see how it goes next year Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup, and then 2023 the same. Yeah, hopefully we can have a lot of people coming to watch us first, and then if they want to go to the Italy and watch the Ryder Cup as well.

But I think it'll be interesting to see the viewers and everything.

THE MODERATOR: And that double back to back, how do you think it'll help the women's golf fans and otherwise?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I mean, to be honest, I don't think it's going to help us much, because if you are between Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup, maybe people, they go to watch the Ryder Cup. So I think that's why I think having in years that we don't play the Ryder Cup will be maybe better for us, because it's either Solheim Cup or nothing.

But where the Solheim Cup is going to played in Spain it's a very accessible place, so hopefully we have a lot people coming from Europe and even from the States. I think it'll be good for people from America to do a nice holiday, stop in Spain, and go to Italy.

I mean, I just don't know. I don't know what's best for women's golf. We'll see next year.

THE MODERATOR: You talked about this a little bit, but golf is pretty -- you said it's a bit more popular in the south. What kind of impact do you think this event in Spain will have on young girls and boys who grow up playing golf in Spain?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think there is going to be a lot of promotion, so I think it's going to be a great impact for boys, girls, and for everyone down south if they want to start playing or they already play golf. It's beautiful. It has great weather, great golf courses, and it's one my favorite places to go on holidays or to go play golf.

So I think it's going to be great. I think most people in Europe, they already know, especially the golfers because the weather is just almost unbeatable down there. I think they know how nice it is to go down there. For people that doesn't know, they should just go and try and they will be in love with it.

THE MODERATOR: Coming back to this season, it's definitely been a roller coaster. What are your goals coming into the season and how have they changed?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, it's been a weird year, especially having COVID before starting on tour like before Inverness and Marathon, but now I feel good again. I would like to win before the end of the year. That's what I have in mind. I been playing solid the whole year and I played good last week at Aronimink, so that's nice. I'm feeling good again.

Yeah, I love competing, playing, and hopefully I can finish the year strong.

THE MODERATOR: We loved watching you rock the beanie hat. Just quickly, do you prefer that kind of weather or do you like the hot weather that we're presented with this week?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I like nice weather. I'm not going to lie. I like 25, 30 degrees in celsius. Yeah, I'm from Spain, from the north of Spain, so I'm used to the cold weather, especially in the winter. So I practice a lot with cold and wind and rain so I'm used to that beanie hat that you guys see sometimes.

Yeah, Aronimink it was quite cold couple mornings, so I just put that beanie. Once I stuck with that I don't like finishing without it, so that's why I had it all day. Yeah, I don't like being cold.

THE MODERATOR: Fair enough. It's a beautiful course out here. Wondering how have the practice rounds been and how difficult do you think this course will be this week?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think the course is a little trickier than what people think. The front nine the fairways are quite wide but then small greens. I think if you miss the greens it's hard to make up and down.

And then the back nine I think they are tricky. You have to play good golf, good ball striking, and the rough can be thick sometimes and quite big greens. So if you're not on the right place you can three-putt easy.

I think it's going to be a nice and challenging week. And, yeah, something in between 12 and 15-under will be the winner.

THE MODERATOR: And kind of going off that, we have been asking a lot of players what they're driven by, and I was wondering, you talked about your goals, too, but what is a goal that you've kept in mind in your golf career that drives and you pushes you?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I just, I mean, I love the grind, improving every day, playing every day. I think golf you're never happy. You always feel like you can do better and it's never enough.

So I just like going to bed and thinking how am I going to improve the next day and keep practicing. Sometimes gets tiring, so just take a few days off. I'm really good at doing that. Then just come back again with energy and keep grinding. I just like the whole process. I love the life, waking up and working out and eating healthy and playing and competing.

It's such a nice atmosphere. I been on the LPGA for eight, nine years now so it's a family. I made lots of friends here, so I think they do a great job. Yeah, I just love being around here and playing.

THE MODERATOR: And we do have a question from a Girls Golf member, Ophelia.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Hi, my name is Ophelia Bunuel and I'm ten years old.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Hello. How are you?

OPHELIA BUNUEL: I'm very good. And you?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Good. Thank you.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: I'm from Girls Golf of Miami, and I just have to say it's an honor to get to speak with you to do.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Oh, no worries. Thank you for being here.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: At Girls Golf Miami we started up tournaments and recently we added three clubs and a putter tournament. If you had to play a tournament with only three clubs and a putter, what three clubs would you use?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Which through clubs and a putter? I'll get the driver to hit the ball as far as I can, then maybe like an 8- or 7-iron just for those par-5 if I cannot get there, and then maybe a wedge just to hit around the greens and the bunkers. So I think driver, 7-iron, and 58, 54.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: That's actually some of the clubs that I picked because I did the tournament and those are actually some of the clubs I picked.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: How did you play?

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Well, I won.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: You won? Congrats.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Thank you. For my second question, when you were at home at the start of the pandemic, did you learn that you had any secret talents or that there was something you couldn't live without?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I think I was impressed with my cooking skills, to be honest. I was in touch a lot with my family and my mom and I told her to tell me a few recipes. I tried them and my boyfriend said they were pretty good. I'm not sure about that. Maybe he loves me too much.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Around the world fans miss the LPGA and getting to cheer for you on the golf course. Do you have a special message to your worldwide fans who miss you?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, for sure, just to be patient. Hopefully they can be on the course soon again. We miss them a lot. I love playing in front of fans, playing with people. I love the adrenaline, and for sure we miss that energy a lot. We are happy to be playing, but we love to be playing in front of people and fans, and for sure we hope that they can be with us next year.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Thank you. Thank you so much.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: No problem.

THE MODERATOR: Anybody else have any questions? I just have a couple more. This week the LPGA is highlighting some of our nontour areas. Each day there is a theme, such as LPGA professionals and Girls Golf will be for Sunday. Who's someone that has coached and helped you in your journey of being on the LPGA Tour?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I think there is a lot of people. I don't think I can say just one people. I mean, my family, they been always supporting me since I was very young and always told me to have fun, to enjoy, and just to be happy doing what I do. That's why I do this. I just love doing it, not because anyone force me do it. I think that's one of the key things to last longer.

I mean, my old coach I was with him for 20 years and he was a big inspiration for me. He introduced me to the game of golf, so I think he was big. My first caddie as well. He helped me a lot when I came to the states. He was my best friend, so just the two of us here traveling world. It was pretty nice.

I have a new coach now, Jorge Parada. Not new; I been with him five years now. He's helping me to be better every day and he pushes me a lot, so lots of grateful for that. Just so many people. Now we have a full team that helps me every day, so it's hard to say only one.

I think you have to try to surround yourself with good people, good atmosphere. You're going to have tough times, so be with people that are going to be with you when you have those tougher days.

THE MODERATOR: And my last question. Waking up every day seems like a victory in the current world we live in. There is just so much craziness. What's something you do every day to reset and how important is it that you reset? As a professional golfer I'm sure you have a lot of stress. The mental game is also just really stressful. How do you reset?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, I love going out for a run. Every morning I just wake up and just get out. I love being outside. I love going for a walk or a run. So I love doing that. I been doing some meditation as well just trying to be in the present and focus on the breathing. That's always something that can help you with everything going on in the world nowadays. With the news you just put the news and change the channel after 30 seconds because it's just too much.

Yeah, I think I for me sports. Sports is what keeps me in the present and enjoying and being happy. So I don't need much. Just play some sport, good food and just relax.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much Carlota, and good luck this week.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Thank you very much. Thank you.