SOLHEIM CUP

September 20, 2023

Carlota Ciganda

Finca Cortesin

Team Europe

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Welcome to the second European press conference of the week. I'm joined by Spain's Carlota Ciganda. As an FYI the first 15 minutes of this will be in English with the second 15 minutes being in Spanish.

If anyone's got any questions on Zoom, please put them in the chat.

But Carlota, welcome. How excited are you to start this Solheim Cup week and for you to have it in Spain?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, it's a dream come true. It's a pleasure to be here in my home country. I mean, so nice to see so many familiar faces. I just love Spain. Spain is home. It's just so nice to have Spanish dinners, to listen to everyone talking in Spanish. I love it here. I'm just so happy to be here and hopefully it's a great week for us.

THE MODERATOR: I know you've been out practicing on the course. How have you found it so far this week?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, the course is good. We played three days already. I think it's a great match play course. With the first hole being reachable, I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

And then I think the course is -- it can be quite tricky with the wind. I think it's going to get windy on the weekend. So, yeah, the greens are pretty slopey, undulating, so you have to hit good shots, and I think the speed of the green is key this week to make putts.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions in English first.

Q. Suzann, your captain, has said that this is the strongest team that's been assembled on the European side. You've been on a number of these teams throughout the years now. How would you describe your team this year?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: European team? Yeah, I mean, I do think obviously on paper on the rankings we have I think the strongest team ever. I mean, the top players, we have I think eight main players in the top 15 in the world, so that's amazing. Obviously Charley five times second. In two majors she finished second. Celine, she won Evian and Scotland. I think the youngsters are really good and we have, yeah, a great team. I mean, I've played six Solheim Cups and I think this is the strongest one we have.

Q. Just to be back in the scenario, what is it about this event, match play -- I mean, obviously typically Spaniards are pretty firey, but what is it about this event that really fires you up personally?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, I just love playing for our team. When it comes to Solheim, it reminds me of when I used to play with Spain, like the European Team Championships. I think match play, it's a lot of fun because you have a winner at the end of the day of the match.

So I just love playing, yeah, match play, playing for the team, for your teammates, for the captain. I think that's more fun than playing for yourself. I do love that about this week and the atmosphere that we have. I mean, the European team is always one united team and I love that.

Q. What does it mean to be able to play for Suzann, somebody that you've played alongside with at so many Cups?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, Suzann, I think, yeah, she's great. We are so happy that she's our captain. I think it's a huge honor to play for someone like her. I mean, she has a lot of experience, lots of fire. I mean, you guys know how she was as a competitor, so she just wants to win, and I think we are all, yeah, really happy to play for her. Yeah, it's been a great week so far.

Q. Looking at Europe and the U.S. it looks like it's kind of youth versus experience this year. How much do you feel like that experience benefits the European team just top to bottom being so experienced in this kind of format?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think we have a great team because we have some players with experience and then some younger ones, so I think it's a great mix. I think it's always important to have a few rookies that they bring the energy and the excitement that they really want to play. So I think we have a great mix. Everyone is playing very good, I mean, very solid, so I think we have a great team.

Q. Do you feel any added pressure this week playing in your home country?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I mean, I think more than pressure it's just going to be excitement, adrenaline, and just fun. I'm going to embrace it and I think it's going to be great to have all the support from Spain, from my family, lots of members from my club.

So I'm just going to try to go out there and enjoy. I know I'm going to feel nervous and I'm going to feel that adrenaline. I know I can play great golf with that, so I'm just going to enjoy and embrace every moment.

THE MODERATOR: We have a couple of questions from the chat. What will be your strategy on the first hole in terms of you going for it? Are you going to go for it?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, it depends on the wind, but if I have a good number and I can get there, I will go for that green, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: And secondly, what would it have meant to you as a little girl to be able to watch a Solheim Cup in Spain?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, it would be amazing. Obviously with Valderrama, I think a lot of -- yeah, golf grew a lot in Spain, so hopefully a lot of girls can watch the Solheim Cup, especially here in Spain, and we can grow the game and we can have some Spanish stars in the near future.

THE MODERATOR: Finally, from me, I know you said you've got a lot of friends and family and people from your golf club coming. How much are you looking forward to seeing them across the week and having people cheer you on?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, I have a great support, great family, so every time I play in Spain they come watch me play, especially like Spanish Open or anytime that I play in Spain. So I'm just, yeah, very excited that they can all be here, they can support, and they can enjoy a great week like the Solheim Cup.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. We'll take some questions in Spanish.

(Questions and answers in Spanish.)

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you everyone.