Ladies European Tour (LET) - An interview with Carlota Ciganda in Dubai

 

Carlota Ciganda of Spain led the 2012 ISPS Handa Order of Merit leading into the Ladies European Tour’s season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club. Read her comments ahead of the tournament here.
Carlota Ciganda, leading the rookie rankings this year.  This is your first visit to Dubai, and I believe, and this tournament, can you start by talking about how it feels to be here?
            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  I love it at the moment.  I played here three times as an amateur and this is my first time as a professional, and I'm very happy to be here because I really like the course, all of the people here.  The food is really good, and the course is amazing.  It's in great shape and I think it's a great moment to finish here the Ladies European Tour.

Q.  It's been a dream season for you, leading the Order of Merit coming into the final; look back at the season.

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  In Australia the first event, I love to compete and playing in the moment, and then I started playing in the LET and I've been playing all year.  I've won two amazing tournaments in China and that was great.
            And I've been playing all over and I'm playing and having fun.  It's been a very good year.  It's easy to travel, living my family, because I studied in the States so it's nice to be back home again, and I really like it playing in Europe.

Q.  Can you talk about the race and this weekend and how do you think Caroline is going to do, and are you thinking about her game or are you just thinking about your positioning this weekend?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  I think she's going to play good.  She's been playing great all year and she got her card last week and I'm very happy for her because she's a great player.
            I'm going to focus on my game ‑‑ it's one more week of golf, four more days and I just enjoy playing golf and I'm going to play one day at a time and enjoy the beautiful course and beautiful weather.
            Yeah, I'm going to think of my game but nothing else.  It's going to be great.

            Q.  You're in the lead, so psychologically is that an advantage or disadvantage, or how do you view it?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  I think it's an advantage if you are first on the Money List.  But I don't like to think too much about that.
            I just like to think about playing golf and playing on the course and if you give it 100 percent when you are on the course, I think the result is going to be good and if you play good, you're going to be at the top.

            Q.  You played amateur golf for quite a few years and you turned professional only this year.  Do you think that there's been an advantage for you that you played so much amateur golf?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  I played for three years, and that was good, the experience, playing a lot of courses there, and then I felt I was ready.
            Some people make the turn when I was 18, but when I was 20 ‑‑ when I was 21, it was good playing as an amateur and now it is good playing as a professional and I am happy because I am enjoying.
            So I think it's the right time.  I don't think too much amateur, professional, but I was ready so I turned it.

Q.  Laura Davies, she was the first lady to win the Order of Merit as rookie; what do you think of that achievement, and what do you think of ‑‑

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  Yeah, I played with her a lot this year and I think it was very good for me to play with her because I learned so many things.
            She's so talented and I think she's one of the best players of all times in golf.  I don't know how many times she won the Money List and she's such a good person on the course and she's so talented.  She can hit shots from anywhere.  So playing with her was good.
            Then she was really nice with me, so to win the Money List as a rookie would be an honor for me ‑‑ I'm very happy ‑‑ first play the Pro‑Am and then the next day and we'll see how it goes, because it's golf and anything can happen.

            Q.  Laura said you're not a rookie in the true sense of the word because you've been an amateur so long and you've played so many events; do you acknowledge that you might not be actually a rookie?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  I played in the Ladies European Tour and I played in the LPGA also so I know how it works a little but I never played ‑‑ I think I'm a rookie and a lot of things I need to keep learning a lot.
            I'm just starting, so I think I have to improve in a lot of things in the game and just going to try to do that and have fun out there.

            Q.  What has been the most difficult thing as a full professional?  And what has been the most enjoyable thing for you?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  The most difficult, maybe all the traveling and going to China, the jet‑lag, then coming back and spending a lot of weeks out of home.  But I like it because when I go to the place and I go to the course, I'm happy and I love to play golf.
            Then I really enjoyed playing in Europe, the players were very good and very nice with me.  It's like a family so it's really nice.
            Then I was happy to have my caddie, as well, he's a good friend.  His name is Javi.  He helps me a lot and has a lot of confidence in my game.  He was really helping me and I think I've been very lucky.  I can't complain at all.  I don't see any bad things about The European Tour; all good.

            Q.  And you come from Spain which has a tradition of great golfers starting from Seve Ballesteros to some of the recent ones.  Who would be your idol and can you tell me any influence Seve has been in your life?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  I never saw him play but I saw like a lot of videos of him and I'm good friends with his son because we played amateur golf together, and he plays good golf.
            Seve, he won two times the Masters, so in Spain I think for European golf, he was a hero and he was unbelievable the way he played.  He could hit a shot from anywhere.  I think he was one of the good golfers of all time.
            Then a lot of Spanish won here, like José Maria Olazábal has won here, Alvaro Quiros, Rafa, Seve, so it's good.

            Q.  Any recent players on the men's tour ‑‑ have you had any talks with any of the recent players about turning pro and life as a professional?

            CARLOTA CIGANDA:  A few players, I knew Sergio García and I know Gonzalo Fernández‑Castaño, I'm friends with them.  Sergio, I'm good friends and I played with him before going to India and he just says to keep enjoying and keep having fun because golf can be really nice sometimes and other times not that fun.  So just try to enjoy the good moments and take the most of everything.

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 Ladies European Tour (LET) - An interview with Carlota Ciganda in Dubai