Time for relaxation and disconnection. Time for tranquillity. Time for family, for being comfortable. How I enjoy being at home, in my Navarra, with my people. I haven’t picked up a club since December 26th, when we went to Zarauz with my father to play golf. I think I’ve never been longer without hitting balls in my career. It’s necessary. It’s been many years and 2023 has been especially intense. It’s necessary to stop and recharge batteries because what’s coming ahead is another big challenge. However, I don’t stop going to the gym and I’m putting in a lot of effort.
I’m going to talk to you precisely about the future, about how I plan 2024, but before that, you’re going to allow me a parenthesis. Obliged parenthesis. Yesterday Tuesday, around eleven-thirty in the morning, give or take a minute, there we were, my father and I in front of the television practically with tears in our eyes. What an emotion. Yes, Rafa Nadal‘s match in Brisbane against Dominic Thiem had just ended. How great. He is unique. A motivation for any athlete, an incentive, a reference. How hard it has been for him this year without being able to compete and to do that in his first match after so long is something incredible. What a pride for Spain.
I could spend hours and hours talking about Rafa, I would almost tell you that I’m drooling, but let’s get to the point. The year that begins excites me a lot. I’m going for it all. It’s clear that among the objectives are to achieve victories and fight in the Majors, all that is there, but above all there is a statistic, a figure that I have engraved in my mind. It’s the scoring average. The average number of strokes of the year. What the LPGA Tour recognises with the Vare Trophy. I want to win it. I want to be the best. This year it was won by Atthaya Thitikul with an average of 69.53 and that is my great goal. Some year in my career I have slightly dropped below 70 strokes, but I would like to finish 2024 with that figure: 69.5. I know that if I achieve that, the rest will come on its own. If I achieve that stroke average, it will mean that I will be many Sundays fighting for victories.
I’m more motivated than ever. The Solheim Cup, what happened that Sunday at Finca Cortesín and that I will never forget, was a boost. I want to have that same feeling again, to be in a Major on the last day fighting to win. I know that my golf is made to win Majors. I want to do it and I think I can. I’m going for it.
I’m also very excited about the Games. The schedule from summer is going to be very tight, but at the same time it’s very beautiful. I’m excited to fight for the medals in Paris. I’m very eager. I played on that course, the Golf National, a European Championship when I was an amateur and I lost in the playoff against Caroline Hedwall. I think it’s a course that can suit me well, like the US Open one, in Lancaster, where I already played once, or the one at Sahalee, in Seattle, where the KPMG is held this year. In any case, talking about Majors and being European, what would excite me the most is the British Open. Also, as you know, this year it’s played at St Andrews. There’s no more special place.
In a few days I’ll return to Arizona and start preparing the season with Jorge Parada and Álvaro Alonso. I’ll start in Florida, at the Drive On, from January 25th to 28th, and then it’s the tour through Arabia for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, Thailand and Singapore. A good start to the year. Let’s go for it all.
