Green of the 18th hole at the Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf. Sunday. First of December. Carlota Ciganda has just won her second Open de España, her eighth title on the Ladies European Tour, the tenth of her professional career. First, she receives congratulations from Manon de Roey, the brilliant leader of the LET order of merit this week in Málaga, then she hugs the Belgian’s caddie, and the next to seek her out is Andrea Revuelta, the young 18-year-old amateur from Madrid who made it into the final group and finished in an outstanding fifth position.
Right there, at that moment, a fleeting conversation takes place, like all those that occur on the 18th green. It lasts the moment of the greeting, but it comes with significant depth. Revuelta congratulates Carlota on her victory, and the Navarrese tells her: “thank you, don’t worry, I have no doubt that you will win the Open de España in the future.”
That brief phrase from Ciganda holds a lot. The first is the extraordinary generosity of the golfer from Ulzama. It’s her moment, she has won, she is the queen of the dance, but the first thing she does is have some kind words for her competitor. This is called having class. The second is a sincere recognition. Carlota doesn’t speak just to speak. She has no need to do so. She is not trying to ingratiate herself with one of the great talents of Spanish golf. She is telling her what she thinks and feels, what comes from within. She is sincere.
The best proof that it is not a gratuitous compliment is that she repeats it an hour later, now without Andrea present, in a relaxed chat with TenGolf, at the door of the room where the scorecards were handed in this week at Guadalhorce. And it’s no longer just an 18th hole phrase. Carlota elaborates. “I really like how she does it. She is very solid, has a good attitude, is good with distance, and I love her mind, how she thinks, how she navigates the course, the maturity she shows at only 18 years old. If I had to highlight just one thing, I would choose her mind,” she assures after having played with her on Thursday and Sunday. Carlota is convinced that she will bring much joy to Spanish golf if she manages to surround herself with a good team that supports and helps her grow.
Andrea has not only impressed Carlota. The player from Larráinzar, capital of Ulzama, demonstrates in the conversation that she keeps a close eye on the golden generation of Spanish golf. She has seen them, some more and some less, followed their statistics, talked to them, given them advice, allowed them to ask questions… In short, she is behaving as a luxurious and exemplary role model. “Wow! These girls are going to win a lot of tournaments. They are very good and come very well prepared,” she states without anyone specifically asking.
She refers to the aforementioned Revuelta, Julia López, Paula Martín, Carla Bernat, Carla Tejedo, Cata Fernández, Blanca Fernández, Carolina López Chacarra, Rocío Tejedo, a golfer who particularly impressed Carlota when she met her in person, and company, a generation that is between 18 and 23 years old. They all have a splendid future ahead, and to prove it, there is the blessing of the one who, today, without any doubt, is the best Spanish golfer of all time. It is the bar to surpass. A bar, by the way, that has not yet reached its maximum height.
