Carlota Ciganda is not the European player who has played the most Solheim Cup matches. There, Lady Laura Davies wins by a landslide, with twelve participations. The Navarrese is also not the one who has played the most points. Again, the Englishwoman leads with 46, nine more than Annika Sorenstam and Catriona Matthew. Similarly, Ciganda is not the golfer from Europe, as is Sergio García in the Ryder, who has won the most points. Davies dominates once again with 25, one more than Sorenstam. However, there is a record where Carlota does rank very high and that has enormous value…
Counting this year’s edition to be played in 15 days in Virginia, the golfer from Ulzama has seven automatic qualifications for the Solheim Cup. Seven out of seven. Seven consecutive. From 2013 to 2024. The data is brutal. She has never put a captain in a bind. She always qualified on her own merits. This achievement of Carlota’s is so valuable that there is only one golfer in Europe who surpasses her in more automatic qualifications. It is Annika Sorenstam. The great Swedish golfer, considered by many as the best in history, played eight Solheim Cups and in all of them she qualified directly, without needing an invitation. In addition, all eight were consecutive, from 1994 to 2007.
Laura Davies qualified directly for her first six Solheim Cup matches, but had to be chosen for the seventh. Also Trish Johnson or Alisson Nicholas have streaks of six consecutive. The same as Charley Hull, who debuted in the Solheim Cup by choice and has since qualified directly six times, also counting this year’s. Carlota’s data reflects enormous solidity and consistency in her seasons since she turned professional. A mark to be proud of. If she also manages to qualify for the 2026 Solheim, she would equal Sorenstam in history. Almost nothing.
Ciganda is in Boston to play the FM Championship tournament of the LPGA Tour this week. There, this Tuesday, practice day, the colleagues from the American circuit have talked to the Spaniard about the keys to the next Solheim, once the two teams are fully known. “The United States has an incredible team. I don’t think we need to delve too much into the amazing year that Nelly Korda has had or the form of Lilia Vu. They are very good, they play at home, they are young and they are not afraid of anything. They will be very difficult to beat. For me, the key will be that we behave as a united team, all together, whoever plays and whatever happens on the scoreboard. I think Europe has a great team. There are nine players in the top 40 in the world, which I don’t know if it has ever happened, but we have to be a strong and united team if we want to win,” she explained.
The task is not easy. Let’s not forget that Europe is looking for the fourth consecutive victory in the Solheim, something that has never been achieved, as well as the sixth in the last eight editions. Carlota trusts the European team and its captain. “Suzann knows perfectly well what it means to play in the United States and she will surely know how to convey it. It is not the same to play at home as away. I love Suzann and I’m sure she will do very well. As for the team, I like it a lot and the choices are very good: Georgia Hall is playing well, Anna Nordqvist is very good in match play and has a lot of experience, Emily Pedersen is not playing so well lately, but brings a lot of energy to the team, lives for this, and Albane Valenzuela is playing very well, very solid,” she points out.
