Fresh from her daily morning appointment with the gym and before having breakfast and heading to the golf course to train, Carlota Ciganda (Pamplona, ??1980) picks up the phone from her home in Scottsdale (Arizona). The Navarrese is the most successful Spanish golfer in history and already a veteran on the North American circuit, the LPGA, the most prestigious in the world.

With the season just released, what goals have you set for 2024?

I haven’t won in the LPGA for quite a few years – since 2016 – and I would love to do it again. I feel like I have had several consistent years but I haven’t quite achieved victory. And I would also love to win a major, I have been very close these last two years (3rd in the PGA’23 and 3rd in the Evian’22).

Is winning something that obsesses you?

No not at all. I try to be consistent training every day and be on top in every tournament. The more times I achieve it, the more chances I will have to win. I hope it happens this year.

Is it more difficult to win with each passing year?

The girls are much better prepared now than when I started. I think it is an issue of technology (Trackman) and coaches, there is an increasingly higher level.

He has been living in the United States for many years. What do you miss most about Spain?

My family, without a doubt. It’s hard to be away from them because we have a very close relationship. I am very proud of my origins. I grew up in Larrainzar, a small town in the Pamplona area, and in the Ulzama golf course. I also miss food. But I have to say that I am also doing very well here in Arizona. I think it’s where I have to be at a professional level, it’s where I can play tournaments every week against the best players in the world. In the end you have to make a decision and now I have to be here, but I hope to be able to return home in a few years.

What memories do you have of your childhood in a town as small as Larrainzar?

My memories are of playing outside all the time with my brother and my cousin. We practiced many sports: soccer, golf, racquetball, swimming or paddle tennis, which I have always liked. But always on the street running and a lot of sports.

Was golf what you liked the most?

I liked football a lot. I come from a family of athletes and with an uncle who was a professional soccer player -Cuco Ziganda-. I played indoor soccer for a couple of years and I was good at it but in the end, at that time, it was a boy’s sport and I didn’t continue. I started seriously with golf at the age of 8, already playing in a Spanish Championship, and I continued with it.

Until his explosion into the elite, his uncle was the family’s media personality…

The whole family has greatly enjoyed their successes. We have always supported him and have followed him through many stadiums, both with Osasuna and Athletic. He has been a great example for me and I thank him for all the help he has always given me.

What is a typical day like?

I get up very early, especially when I’m in Arizona. I go to the gym almost every morning for an hour and a half or so. Then I have breakfast at home and I go to the countryside. I spend five or six hours training, throwing balls, kicking… A couple of days a week, depending on whether I’m in preseason or between tournaments, I also go out to the field to play. I try to eat well too, I’ve been with a nutritionist for a year and a half.

Do you think that one of the great changes that professional golf has experienced in this century lies in physical preparation?

Golf has changed a lot since the emergence of Tiger Woods. Now, all the players you see are very strong, with a defined body. Hitting the ball hard helps and golf has become very professional at all levels: physical, nutrition, training…

What weight do you give to the mental aspect in your preparation?

For me it is essential, especially in an individual sport like golf where you are alone with the caddy. I have always liked that mental aspect a lot because in the end it is what differentiates the best from the good. They think what they want to think at the right moment and their minds don’t go away. It’s something you have to work on a lot.

And how do you work it?

I quite like reading books on the subject and I have a person I talk to. I wouldn’t say that he is my psychologist, right now he is more of a friend who I see as a mental coach.

What’s it called?

Javier Iriondo. He has written several books. I read them and contacted him. We have been working together for many years now and it helps me a lot.

The presence of Asian players in the LPGA is massive, why do you think the same does not happen on the men’s circuit?

One of the reasons I think is because of military service. Men in Korea have to complete it at the age of 20 and their careers are stopped. In girls, there has been a boom for years and it is amazing how good they are. In Korea they have their own circuit and their culture is one of a lot of work, a lot of repetition, and that makes them very good.

In women’s golf, the Aramco Series, sponsored by Saudi money, has been running for years, but in men’s golf the LIV has caused a war…

It is a reality and we must accept it. There are people who want to invest money in golf like the Saudis and in the end you either take it or leave it. If you take it it has its consequences and if you leave it, then too.

But the Aramco Series have been integrated without problem…

They are working very well for the European women’s circuit. The LIV, on the other hand, has caused a lot of division, it is evident. In the end I think that the one who suffers the most is the spectator because he cannot see the best compete every week as was the case before.

Did Rahm’s signing catch you by surprise?

Not much. He is guaranteed to play the big ones for a few years, which is what in the end all golfers want to play, and when they give you so much money it is difficult to say no. Jon did what he felt and I think he is happy.

In Spain, women’s sports have been booming in recent years. How does it look from a distance?

In the United States, a lot is invested in women’s sports, there are many facilities and they help athletes a lot. That is why such good athletes come out, as seen in the Olympics for example, where they win many medals. I think that in Spain things are improving and there are very good athletes for the small country we have.

Does anyone in particular come to mind?

There are very good people in all disciplines, from golf to soccer, but also in smaller sports such as Carolina Marín in badminton. The level is very high.

Do you think there are more opportunities for women in the sports field now than when you started?

Yes, we are in a better moment than a few years ago and there are more opportunities. In golf, which is my sport, the prizes have increased a lot and almost everything is getting better.