Tick. Tick. Tick.
That feeling is all the time there, Carlota Ciganda explains. It all the time has been. As a result of, effectively …
“Yeah, I imply I believe Spanish individuals, we’re very passionate,” Ciganda mentioned, “a number of coronary heart, a number of battle, and that’s what I attempted to do.
“And also you guys can see it, I imply, how loopy I’m going.”
That’s come principally on the Solheim Cup. Oh, the Solheim Cup. A crew occasion in a singular recreation. Eleven mates. However a dozen foes, too. Your aspect’s colours. Towards theirs. Could the very best girls win.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
“I imply, I really like this week,” Ciganda mentioned. “As I mentioned, I really like enjoying for the crew, for my teammates, for everybody right here. Yeah, I simply don’t know what occurred, however I simply adore it. I imply, I really like beating the Individuals. After which, yeah, simply profitable for Workforce Europe, it’s the very best feeling.
“And I believe, yeah, enjoying for one thing larger than your self, I suppose my thoughts will get to be very centered and I really like this week. This is the reason I play golf.”
Forward of final week’s Solheim, Ciganda had been quite a bit — a (Automobile)lot(a)? — for the Individuals. Seven straight appearances. A 12-11-4 report. 4 cup wins. In 2023, at dwelling in Spain, she earned the purpose that retained the Cup for the Euros.
Then got here what went down at Bernardus Golf within the Netherlands. Final Friday afternoon, she one way or the other scratched out a par on the 18th gap, giving her and fellow Spaniard Julia Lopez Ramirez a half-point of their four-ball match in opposition to Individuals Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin, and the perimeters completed day one with 4 factors apiece. On the par-4, Ciganda went proper off the tee and proper together with her second shot, solely to pitch to about 10 toes and drop the following putt. And a putter drop adopted.
“I really like this week,” Ciganda mentioned on Golf Channel afterward. “I simply love enjoying for the crew, for my teammates. Anna [captain Anna Nordqvist] is an efficient good friend of mine, so I simply need to win for her. So I’ve been enjoying alongside Julia, my good Spanish good friend. It’s been superb.
“We had a tricky match in opposition to Nelly and Lauren, very constant, however we fought laborious and no less than we bought half some extent, which I believe is admittedly essential.”
Saturday, Ciganda performed as soon as. She and Celine Boutier met Individuals Jennifer Kupcho and Lindy Duncan within the day’s last four-balls match, and the Euros have been two-up after 14. Then the Individuals received the fifteenth.
Then, on 17, Kupcho rammed in a 90-footer. A 90-freaking footer. And so they have been tied. And so they have been freaking tied.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
And people on web site may hear Kupcho, enjoying Ciganda, talking some Spanish. “Vamos! Let’s go!”
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Then on 18, Kupcho dropped a 25-footer to win the opening and the match. The Individuals and Europeans have been once more even.
Tick.
Saturday evening, movies have been additionally posted of the Individuals consuming Heinekens on the crew bus.
Tick.
However Sunday, Nordqvist put Ciganda within the penultimate group in singles play. The place she’d face U.S. captain Angela Stanford’s choose.
Kupcho.
Increase.
Ciganda received the second gap. And the third. And the fourth. And the fifth. She received the match on 16, 4 and a couple of. It was the Europeans’ last level in a 15-13 win.
And afterward, Ciganda put into phrases what had been taking form, and the Solheim Cup bought one in all its best-ever quotes, and fairly presumably its most ruthless.
Right here it’s … @BrentleyGC’s query to Carlota Ciganda and the reply that may dwell on in Solheim Cup lore …
“However right now. I knew she had no likelihood. I used to be like, I need to kill you.”
Absolute theater. pic.twitter.com/VC0pagdP4p
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) September 13, 2026
“I used to be actually completely happy to see that I used to be enjoying in opposition to Kupcho,” she mentioned. “She’s a fighter, I’m a fighter, and I advised her, ‘Look, nice enjoying.’ I imply, even yesterday what she did was superb on 17 and 18.
“However right now I knew she had no likelihood. I used to be like, I need to kill you.”
Booooom.
“So I had it very clear in my thoughts, and I used to be, like, I’m simply going to do that for the crew, for Anna, for all of the captains,” Ciganda continued. “I imply, it’s been a tremendous week. However yeah, this week, I simply adore it. I believe enjoying for one thing larger than your self, it’s very particular, and it’s been a really particular group, nice crew. I believe this week simply make friendships eternally and I’m simply so completely happy for everybody on Workforce Europe.
“We’ve been a crew, and I believe Anna has performed a tremendous job and simply very completely happy. I’m very happy with all of them.”
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