LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

July 31, 2020

Carlota Ciganda

Quick Quotes

Q. What a day for you going into contention after the first day. What did you think Inverness after the first round?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, it's a really tough golf course. I think it's a beautiful place; really lucky to play here. I love the course. I think you have to think. Remind me of U.S. Open course.

The course is in great shape. The greens, the fairways, I mean, it's just beautiful. But I think it's tough. If you miss the greens, the rough is not thick, but it's not easy to make up on them, so I think it's important to hit greens and make few putts and less bogeys as possible.

So very happy with the way I played. I think under par on this course is always a good round.

Q. I was going to say, because this is, as we've heard from so many players, a challenging course to start out with. Did you prepare any differently for it than you might've prepared for any other tournament?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Not really. I mean, just excited to be playing. I mean, I been practicing a lot the last few months. Yeah, just very happy to be here playing again, seeing everyone. I miss the LPGA, competing, playing, so I'm just trying to enjoy.

Not too many expectations after such a long time without any playing. Yeah, just having fun. Enjoying the course. Yeah, it's a great week.

Q. I was going to say, there is so much to be thankful that we are now out here on tour. What were some of the things that you improved upon or worked on during the break from the tour?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, so I been trying to improve my putting a little bit, so lots of putting I been doing.

And then still working with my coach. He was New York and I was in Arizona, but still communicating with him, sending him videos. Not very big changes. Just working on the same. Yeah, a little bit working on everything.

Just excited to be back playing and competing, because I really miss it a lot.

Q. How interesting is it that this is the host site for the 2021 Solheim Cup? I'm assuming it's your goal to come back here as part of the European team. Was that in your mind at all as you started coming out on the course this week?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think it's great to be playing here so you get to know the course so you know how it will be when we come back.

Of course it's one of my goals. I think that week is the best week of your life, especially playing with your friends and playing for Europe. Yeah, I think it's a great venue, great golf course. It's quite open, so I think good for spectators. Hopefully they can be here. I think it's going to a great week.

Q. I understand that you've already battled COVID-19. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, so about six weeks ago, yeah, I was feeling a little sick and just very muscle achy and headache and I wasn't feeling great. And, yeah, I got some fever, so I decided to go and get tested and I tested positive for COVID-19.

So it's been long. It's been like four weeks to test negative again. After ten days I was feeling fine. Just a little annoyed that I couldn't really practice much or do much, because obviously it's a horrible feeling knowing you can spread the virus to someone else.

Now I feel fine. I been fine for almost three weeks now. I feel good and excited to be here and playing again.

Q. How many tests did you take that came back positive?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I think it was three or four. I can't remember because I tested, and you have to wait two weeks. I did the quarantine two weeks; came back positive. I wait another week, positive. And I think my fourth one, so yeah, a month, came back negative.

They said if you don't have any symptoms for ten days you shouldn't be spreading the virus anymore, because obviously it's been a long time since you feel fine. But I just think it's everything very new with this virus and they are still learning.

Yeah, I mean, hopefully we can get a vaccine or something that stops the spread and we can go back to -- I don't know what kind of normal, but something to how it was before the virus.

Q. What do the doctors tell you about potentially getting it again?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I don't think they know for sure. I think I should have antibodies for at least a couple months, but to be honest, I don't know. I didn't even get that test done, so I don't know if I have them. I hope I have some, so that way will be tougher to get it again.

I'm still very careful keeping the distant. I been washing my hands all the time and just not going anywhere. Just from here to the hotel, getting some food. You have to be careful, especially to keep everyone healthy and to keep playing.

Q. Have a lot of players asked you about the experience?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, few of them. Few of them, they knew. Yeah, it wasn't fun, but I don't think I did anything wrong. I think the virus is there. We have to learn how to live with it. I think it's going to be here for a long time, so you have to take all the measurements, all the precautions that you can take, and then if you get it, I think it's unlucky.

I don't think you can stay home and do nothing unless you are one of those people that has problems, and if you get it, it can be tough. But, I mean, for me, it wasn't fun, but, I mean, I'm healthy. I'm just happy to be back here.

Q. How did you spend your days during the time you were testing positive?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: So I was back in Arizona in the apartment, so I just stayed inside for almost three weeks. Yeah, two weeks for sure and then when I keep testing positive I just wasn't comfortable going out.

I did go after almost three weeks for a few walks and runs just to start getting my cardio back, but I didn't do much. I just stayed inside all the time.

Q. You had played in several events, too, to stay sharp.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I did play before. Yeah, like a few months I did play the Colorado Open, a few Cactus tournaments. Yeah, I just love competing. I get bored practicing. I just like going and playing a little bit.

Q. How did you like the pairing today? They did a couple U.S./European?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, it was fun. I like playing with good players. Obviously Nelly and Lexi, two of the top players. Great fun. Long hitters. Yeah, have a great time playing with them. Yeah, I love playing with great players.

Q. Is your plan to play five in a row?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: No, no. I'm thinking to play the first two, take a week off, and then British and Arkansas.

Q. Okay.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, start slowly. Yeah.

Q. How hard is it to set your schedule for the rest of the year where I assume you want to play as much as possible, but not a million events in a row and tire yourself out.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I still don't think that we know like what's going to happen like after ANA or Portland, so I'm just thinking until Arkansas and then ANA, and then we'll see. I don't think I want to go ahead. I just want to go day by day.

I am here this week, play this week; next week take a week off and then go to Scotland, and that's it. If everything goes well. I don't know if I can test positive again.

So just going day by day.