BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 26, 2023

Carlota Ciganda

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Carlota Ciganda. Carlota, three days, you make it through. Just how are you feeling walking off the course after that one?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, pretty happy. I mean, it's never easy playing against Gaby. She's one of my good friends here, so I always feel there is a lot of tension when we play because obviously we both want to win.

So, I mean, the front nine it was pretty much we couldn't get anything going.

I mean, we made a birdie on 6.

She birdied 8.

And then I won 9 with a par.

But then I started playing a little better.

I birdied 10, 12.

Really good pars on -- I birdie 13 as well.

And then really good pars on 14 and 15.

I mean, I think anything under par on this golf course is really good. It's playing very tough, very firm, very fast. Some of the pins are really, really tough and it's tricky.

Q. It's definitely one of those days where really the back nine can really set you back or set you moving forward. How did you rise to the occasion today, do you think?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, I knew I had to play good to beat Gaby. She's a great competitor and really good fighter, so I knew I had to play my best game to beat her. And, yeah, I mean, I stayed really patient out there.

I didn't hit it great the first few holes, but on 10 I started. I made a little chip in and started playing really good.

So I'm very happy where I am, and, yeah, excited for tomorrow.

Q. Last time we talked you were starting to show how confident and comfortable you were feeling in your game. Coming off the win last week and even this, what is it going to take this weekend to just continue the momentum you started?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I mean, just play my game, doing the same thing. I think the course strategy pretty clear, and then obviously you have some bounces on the green. I mean, you can't really control that, so just try to play my game, hit the spots, hit the targets that we want, and hopefully that's enough.

Q. We're seeing some amazing performances from the European players in this event. A lot of Europeans moving through. When you put some Solheim goggles on, does that bode well for you guys?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think we love match play. We play a lot growing up, all the European Team Championships. Think we're more used to it than maybe other players so we just love it.

I think it's great for, yeah, for Team Europe to see those players playing good and getting some confidence, especially in match play.

Q. When it comes to tomorrow, are you one of those people to strategize against who you're playing with or are you more focused on your own game, your own shots?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: I'm more focused on my own game. I don't really care who I'm playing against. Just play my game, play the golf course, and I think that's what I'm going to do.