Carlota Ciganda turns into a different player with a fighting Solheim Cup spirit

Carlota Ciganda doesn't have the career resume to inspire any level of intimidation.

She has only three wins in 15 seasons on the LPGA Tour, eight more on the Ladies European Tour. Ciganda has never won or even finished runner-up in the 74 majors she has played. The 36-year-old Spaniard missed the cut in four of the five majors this year.

But dress her in blue and gold, put 11 teammates around her with nothing more than the Solheim Cup at stake and American players standing in her way, and Ciganda is a different player.

“I love beating the Americans,” Ciganda said after silencing Jennifer Kupcho in singles for the final point in a 15-13 victory in the Netherlands.

That's not an original thought, but it is key to European success in both cups. Some 20 years ago, Paul Casey caught some heat when he said he learned to “properly hate” the Americans in the Ryder Cup. Nothing personal. It's just sport.

Americans love to win, but do they love beating Europe?

Dottie Pepper did. She once said Europeans would be bagging groceries if not for the LPGA Tour. That might have been a little personal.

“Just winning for Team Europe, it's the best feeling," Ciganda said. “Playing for something bigger than yourself, I guess my mind gets to be very focused and I love this week. This is why I play golf.”

There will be second-guessing for the American team, as there is for any losing team in any cup. The lingering question about this U.S. loss was not about pairings or captain's picks or lineups or even a lack of statistics.

Whose idea was it to post their beer-happy celebration on the bus — on Saturday?

The ultimate payback was Europe singing on the bus after leaving Bernardus Golf with the crystal trophy: “They drink on Saturday. We drink on Sunday.”

And the payback for Ciganda? That was personal.

Kupcho delivered a big moment in an otherwise pedestrian performance Saturday when she made a 93-foot birdie putt — so long she didn't even study the break before giving it a whack — and then won the match with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

“Vamos!” Kupcho screamed on the 17th green, directed at the equally vocal Spaniard.

Imagine the delight when the blind draw for Sunday singles was announced, and Ciganda saw her name against Kupcho in the 11th spot on the card.

“I was really happy to see that I was playing against Kupcho,” Ciganda said. “She’s a fighter, I’m a fighter. And I told her, ‘Look, great playing.’ What she did was amazing on 17 and 18. But today I knew she had no chance. I was like, ‘I want to kill you.’”

Five holes into their singles match, Ciganda already was 4 up, and she closed out a 4-and-2 victory as the celebration was getting started.

Equally key for Europe was what Ciganda did on the 18th hole Friday afternoon, when the Americans were poised to take a one-point lead after the first day. Julia Lopez Ramirez was effectively out of the hole. Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin each had good looks at birdie.

Ciganda was playing a different hole. Her tee shot was so far right it was part of the first hole. Her blind approach also was right, against closer to the first tee than the 18th green. She pitched that to 12 feet and, after both Americans missed their birdies, holed the putt to escape with a halve .

Ciganda dropped her putter and shook her arms after her unlikely par with a clutch putt. This from a player who ranks No. 155 in the key putting statistic (strokes gained) on the LPGA Tour. For putts in green in regulation, her rank improves to No. 151.

But this isn't the tour. It's the Solheim Cup.

“I don't know what happens at Solheim Cup, but I make a lot of putts,” Ciganda said. “I need to take this mentality into the regular tournaments.”

Too bad her play down the 18th in Friday fourballs didn't include a shot from the car park. There could have been plenty of references to the late Seve Ballesteros, the inspiration of every Spaniard.

European men wear his image on their sleeves and in their hearts. He is the essence of European fight, and there might not be a Solheim Cup without him. Ballesteros is why all of Europe was invited to the Ryder Cup, and it remains the best rivalry in golf.

It doesn't matter that 16 of the top 20 players in the women's world ranking were not eligible for the Solheim Cup. It's been that way dating to Se Ri Pak (South Korea) and Karrie Webb (Australia).

There's something special about U.S. vs. Europe. Ballesteros made it feel personal, and Ciganda is carrying that spirit for the Solheim Cup. Their records are nothing alike. Ballesteros was 20-12-5 in his eight appearances, Ciganda only 13-12-5.

Both were on four winning teams, the ultimate measure.

“I think Spanish people, we are very passionate. Lots of heart, lots of fight,” Ciganda said. “And that's what I tried to do. And you guys can see how crazy I go when I make some of those putts. I just can't help it. That's just me in the Solheim Cup.”

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