The European team, with Spaniards Cayetana Fernández and Andrea Revuelta in its ranks, managed to win for the third time in the history of the PING Junior Solheim Cup by beating the United States team 13 to 11, after staging a spectacular comeback on the last day at the Sylvania Country Club course in Ohio (USA).

Cayetana and Andrea, both from Madrid, are friends, teammates, and even rivals, as they were during the last edition of the Copa de SM La Reina (Queen's Cup), when they faced each other in the semifinals. On that occasion, victory went to Cayetana, who would go on to win the tournament against the German player Charlotte Back.

Both players are clear examples of the prolific talent pool of Spanish golf and for that reason they were chosen directly by the captain of the 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup, Annika Sorenstam, to be part of the team.

Both Cayetana and Andrea received the notification that they had been selected for the PING Junior Solheim Cup European team by phone, and it was Annika Sorenstam herself who spoke to them in person.

“We were at the Interterritorial Absolute Championship, I was playing, and when it finished, I saw several missed calls on my phone from a blocked number. At first, I thought it might be a typical prank, so when they called me back, I was a little apprehensive, but when I heard them speaking English, I immediately realized it was Anikka Sorenstam. She introduced herself, told me I had been chosen to play in the PING Junior Solheim Cup, and that she was very happy to have me on the team,” Cayetana recalls.

“When I hung up the phone, I couldn’t believe it, I was so happy. I immediately called my parents to tell them, and it was a very exciting moment. I knew I was among the candidates, but I didn’t know I had been chosen,” she continues.

In Andrea's case, it was also Annika Sorenstam who told her by phone, but later, since her mobile phone had calls from blocked numbers restricted. “I saw I had several missed calls from blocked numbers and I also thought it was a joke, but when I saw Cayetana pick up the phone and leave the table—we were together at a tournament—I waved to her and she told me it was Annika. It was incredible. So I understood that my calls were for the same reason,” Andrea recounts.

“The conversation was quite short. She told me she was on the team and that she hadn’t been able to get in touch with me. I thanked her and she was very excited. I knew she was going to call me to tell me I was on the European team, but when you talk to her and see that it’s true, you feel an enormous joy,” she recalls.

“She told me I couldn’t tell anyone, but I couldn’t keep it to myself. I told my parents and my friends,” Andrea says.

Both Cayetana and Andrea agree on the added joy of having another Spaniard on the team. “I loved that they chose Andrea too, since playing with another Spaniard is a huge boost. We were able to play together, and the truth is that Andrea and I really meshed well in Foursome matches. I love playing with her,” Cayetana confesses.

“I’ve played many Foursomes with Cata, and we have great chemistry. We started by beating the American pair, which included two of the strongest players on the US team—Megha Ganne and Amari Avery—but we ended up losing on the last hole. In any case, we played very well and fought until the end,‘ Andrea points out.

“Andrea and I get along really well together. We’ve played Foursomes in other tournaments like the Interterritorials. Winning is tough, but we have a great time and we fight until the end, which is what’s important,” Cayetana adds.

The two young players also confessed to the nerves they felt when they reached the first tee in the first Foursomes match of the recent PING Junior Solheim Cup. “I remember getting really nervous when I was little during tournaments when I got to the first tee, but I got over it over time. However, at the PING Junior Solheim Cup, I felt that way again. I told Cata, 'I'm super nervous,' and she looked at me and said, 'Me too.' And I was teeing off first. From the tee, the fairway looked really, really narrow. Having Cata next to me helped me a lot to cope with those nerves,‘ Andrea said.

And being under the command of a legend like Annika Sorenstam, far from being intimidating, was a real motivator. “At first, she was a little intimidating, but she was always very approachable and gave very motivating talks. She really got you excited. I have no doubt that one of the reasons we managed to win was because of her. She was a great captain. And when she was on the field, sometimes she would encourage us in Spanish. She would say, 'Come on, girls!'‘ says Cayetana.

“Anikka made it very easy for us. She helped us a lot by taking the pressure off. She's a person who did everything with humility, and you didn't feel pressured. That helped us a lot,” Andrea agrees.

And that's how they pulled off an almost impossible comeback in the singles matches on the final day. “I remember the whole team being in the meeting room. We had to win 9 out of 12 matches. Annika started speaking, and there was an incredible silence. We were all staring at her, our eyes sparkling. Her words resonated so deeply; it was unbelievable. I have no doubt that we won because of that,” Andrea explains.

“Yes, I remember that talk. Annika said she didn’t care what the score was, that we should enjoy the experience because we might only have it once in a lifetime, that we should go out onto the field to enjoy ourselves, that we should give it our all, and that if we won, great, and if not, it was no big deal,” Cayetana points out.

“In singles, I had a pretty tough match – against Yana Wilson – that ended in a tie on the last hole, and when I saw how the other matches were going and saw that we were coming back, I went to encourage the rest of my teammates who were still playing. You could see the victory getting closer and closer, and it really was a fantastic comeback. Annika's pep talk had a lot to do with it; she didn't put any pressure on us, but instead told us: 'Go out there and enjoy it,'‘ Cayetana recalls.

Cayetana and Andrea's experience at the 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup also left them with a slight sense of disappointment, as they didn't manage to win a single match. Both lost their Foursome and Fourball matches, while Cayetana drew her individual match and Andrea lost hers. “Not winning a single match does leave a bit of a sting, but in this tournament, the team is what matters, and I hardly think about it. I would have liked to win all my points, but the final result is what counts. In my individual match, for example, Yana Wilson sank a ten-meter putt to tie on the last hole, and there's nothing you can do about that. You congratulate her, and that's it,” Cayetana recalls.

Andrea is a bit harder on herself when she recalls her results in the individual matches: “I felt really bad when I lost my match. I felt like I hadn't given my all and that I could have won, but I quickly switched gears and went to support the team. It makes you angry not to have won any points, even though the team is what's important.”.

In any case, the PING Junior Solheim Cup experience goes beyond winning or losing. It represents an opportunity for the best junior players in the world to meet and foster essential values such as respect, friendship, and camaraderie.

“At the last PING Junior Solheim Cup, all the European players got along really well from the start. I think that was another factor in our victory. We already knew each other, we had competed against each other, and we had a great relationship. Andrea and I get along really well with the Italian Francesca Fiorellini; we're very good friends, and whenever we see each other at a tournament, we greet each other warmly. You always have that memory of winning the PING Junior Solheim Cup together,” Cayetana points out.

“As for my relationship with the American players, at first we were more distant, but as the days went by we got to know each other better. We all traveled together on the bus and listened to music from different countries. It was a lot of fun. I had a great time. It’s a memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” she adds.

“We formed a team in a very short time and I think that was one of the keys to our victory,” Andrea agrees.

With those experiences and memories, it's no wonder that both Cayetana and Andrea have the date of the next PING Junior Solheim Cup circled in red, which will be held at La Zagaleta on September 18 and 19, 2023. They are both very clear about it. “We would like to play in the PING Junior Solheim Cup again, but above all, the Solheim Cup. ”That is our goal for the future,” they declare almost in unison.

And if they set their minds to it, they'll surely succeed.

SOURCE: Solheim Cup Organization