Carlota Ciganda, the amateur player with the best record in the history of Spanish golf, has just left Spain for the United States to continue her academic and sports training at Arizona State University.

With an impressive sporting record despite being only 18 years old – she was born in Pamplona on June 1, 1990 – Carlota Ciganda from Navarre will be on the same team as Azahara Muñoz from Malaga, who is also studying at Arizona State, and with the Swede Anna Nordqvist, whom she defeated in the final of the prestigious British Ladies Amateur in 2007.

“From what we have seen, Carlota displays an impressive maturity on the golf course, greater than what would be expected for her age,” says Melissa Luellen, coach at Arizona State University, on the website of this American academic center, where the Spanish golfer will study Business Administration.

Among Carlota Ciganda's great achievements, the 2004 European Individual Championship held in Ulzama, her lifelong club, stands out. She won it when she was only 14 years old, a title she repeated in 2008, the only one in the history of Spanish women's golf.

The Navarrese golfer is also a Spanish champion in all categories (Benjamin, Alevín, Infantil, Cadete, Sub-18, Junior, Absolute), on several occasions in some cases, and has been part of the Spanish national golf teams on multiple occasions, with whom she has achieved numerous successes: European Sub-16 in 2004 and 2005; European Junior in 2004; European Absolute in 2007…

Victories in France, Portugal and the British Isles – with special mention for the British Ladies Amateur in 2007 – complete an impressive sporting resume, spiced up, just a few months ago, with the runner-up position in the World Team Championship held in Australia.

Carlota Ciganda played her first professional tournament, as a wildcard, at just 14 years old. It was at the Tenerife Ladies Open in 2005, and she didn't make the cut, although 3 years later, in the same competition, she finished third. These experiences are complemented by an eighth place in the 2007 Spanish Women's Open; eleventh in the 2005 Catalonia Ladies Masters; eighteenth in the 2007 Dubai Ladies Masters…