The golfer from Valladolid, who is saying goodbye to the front line as a benchmark of work and dedication within Spanish professional women's golf, said goodbye with a birdie on the 18th hole of La Sella Golf, surrounded by family and friends, who gave her a great ovation when she finished her second round of the tournament.

His brilliant amateur record includes titles in the Spanish Benjamin Championships in 1994, Junior and Absolute in 2004, as well as in the European Individual Under-16 Championships in 2000; Under-16 Team Championships in 1999 and 2000; European Junior Team Championships in 2002 and 2004; and European Absolute Team Championships in 2003.

A professional since December 2004, it took her 19 seasons and 251 tournaments to win a Ladies European Tour title, although she finished second and third twice.

THIS IS HOW SHE WON THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR IN 2023

After 19 seasons and 251 tournaments, Spain's Carmen Alonso managed to inscribe her name in the Ladies European Tour's record books after winning the Ladies Open by Pickala Rock Resort held in Finland.

The golfer from Valladolid had an epic duel with the Swede Johanna Gustavsson, decided in favor of Carmen Alonso thanks to a spectacular final round resolved by means of 68 strokes (-4), which allowed her to outscore the Nordic player by one stroke and seal her first title in the LET with 15 under par.

“I’m really, really, really happy!” declared Carmen Alonso. “You have no idea how much. This is my 19th year in the Tour and I’ve never won before. I’m speechless!”

Trailing Gustavsson by one stroke at the start of the final round, which was also affected by a two-hour delay due to a thunderstorm, Carmen Alonso's feat took on greater significance considering that Johanna Gustavsson made a birdie on the opening hole to extend her lead to two.

Patient and very confident throughout, Carmen Alonso built a final round to remember, a true head-to-head battle that went in favor of the Spaniard by small but important nuances that finally included her in the list of winners of the Ladies European Tour.

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED IN 2023, AFTER WINNING THE OPEN BY PICKALA ROCK RESORT

All hard work has its reward, sooner or later. We could say that this is what Carmen Alonso must have thought after winning her first Ladies European Tour tournament in Finland after more than 250 appearances, but the truth is that the Valladolid native didn't need this reward. For her, the exhaustive training each morning and the simple opportunity to dedicate herself to her passion is already a prize in itself.

A studious player like few others—devouring everything she can find about the new technologies that are transforming the world of golf—Carmen Alonso is one of the most beloved golfers on the circuit. This was evident the day she lifted her first international trophy: “Some of the other golfers were almost happier than I was!” That—the affection and respect of the rest of the Spanish contingent—is the greatest prize she won't relinquish. She has earned it.

How many seasons on the LET?

(Laughs) Nineteen, that's nineteen in the LET already, but I feel good. Physically, sometimes I do notice it, but mentally I'm like a newcomer to the circuit: I'm having fun and I love competing, so as long as I can I'm going to keep pushing hard.

There are 256 tournaments in the LET, I don't know if there are many players with that experience right now.

Well, I don't know for sure. I think there are a couple of golfers who are in the same boat as me, and even have played a few more tournaments, but I'm not certain. I'm talking about the Finnish golfer Ursula Wikstrom and the Swedish golfer Linda Wessberg (Editor's note: at the time of writing, Wikstrom had 328 tournaments and Wessberg 291). In any case, the more tournaments I play, the better; it's a good sign.

Are we seeing the best version of Carmen Alonso in recent years?

Well, maybe, but it's worth noting that more tournaments are being played in recent years, and that's important, because if you play two or three times a month, your level improves. In terms of results, yes, it's true that these have been good years, but it's a long road, and you accumulate good years and not-so-good ones. The important thing is to maintain some consistency in your performance.

Are you more solid now?

Yes, but that's because, like I said, I'm playing more regularly, and that's definitely made me a better player. I've improved in consistency and skill. Plus, I have a team that has taught me to study off the field and be more independent. That's helped me handle tough situations better.

Regardless of the results, is the best thing about these years how your female colleagues talk about you?

(Laughter) I've got them all fooled! Look, it's because we've known people for many years, helped each other, spent time together... We've grown fond of each other.

The first week of July brought your victory at the Ladies Open by Pickala Rock Resort in Finland. You said then that you were speechless, do you have words now?

I'm happy and content, but more so for the people around me, for their tears, for everything they've done to get me here. But I see it a little differently. I'm happy, of course, but nothing changes: I always go out to win, to do my job as best as I can, and to give myself opportunities to be at the top. If everything falls into place and I win, like what happened in Finland, all the better, of course.

Would you have taken it differently at another point in your career?

Yes, it's likely. Now I try to take everything in stride. In golf, you can play your whole life without winning, but getting good results, and that's a good career too. Has this victory opened doors for me, like the Evian one? Well, I'm super happy, but it doesn't really change anything. I still get up every morning to train, I still go to the gym, and I still try to be better every day.

Did you feel a weight lifted off your shoulders?

I wouldn't call it that, because, as I said, I approach it differently at this point in my life. I still want to win and I always go out there to do so, but my goal is to enjoy the daily work and whatever comes my way is welcome. At another time, a few years ago, I did feel that need to win, that pressure, but not anymore.

Is it true that you are very superstitious?

(Laughter) I wouldn't call them superstitions, but routines. Look, on Thursdays I play in pink; on Fridays, in white; on Saturdays, in red; and on Sundays, in blue. I have many routines like this. For example, I always carry white tees in my pocket. Look, I know they're not going to make me play any better, and if they swap them, I accept it and it's no big deal. But…

Come on, tell us how many tees you're carrying in your pocket

(Laughter) Well, I do have two, it's true. One long one and a short one. I always have two, and if I don't break them, I keep using them as long as they last. The girls laugh when they see me putting them away with my cap for the next day after finishing a round. And they say to me, "Do you really keep them?" But if they don't break, I keep them for the next tournament.

What role does your caddie, María Beautell, play in Carmen Alonso's life today?

A lot, because she's my friend and we've known each other for 25 years. The fact that she was a player herself helps, of course. What I'd highlight about her is that when she joined the team, she knew that being a player is one thing and being a caddie is another. She came with an open mind and a willingness to work like a lioness. We have a motto on the team: contribute everything you can, even if you're wrong, because if you stay silent, you certainly won't help resolve a given situation.

Good philosophy

It's like that method where you contribute one percent each day, so by the end of the year you'll have contributed 365 percent, and that's a lot. The whole team is always focused on improving, and that helps a lot.

You were able to play in the AIG Women's Open at Walton Heath. Did the first round (80) get to you a bit? How was the experience?

I arrived very tired, very tired. That's one of the things I still need to improve on, planning the season well. I'm learning. I played five tournaments, I won, I took a week off that wasn't really a break because I had a lot of commitments, and then I played another five weeks. Of course, when I arrived in England I was mentally exhausted, burned out.

What hasn't changed is your work culture. Are you training more hours now than before?

I train more, I train better, and above all, I study a lot. I study Trackman, videos… I talk to the coaches about specific shots. That's the foundation of everything, because there comes a point where, with so much technology, if you know how to apply it, training can be more efficient. You have to study more off the course to be able to apply it on it.

Is that—the passion for training and striving to be better every day—the best legacy, the best example, you can leave for your fellow Navy members? For “your girls,” as you call them…

I constantly nag them about never standing still, about moving around, about studying Trackman, about how a coach might be good for their putting but not for other areas, about asking questions… “It’s better to look foolish once than to remain foolish forever.” It’s not a direct quote, but my coach told me this, and I tell them the same thing. It’s always better to ask questions, even if they seem silly, and to never stop asking. I tell them to do whatever they think they need to do to always improve.

Now the players are going to the United States en masse, something that wasn't so common before.

It's true that I would have liked to go there; I think it would have helped me competitively, and also with my English, which isn't bad but could be even better. But circumstances didn't allow it. When I turned eighteen, my father died in an accident. The family decided then that it was best to stay in Spain. I try not to regret what I do, but I do think that competing there could have helped me. Now I encourage girls to go whenever they want, even if it's just for a semester, because at least you come away with good English skills.

We've just come from a recent Solheim Cup in Malaga, do you think it was a good opportunity to give a further boost to women's golf in Spain?

I think so, because the more women there are, the better off we all are, men included. We have an incredible pool of talent, great courses, amazing professionals… we have everything to be a golf powerhouse. This year we only had one Spanish player, but I'm convinced that in future editions we'll have more.

Now you look to the near future and what do you see?

If you're talking about the very near future, I'll be training tomorrow (laughs). As for results, my only goal is to keep improving as a golfer. The great thing about this sport is that it's endless, so my advice is to study hard, and you'll end up achieving what you want, or at least come very close.

And in many years' time, when you are no longer active, what do you think your colleagues will say about you?

If they just say I'm a good person, that's enough for me.