LYTHAM ST ANNES, ENGLAND | It’s not unusual for golfers to credit family and friends in the aftermath of victories, but every now and again that impact comes from inside rather than outside the ropes.
Back in 2004, for example, the unheralded Scott Drummond won the Volvo PGA Championship. For most it was an outlandish result – indeed, it was the only top-five finish of his entire DP World Tour career.
Amy Lemus, NurPhoto via Getty Images
For his friend Simon Khan, however, it was inspiration because a week later he won the Wales Open (and it, too, was his first win on a main tour).
Five years later France’s Jade Schaeffer claimed her first victory on the Ladies European Tour, the Ladies German Open.
A week later François Calmels, her boyfriend and later her husband, won the Telenet Trophy – his first Challenge Tour triumph.
Friends – tick.
Partners – tick.
So what about brothers and sisters?
Meet Eugenio and Carolina Chacarra, the Spaniards who have made sibling inspiration a habit rather than a one-off.
In 2017 Carolina won the Campeonato Junior de Madrid late in the year. Two weeks later Eugenio landed the Grand Prix des Landes in France.
A year later Eugenio won the 18-and-under division in the Campeonato de España. Two weeks later Carolina claimed the 16-and-under division.
At the start of 2022, at Oklahoma State, Eugenio carded a final round 10-under 62 to win the Amer Ari Invitational.
A week later Carolina, at Wake Forest, shot her own 10-under 62 to land the UCF Challenge in Orlando, and in her next start also won the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate.
Six days after Eugenio won his first DP World Tour event at the 2025 Hero Indian Open, he flew across the world to Georgia to watch Carolina compete and finish T9 in the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Earlier this summer the mutual inspiration began anew.
Eugenio, now 26, kicked it off by claiming back-to-back triumphs on the DP World Tour, the KLM and Italian opens – the fourth and fifth worldwide victories of a professional career that started with LIV Golf.
A week later Carolina, who is 23 and joined the paid ranks at the end of last year, recorded her maiden LET victory at the Hulencourt Women’s Open in Belgium.
It is a remarkable catalogue of golfing kinship and the pair share something else: a straightforward nature.
Consider when GGP spoke to Eugenio after the third round of this month’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“Hola Eugenio, me llamo Matt Cooper,” your correspondent started by way of introduction.
“Hola Matt,” he responded. “It is easier we speak in English, no?”
“It is true. We have a lot of success when we see the other win. We notice what we are both doing. We like to push each other.” – Eugenio Chacarra
And so we were away, discussing, in an uncomplicated fashion that resembles his golf, a remarkable relationship.
“It is true,” he said. “We have a lot of success when we see the other win. We notice what we are both doing. We like to push each other.
“Even when we play at home, we have a prize. It might be cleaning the clubs or driving home. We like creating pressure.
“I’m super proud of Carolina and her latest win. She works really hard and she’s a big talent. It’s nice that she’s having success and hopefully she can keep playing good.”
Was golf always a family affair?
“Not really,” he said. “My parents were not golfers. My father played tennis and my mother is not really interested in sport.
“We started because my grandpa [also Eugenio] used to play, that’s how we got into golf. But I played a lot of sports in school, especially soccer, before I settled on golf. Now, it is my job and it is her job, too.”
The brother-sister combination have a knack for coming up big at nearly the same time.
Carolina was at Royal Birkdale to watch as her brother completed a T46 finish and big brother said he was hoping to return the favour at this week’s AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. “I think she can play really good because links golf is a good fit for her,” he said.
Ahead of the first round at Lytham, Carolina admitted that being outside the ropes was an unusual experience.
“It’s definitely more exhausting walking 18 as a spectator,” she said with a laugh. “Walking 18 holes on the fairways and greens is easy compared to hiking up dunes. It’s shorter too. There’s also so much waiting and trying to see balls.
“It’s quite stressful. You feel so much more in control when you’re playing.
“I learned a lot at Birkdale but it was also a reminder that the men play a very different game to us. They hit it so far and they can hit 6-irons out of the rough like it’s nothing.”
There is, however, plenty Carolina takes from her older brother.
“Watching him achieve his dreams and goals really gives me the strength to keep believing in mine,” she said. “We also talk every day so I’m getting great insight from him.
“I’ve always wanted to do what my older brother was doing. There’s no doubt that I took up golf because of him and he’s the main reason why I kept playing. It’s been a great summer for us. Life has been good. I’m excited for this week.” – Carolina Chacarra
“He understands the little things and the little details that can go through a player’s mind that not everyone from the outside can understand.
“I’ve always wanted to do what my older brother was doing. There’s no doubt that I took up golf because of him and he’s the main reason why I kept playing.
“It’s been a great summer for us. Life has been good. I’m excited for this week.”
With that she was off, but not before shouting a cheery farewell to her practice-round partner and close friend Carla Tejedo Mulet, wishing her luck for the week and saying she hoped to see her again late on Sunday afternoon on the first tee.
The pair have been close since they were youngsters and are rookies together this year on the LPGA Tour.
“We played together for Team Spain and played a bunch of European Team Championships together,” Carolina said.
“We feel really comfortable on the course and every town, every club, every course is new to us this year. Being rookies together is a real help – it would have been so different on my own.”
The pair finished T12 in the Dow Championship, Chacarra’s best LPGA finish. After opening with a 75 at Lytham on Thursday, Carolina faced a battle to make the cut in the afternoon draw on Friday.
Family and friends. One way or another Carolina Chacarra is getting great support this year.