Hole 7 at the South Course of the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina |
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Santander Pro Ladies Spanish Championship 2024
Ana Peláez conquers the Santander Spanish Women's Professional Championship with a memorable performance.
Ana Peláez, the Malaga-born player closed the tournament with -14 after a spectacular final round of -5 at Real Club de Golf Guadalmina.
Nuria Iturrioz finished second, six strokes behind Peláez, while Luna Sobrón, Blanca Fernández and Teresa Toscano shared third place.
Ana Pelaez offered a demonstration of talent and consistency this week at the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina. She sealed her victory with an impeccable round of 67 strokes (-5) for a total score of fourteen under par, which gave her the title with six strokes ahead of the second classified, the Mallorcan Nuria Iturrioz
Starting with a two-stroke lead at the beginning of the day, Peláez consolidated her lead from the start. A birdie on hole 2 and a bogey by Iturrioz widened the gap to four strokes. Ana did not stop and added another birdie on hole 3, closing the first round with four birdies and twelve under par, while Iturrioz, champion in 2023, failed to keep the pace imposed by Peláez and finished the front nine with six under par.
Peláez, far from being intimidated, finished off her brilliant performance with three consecutive birdies between the 15th and 17th, making it clear why she has been the great dominator of the competition. ‘The best thing was how calm I was all week. The day was a little tougher than the previous ones, but by being more focused and playing safe shots, I managed to close on a high note,’ said the champion after receiving the trophy. She also wanted to highlight the fundamental role played by her brother to achieve the victory: ‘I really enjoy playing with him. We have an incredible rapport, and for both of us it's a gift to be able to compete together’.
María Herráez from Madrid received the Santander Golf Tour 2024 ranking champion award, in recognition of her excellent season, which included victories at Empordà Golf and El Bosque Golf Club. ‘It is a tremendously gratifying title. It is just a reflection of the hard work over the last two years. I have tried a lot of new things and I have been confident until the last moment in the results of that effort’.
As champion of the ranking, Herráez also qualifies directly for the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho, which takes place from 28 November to 01 December: ‘It's an honour to compete against the best players in Europe. It is the place where I want to see myself in the short term and it will be a unique opportunity to measure myself against them and I hope it will be like this week by week from next season’.
Ana Peláez remains leader after the second day of the Santander Spanish Professional Women's Championship
Ana Pelaez continues as leader after signing a card of three under par and -9 total, consolidating itself as the favorite to take the title.
Pelaez again displayed a solid and strategic golf, starting with consecutive birdies on holes 3 and 4, which allowed her to consolidate her initial advantage. For the rest of the round, he strung together a run of 12 consecutive pars, missing a few opportunities on the greens. However, her key moment came on the par 5 17th, where she took advantage of a mistake by her match rival, Nuria Iturrioz, to extend her lead to two strokes. She almost increased the difference on the 18th hole after a great iron from the fairway that went very close to the flag, but in the end she was unable to holing the putt for birdie. ‘I felt very calm, even more than yesterday. I hit some very good shots, although the putts were more difficult to connect. In general, it has been a day of enjoyment, also with the play of the others,’ said Peláez at the end of her round.
In second position, the Mallorcan Nuria Iturrioz delivered a card of 69 strokes for seven under par total. After a first round at the par of the course, the defending champion added three consecutive birdies on holes 12, 13 and 14, placing herself one stroke behind the leader on 16. Although she had difficulty finding the fairway on the last holes, she was able to hold on to the course and thanks to her good play with the irons, she managed to close the round with four consecutive pars to stay in the fight for the title heading into the last day of competition.
Teresa Toscano, who shared the match with Peláez and Iturrioz, carded +1, which leaves her with a cumulative score of -4. The Huelva native had a less inspired round than yesterday, but her consistency keeps her in contention for the final day of competition. Also in the leading positions are Mireia Prat and Blanca Fernández, both with -2, while Luna Sobrón, triple champion of the tournament, is at -1.
On the other hand, the day had other highlights apart from the main match. Angel Hidalgo, reigning champion of the Acciona Open de España, stole some of the attention of the audience by caddying for Clara Moyano from Madrid, who signed a solid -1 on the day and two up on the total.
Ana Peláez leads with authority the first day of the Santander Spanish Professional Women's Championship
The Santander Spanish Professional Women's Championship, held at the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, got off to a strong start on the first day. Ana Pelaez stood out as the undisputed leader after signing a brilliant card of 66 strokes (-6), based on a solid first round and a second part of the course full of birdies.
Pelaez began the day with six consecutive pars until the par 5 7th hole, where he managed to get even with his first birdie of the day. Immediately afterwards, on hole 8, she added another one thanks to a great second shot, closing the first round with two under par. In the second round, Pelaez from Malaga dazzled with birdies on holes 11, 13, 15 and a spectacular closing shot on the 18th where she almost holed a second shot with the iron from the fairway, consolidating her as the solo leader. ‘It has been a very peaceful and calm day. Having my brother in the bag always helps me to focus and enjoy the moment. The strategy has been key; we have had many opportunities and they have fallen,’ said Pelaez after finishing his round.
In second position, with four under par, Nuria Iturrioz and Teresa Toscano shone with two second rounds of high level. Iturrioz, who closed the first nine holes with +1, recovered ground with a spectacular second round that included six birdies and a single bogey. This last stretch allowed her to climb positions and make it clear why she is the reigning champion of the tournament.
For her part, Teresa Toscano from Huelva, who shared the match with Marta Martín and Ana Peláez, took revenge in the second round with four birdies, three of them consecutive on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes.
The Andalusian contingent also shone with Marbella's Laura Gómez, local player from the home Real Club de Golf de Guadalmina, who achieved a creditable two under par to get into the fight for the title ahead of the last two days of competition. In addition, Paz Marfà, Marta Sanz and Luna Sobrón, three times Spanish champion, also finished with scores under par, completing a first day of great competitive level.
Lucie Malchirand wins the Santander Golf Tour in Sevilla
French golfer Lucie Malchirand has been crowned the winner of the Santander Golf Tour Seville at Club Zaudín Golf, with a spectacular final round of -8 for a total of -11, the best round of the tournament and a new course record in professional women's competition. The tornament took place on 6th and 7th November 2024. Her game was particularly outstanding on the greens, where she made a number of long putts, including a spectacular one on the par-three ninth hole. With six birdies in the first round and two more in the second, Malchirand put the finishing touches on the final holes to secure the title.
I'm very happy with the win, it was the best round of my life. Everything went great today, especially the putt and the drive. On the subject of her career, the Frenchwoman admitted that she has had some difficult moments since winning the Ladies Italian Open in 2021: Being a professional player is complicated and it is difficult to keep up the level, but I have continued to train hard and winning is the best way to prepare for the final stage of the Ladies European Tour Q-School.
With the success of this edition of the Santander Golf Tour Sevilla, the circuit is preparing for its tenth and final event until 2024: the Santander Spanish Professionals Championship Fermenino, which will be held at the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina from 21 to 23 November 2024.
Real Club de Golf Guadalmina to host the Santander Spanish Professional Championship on the south course of Guadalmina from the 21 to 23 November 2024 (was 4th to the 6th of December)
The Santander Spanish Championship will be held at the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, Marbella from21 to 23 November 2024 (was 4th to the 6th of December), an event that marks the end of the women's golf season in Spain and closes the ninth edition of the Santander Golf Tour. This tournament is particularly important because it will decide the title of Spanish Champion, with players of the stature of Carlota Ciganda (2012), Tania Elósegui (2007, 2009, 2013), Paula Martí (2000), Luna Sobrón (2018, 2019, 2020) and the reigning champion, Nuria Iturrioz, who won last year's edition at Lauro Golf.
The choice of Guadalmina as the venue has a history of hosting major tournaments, both professional and amateur, and two challenging eighteen-hole courses, plus a third course of 9 holes par 3. The President of the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, Mr Manuel Muñoz Navarro, expressed his pride in hosting an event of such importance and emphasised the honour it was for the club to host the championship: "It is a great honour for our club to be chosen as the venue for the Spanish Women's Championship, sponsored by such an outstanding company as Banco Santander. We are also very grateful to the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Deporte & Business for the trust they have placed in us and I am sure we will live up to the importance of the championship.
Since its inauguration in 1959, the club has hosted many important national and international tournaments. Over the decades, Guadalmina has hosted events such as the Spanish Men's Championship in 1965 and two editions of the Spanish Ladies Open (Ladies European Tour) in 2017 and 2020. The club has been home to great players such as Azahara Muñoz, winner of the Spanish Open in 2017 and 2018, and other outstanding golfers such as Noemí Jiménez and Laura Cabanillas.
The Guadalmina South course, known for its demanding and precise play, is ready to challenge the competitors. To be honest, we haven't had to make any changes to our South Course as it is in perfect condition for this event,' explained the President. With its long fairways and fast greens, the course will require a strategic approach and steely patience from the golfers to overcome the challenges it presents. The South Course is very demanding, but with a good strategy, players can achieve excellent results. And, of course, a bit of luck never goes amiss.
Adding to the excitement of the event is the possible participation of Azahara Muñoz, an honorary member of the club, and Carlota Ciganda, two of Spain's top female golfers. We are very excited about the possibility of Azahara and Carlota finding time in their schedules to visit us. We hope they can compete and, why not, win the championship at our club.
Nuria Iturrioz wins the Santander Pro Ladies Spanish Championship 2023 at Lauro Golf at -6
About the Santender Golf Tour
The Santander Women's Professional Spanish Championship 2023 final event began on Wednesday 29th November at Lauro Golf (Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga), the final event of the Santander Golf Tour 2023 calendar. Twenty-eight golfers, including twenty-five professionals and three top amateurs.
Nuria Iturrioz wins the Santander Pro Ladies Spanish Championship 2023 at Lauro Golf at -6
The defending champion of Lauro Golf was Teresa Toscano from Huelva. Previous winners of the tournament are Luna Sobrón and Mireia Prat. Luna, winner in 2018, 2019 and 2020, has the experience of fifteen tournaments on the LPGA, while Barcelona-born Mireia, winner in 2021, already has three Santander Tour victories under her belt. This makes her the winner of the circuit's Order of Merit.
About the Santender Golf Tour
The Santander Golf Tour is a women's professional golf circuit held in Spain since 2016, taking over from the Banesto Tour, which had been held since 2009. Players accumulate points at each event for the Tour's annual ranking. The Santander Golf Tour is open to national and international professional women golfers, as well as top amateur players. The tournaments on the Santander Golf Tour are played in different formats, the most common being 36 holes of stroke play in two days of 18 holes each. The Tour is recognised by the Ladies European Tour and the Royal Spanish Golf Federation. The tour is organised by Deporte & Business Sports Marketing.
The Santander Golf Tour typically holds about 8 to 10 events in Spain from March to November of which about two are in Andalucia.
2016 Club Zaudín Golf, Sevilla, 25-26 May
2016 RCG Guadalmina (campo sur) 08-10 July
2017 Club Zaudín Golf, Sevilla, 19-20 October
2018 Mijas Golf, Malaga 24-27 July
2018 Real Club Golf Sevilla 5-6 September
2019 Lauro Golf, Malaga 11-12 April
2019 Real Club Golf Sevilla, 3-6 September
2020 Lauro Golf, Alhaurin el Granda, Malaga. 20-22 October
2021 Lauro Golf, Alhaurin el Granda, Malaga. 16-17 June
2021 Real Club Golf Sevilla, 2-4 December
2022 Golf Torrequebrada, Malaga 21-23 July
2022 Real Club Golf Sevilla, 30 Nov to 2 December
2023 Sherry Golf, El Puerto de Santa Maria, 4-5 May
2023 Lauro Golf, Alhaurin el Granda, Malaga. 29 Nov to 1 December
2024 Club Zaidin Golf Seville Guadalmina, Marbella, Malaga. 4th to 6th December
2024 Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, Marbella, Malaga. 21st ti 23rd November