The 2021 Spanish Junior, Under-12 and Under-10 Championship has kicked off at the Real Club de Golf El Prat (Terrassa, Barcelona) with…

The 2021 Spanish Junior, Under-12 and Under-10 Championship has kicked off at the Real Club de Golf El Prat (Terrassa, Barcelona) with a first day in which the desire to return to competition, so missed in 2020, has given way to great shots, a couple of holes in one and up to three rounds under par.

The day began with many positive notes, starting with the magnificent adherence by the young players and their parents to the relevant health measures, and continuing with the high level of play displayed on the meticulously maintained Barcelona course.

Going deeper into the matter, it's imperative to highlight the two holes-in-one that punctuated the day. Take note: junior Javier Ortega breezed through the 6th hole in a single shot with a 5-iron worthy of an inspired Jon Rahm, and junior Gonzalo Rodríguez repeated the feat hours later, this time on the 3rd hole. Who said juniors don't put on a show?

A 'pro' comeback for Katrina Bulkovska

On this first day, one round stood out above the rest: Katrina Bulkovska's, who carded a 70 (-2) on the Pink Course, the one currently hosting junior golfers. Three birdies and just one bogey were the highlights of the scorecard for this Andalusian golfer of Ukrainian descent.

Nagore Martínez (+2), playing in Terrassa with the added advantage of being the current Spanish Under-12 Champion, promises a battle in the two remaining days of competition, as do Noa Terroba from Andalusia and Lucía Iraola from the Basque Country, both at +3. The stage is set for a thrilling duel.

There was also a sub-par score in the men's competition, this time by a familiar face, the Argentine player based in Madrid, Ignacio Laulhé. He's the same Laulhé who so convincingly won the Benjamin tournament in 2018. In his first round at El Prat, he carded a 71 (-1). Gonzalo Rodríguez also finished just under par (even par), boosted by a hole-in-one on the 3rd.

A gamer and two sisters who are old acquaintances from the tournament

José Antonio Salas, from Cantabria and a real prodigy. His name has been the one that has marked the start of the Boys' Under-12 competition with a fantastic score of 71 strokes (-1). He is the only golfer in the category to have overcome the challenging course at El Prat. Youp Orsel's +1 and Mark Dearden, Samuel Love, and Juan Miró's +2 are his main threats.

To discuss what happened in the women's category, we need to go back to the 2018 edition of this tournament, held at La Manga Club. There, the twin sisters Cristina and Carmen García González from León participated for the first time in a Spanish Children's Championship, then in the Benjamin category. The result wasn't particularly favorable for them.

Three years later, they are both co-leading the Girls' Under-12 standings with virtually identical scores, as expected: rounds of 74 (+2) for both. Both Carmen and Cristina admit that their approach shots are their weak point, which they compensate for with a straight, long drive that is truly frightening. For now, the strategy is working, as they are two strokes ahead of Liz Siyu Hao from Madrid and four ahead of Martina Bedmar from Andalusia.

A Ballesteros triumphs among the youngest children

Among the youngest players, all eyes are inevitably drawn to a distinguished surname. In fact, the most distinguished in our world of golf: Ballesteros. And indeed, Graciliano Ballesteros from Valencia, with a score of +1 in the nine holes played in this category, is the leader among the boys.

He would do well not to get overconfident because he has three players just one stroke away who, like him, have shown that you can play excellently at 8 and 9 years old; we are talking about Martín Cervera, Oliver de Wint and Jorge de la Riva.

Finally, let's talk about the youngest players. Alejandra Hernández and Martina Cerrillo, from Madrid and Aragon respectively, had a wonderful time this Tuesday on the Vallés Golf course, slightly removed from the area where the younger children and pre-teens play. Both finished the day with five strokes over par and, most importantly, with big smiles on their faces.

CLASSIFICATION 1ST DAY

Boys' Infantry

1.- Ignacio Laulhé 71

2.- Gonzalo Rodríguez 72

3.- Pelayo Fernández 73

Full results

Girls' Junior

1.- Katrina Bulkovska 70

2.- Nagore Martínez 74

3.- Noa Terroba 75

+.- Lucía Iraola 75

Full results