Golf has contributed four gold medals to Spain's tally at the XV Mediterranean Games Almería 2005. Ignacio Sánchez Palencia in the Men's Individual category; María Hernández in the Women's Individual category; and both Team competitions concluded with Spanish representation at the top of the podium, an epic summary of four exciting days at Alborán Golf, a demanding course with a very careful design capable of generating a great spectacle.

The overall tally could have been even better had it not been for a tiebreaker that was unfavorable to the Spaniards, since José Luis Adarraga, tied on strokes with the Turk Hamza Hakan Sayin, had to give up third place on the podium for adding one more stroke in the last 36 holes, the criterion used to break the tie.

Perched atop the leaderboard in all four categories with 18 holes to play – both Individual and Team, Men's and Women's – the Spanish team's chances of victory were sky-high. The final day, however, quickly became intriguing due to unexpected errors, particularly among the women, and a palpable sense of nervousness in the early holes, while for the men, the pressure from Turkey was also having an increasingly unsettling effect.

The advantage painstakingly built up over the previous three days seemed to vanish in an instant, although everyone was aware that there were many holes left to turn things around, a feeling that grew stronger as the exciting day unfolded.

In the Men's category, the Spaniards displayed greater strength thanks to the growing inspiration of Ignacio Sánchez Palencia and the invaluable support of José Luis Adarraga, with Jordi García del Moral in reserve, always improving throughout the competition.

At the end of the day, Ignacio Sánchez Palencia's face beamed with the joy of victory. With a 70 on his scorecard, the best of the day, the golfer from Granada took full advantage of every opportunity offered by the Alborán Golf course, aided by the collapse of Frenchman Julien Grillon, his fiercest rival. Growing in confidence, his path to the title, after starting on the 10th hole, was further strengthened by a birdie on the 13th – “it could have been an eagle,” he emphasized – which continued on the 15th and 18th, precisely where the French player faltered, opening a gap that proved insurmountable, especially when two powerful shots from the golfer on the par-5 3rd hole resulted in a spectacular eagle. “I’m happy, very happy, especially because we’ve all contributed to winning so many gold medals. I played very solidly, like on the second day, with growing confidence, and the result was the best we could have hoped for,” the Andalusian golfer summarized with satisfaction.

José Luis Adarraga had mixed feelings. He won gold in the Team event, but missed out on the Individual bronze in a tiebreaker. As he himself acknowledged, he provided constant support to his teammate Ignacio Sánchez Palencia, securing vital shots that ultimately prevented Turkey from seizing first place. Turkey's lead was built on the strength of two almost identical players, Hamza Hakan Sayin and Mustafa Hocaoglu, who had a sensational tournament. Three birdies and two bogeys adorned the outstanding scorecard of Adarraga, from A Coruña, who was "happy despite feeling he could have taken a few more risks, although he was aware of the importance of not making mistakes so as not to jeopardize the team.".

Jordi García del Moral finished his round with a 74, a score that could have been more impressive had it not been for his putting problems, as on the previous day. His consistency with his driver and irons led him to a birdie on the opening hole, although that success lacked the support of others despite his ease in reaching the green, precisely where his problems began. “I suffered a lot, because it’s not normal to leave them so close and then miss from such short distances. I only made four birdies in the entire tournament, when normally I make five a day.”.

The uncertainty was equally intense in the women's category, where María Hernández, a marvel of consistency in the previous three rounds, found herself caught in a seemingly endless downward spiral: a 79 on the scorecard (7 over par), pressured throughout much of the course by the French players Elena Giraud and Anne Lise Caudal. Out-of-bounds shots, missed putts… the outlook grew increasingly bleak until, finally, a birdie on the 10th hole allowed her to see the light, aided, among other things, by another birdie on the 13th and by the struggles of the French players Giraud and Caudal, who ultimately took silver and bronze, respectively. “I played terribly, and it makes me really angry because it happened on the final day. Fortunately, my fellow players responded at the right moment, and my rivals couldn't overcome the tense situation either,” the golfer from Navarre stated, clearly delighted, adding a brilliant Individual gold medal to her already outstanding sporting record.

Adriana Zwanck and Belén Mozo, fourth and fifth in the Individual classification, also went through stages full of errors throughout the last round, although they brought out the inspiration they have inside at the right moment to beat France by 3 strokes in the Team competition.

Adriana Zwanck, with a final round of 75 strokes, clung tightly to the course, overcoming the numerous challenges that arose at every turn. The Madrid native triumphed, especially on the back nine, with three birdies that ultimately proved decisive for Spain's victory in the Team category, a three-stroke lead over France. Belén Mozo also contributed to this victory with a birdie on the final hole, a sweet reward after her repeated struggles on the 8th, where she carded a triple bogey. "I don't know what's wrong with me on that hole, but at least it went better afterward, and I finished with a birdie that leaves me with a good feeling," said the Cádiz native, supported by Adriana Zwanck, who added, "I'm really happy, especially because I stuck to the course, overcoming so many difficulties." This came after the Spanish national anthem was played four times at Alborán Golf.

MEN'S TEAM CLASSIFICATION
1.- SPAIN 582 (152+142+147+141)
2.- Türkiye 583 (148+144+149+142)
3.- France 594 (151+150+146+147)
Note: 12 countries are participating 

WOMEN'S TEAM CLASSIFICATION
1.- SPAIN 596 (153+150+142+151)
2.- France 599 (150+150+149+150)
3.- Italy 617 (159+154+153+151)
Note: 9 countries are participating

MEN'S INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATION
1.- Ignacio Sánchez Palencia (SPAIN) 290 (74+69+77+70)
2.- Julien Grillon (France) 293 (74+77+70+72)
3.- Hamza Hakan Sayin (Türkiye) 294 (74+78+72+70)
4.- José Luis Adarraga (SPAIN) 294 (78+73+72+71)
10.- Jordi García del Moral (SPAIN) 306 (80+77+75+74)
Note: 37 players participate 

WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATION
1.- María Hernández (SPAIN) 298 (75+74+70+79)
2.- Elena Giraud (France) 300 (76+75+75+74)
3.- Anne Lise Caudal (France) 300 (74+75+74+77)
4.- Adriana Zwanck (SPAIN) 302 (79+76+72+75)
5.- Belén Mozo (SPAIN) 304 (78+77+73+76)
Note: 27 players are participating