The Royal Spanish Golf Federation paid a warm tribute to the large group of Spanish players who have achieved international victories throughout 2006 during an event held last night at the Castellana Inter-Continental Hotel in Madrid.

Also, during the aforementioned event, the Medals of Merit in Golf were awarded to those individuals designated at the last Board of Directors meeting for their outstanding dedication to this sport.

The list of award winners was very significant in both the amateur and professional categories, thanks to a long series of titles that make Spanish golf a benchmark for other federations in Europe. During the ceremony, special mention was also made of the fact that golf in Spain has now surpassed 300,000 registered players, a milestone embodied by María Dolores Icart of the Basozábal Golf Club, who is the 300,000th registered player.

On the other hand, the members of the teams that won the European Junior Men's Championships, Senior Men's Championships and Senior Masters Championships – the latter competition reserved for those over 70 years old – were rewarded, whose members climbed to the top of the podium in their respective tournaments.

These collective triumphs were complemented by many individual victories. Such was the case with the titles won by Miguel Presyler in the European Senior Individual Championship and by the young Cádiz native, Belén Mozo, in the European Individual Championship, the British Ladies Amateur, and the British Girls Amateur—a triple victory that constitutes a historic feat achieved in a single year and which was duly recognized during the Golf Gala.

There were also players who specialized in winning on French soil, such as Pedro Oriol, Ane Urchegui, Carlos Pérez Barberán, and Carlota Ciganda. Others, meanwhile, were the first to win competitions held in the rest of Europe, such as Marta Silva, Diana Terol, Mandy Goyos, Francisco Pintor, José Luis Adarraga, the brothers Lluis and Jordi García del Moral, Bosco de Checa…

Among the amateurs, finally, the best news also came from the other side of the Atlantic in the form of victories by Araceli Felgueroso, Adriana Zwanck, Jorge Campillo and Pablo Martín, while those who imposed their will after joining their efforts were Cristina Marsans and Beatriz Ramírez de Haro in the Senior Women's Invitation Matches, the Solheim Cup of that category, or Gonzaga Escauriaza as captain of the European team that won the Match against Asia-Pacific.

Also awarded for the third consecutive year was the 'Green Wood Award for Environmental Responsibility', which on this occasion went to El Saler and Buenavista as a reward for the effort made in environmental matters by Spanish clubs, highlighting the multiple benefits that golf courses generate on this essential aspect for society when management is carried out properly.

In the professional sphere, the list was equally extensive and included, among many others, José Rivero (winner of the Barbados and Welsh Opens) and Juan Quirós. The list of award winners expanded significantly among those who triumphed on the Challenge Tour: Álvaro Salto (Monza Challenge), Juan Parrón (Mahou Open Challenge), Francisco Cea (Credit Suisse Challenge), Carlos del Moral (Texbond Open Challenge), Rafael Cabrera (Man No Open Challenge), and Carlos Rodiles (PGA Tour Qualifying School Final).

Others triumphed on the Alps Tour – like Agustín Domingo –, some covered the Challenge and the European Tour – like Álvaro Quirós, winner of the Morson International Challenge and, last week, the Alfred Dunhill Championship – and still others shone brightly on the PGA Tour itself – successes of Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, Alejandro Cañizares and José Manuel Lara – or in the Ryder Cup, where Sergio García and José María Olazábal performed at the highest level.

During the tribute ceremony, recognition was also given, through the presentation of the Gold Medal for Merit in Golf, to Luis Javier Trénor, a prominent golfer; Fernando Satrústegui, a renowned executive; and Belén Mozo for her extraordinary sporting career.

María García Estrada (posthumously), Beatriz Valdés (president of Aesgolf Damas), José María Martínez-Peñuela (president of the Anti-Doping Commission) and players Emma Cabrera and Lucía Mar were awarded the Silver Medal for Merit in Golf for their respective careers in the world of golf.