It's well known that the Santander Golf Tour is one of the best breeding grounds for golfers. This circuit has been offering numerous opportunities to elite professional and amateur players for ten consecutive years, allowing them to improve their performance and pursue their golfing goals. Players like Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Muñoz took their first steps as professionals on this tour.

And it's not just Spanish players who benefit from this private initiative, which is increasingly supported by companies, institutions, and golf clubs: Argentina's Magdalena Simmermacher, England's Gabriella Cowley, Scotland's Laura Beveridge… all of them are now successful on the Ladies European Tour, but the Santander Golf Tour was part of their initial journey to becoming great champions. The Santander Golf Tour is clearly committed to helping new professionals, contributing its share to the emergence of great golf champions.

This week, at Izki Golf, a new player makes her debut in her professional status: it is María Villanueva Aperribay from Gipuzkoa.

Recognized as one of the most promising young golfers in Spain, María has had a distinguished amateur career, accumulating a number of significant achievements that reflect her talent and dedication to the sport. Among her most notable victories is her win at the 2019 Spanish Amateur Championship, where she demonstrated her ability to compete at the highest level. She has also represented Spain in various international competitions, including the European Under-18 Championship, where she played a crucial role in the national team's second-place finish.

The Gipuzkoa native spent five years at the University of Kentucky, where she combined her academic studies with intense dedication to golf. During her time at the university, she not only honed her game in a highly competitive environment but also completed a bachelor's degree in Economics and Finance. Furthermore, she recently earned a master's degree in Finance, demonstrating her ability to balance high-performance sports with a solid academic foundation.

She undoubtedly has clear expectations and goals for her future in professional golf. One of her main challenges is to earn a full tour card on the European and US tours, which would allow her to compete regularly and establish herself among the best golfers in the world.

To that end, the San Sebastián native points out that "the Santander Golf Tour is an excellent way to begin preparing for my professional career, because it offers me the opportunity to compete close to home and prepare for the next level." The variety of courses on the circuit will allow her to hone her skills and adapt to different playing conditions, as well as compete against other familiar faces from her sporting career, such as Amaia La Torre from Álava, Clara Moyano, and María Herráez.

Regarding her team, María emphasizes the exceptional group she works with, which has played a fundamental role in her development as a golfer. She is a member of the BasqueTeam, led by prominent figures such as José María Olazábal and Pello Iguarán, who has been her coach since she started playing at age 8. According to María, "their human side has been even more important than their professional side, due to the warmth and constant support I have received from them since the beginning." In this tournament, she will also have the support of Iván Irazusta, who will be her caddie, adding experience and confidence to her team.

Tomorrow, Thursday, María will play alongside María Herráez and Marta Pérez. They will begin the round at 10:00 AM, in the last match of the morning, on a first day that will last until approximately 3:30 PM. Along with them, 30 other players will participate in an event open to the public, with free admission for any sports fan who wants to come to Izki.

About Izki Golf

Known as the best-kept secret of the Álava Mountains, the Izki golf course is located in the town of Urturi, spread across 98 hectares. It was designed by the unforgettable Severiano Ballesteros and opened in 1994. The layout of its holes is notable for its wide fairways lined with oak and holly trees, always respecting native species and their natural environment. For the Santander Golf Tour, the course will be played over 6,300 yards, with a mix of tee boxes from white, yellow, and blue tees.

About the Santander Golf Tour

The Santander Golf Tour is Banco Santander's firm commitment to women's professional golf, and it celebrates its tenth season in 2024. With ten tournaments across Spain—some of them part of higher-level circuits like the LETAS—it is supported by Santander Private Banking, Carmignac, and Santander Seguros as sponsors. Homenaje, Wilson Golf, Toa Shoes, and Estrella Damm are the preferred suppliers. The Royal Spanish Golf Federation, along with the other regional federations through which the circuit passes, provides the remaining essential support for the tour's success.

SOURCE: Santander Golf Tour.