.The Madrid-born player, with a great round of 68 strokes, has been the driving force of the Spanish team, whose main goal is to get into the top eight to play for the title.

Paula Martín (68 strokes, -4) led the Spanish team on the first day of the 2024 European Ladies Team Championship, which is being played at 'home', on the North Course of the

Royal Spanish Equestrian Society Country Club (Madrid). The Spanish team, defending champions, finished the day in third place.

Live results / Online results

On a day with comfortable heat thanks to the light breeze and a course with excellent maintenance, Spain defended itself with composure, knowing that the key in this qualifying phase is to finish among the top eight on Wednesday afternoon.

In the morning session, Carla Tejedo's excellent round stood out, "a machine that always delivers," as captain Adriana Zwanck put it. The Castellón native battled hard in the final stretch to secure a hard-fought and challenging under-par (-1) round. Her two birdies in the first five holes, when the wind was still relatively calm, proved a valuable asset that she skillfully protected.

Earlier, the first players to start their rounds, Andrea Revuelta (+2) and Cayetana Fernández (+1), had finished. While not negative rounds by any means, Andrea's case was particularly painful. She had built up a very good round—a -2 on the 13th tee—which was marred by a rough finish: a double bogey on the 17th and a bogey on the 18th. The Madrid native finished disappointed, but it only lasted a short while, as she went out to cheer on her teammates in the afternoon session.

Then Paula Martín came out, one of the three players who had arrived from Ireland after the demanding Palmer Cup. The Madrid native, it was clear, knew nothing of fatigue, nor of discouragement. Her three-bowl on the 2nd hole to get back on track only served to further sharpen her short game, key to a comeback that slowly but surely took shape: birdies on the 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th, and 12th.

From that point on, she showcased her spectacular short game to save herself from several tricky situations. She didn't manage it on the 16th hole, but with her finish on the 18th—a great second shot and a good putt—she regained her status as the best golfer of the day, tied with Ireland's Beth Coulter. Both carded 68 strokes.

The other two Spanish rounds were those of Carla Bernat (76, +4) and Julia López (79, +7). Both stumbled at the same point: that tough and demanding finish of holes 17 and 18. This is a valuable lesson to learn from for what lies ahead between now and Saturday. Captain Adriana Zwanck and coach Sergio de Céspedes will surely have taken careful note of the difficulties posed by that final section.

Denmark dominates the rankings

This first day has offered several clues as to how the tournament might unfold. First, the good form of consistently tough teams like England (+1) and Italy (+2). However, the top spot belongs to Denmark (-2), who delivered a fantastic team performance.

The competition format includes two days of stroke play, which establish a ranking before the various knockout rounds for the title. It is essential to finish in one of the top eight positions in the preliminary round to be eligible for the title.

AROUND THE GREEN

Rivals, but friends

Many of the golfers who started competing today are rivals this week, yes, but many others are teammates. For example, Carla Tejedo shared a university this year in Louisiana with Ireland's Alde Donegan, Julia López with Germany's Chiara Horder in Mississippi, the Netherlands' Noa van Beek with Carla Bernat in Kansas… Many reunions these days at the RSHECC.

A champion on the ropes

Among the spectators following the matches of the European Championship, there are also many golf enthusiasts. There are captains and coaches with interesting stories behind them: former professional players, discoverers of great talent… This Tuesday, while watching the Spanish women's matches, Camilla Hedberg could be seen. She is a professional who won this same tournament eleven years ago with the National Teams. She did so in England alongside Luna Sobrón, the Sanz sisters – Marta and Patricia – Noemí Jiménez, and Natalia Escuriola. “This next generation is going to bring us a lot of joy, you'll see,” she told us.

IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE

Carla Tejedo, 71 strokes (-1)

“I’m very happy with my game and the result, which is very good on this course. The wind picked up a bit on the back nine, which made things more difficult, but I managed well. The key is placing the ball well off the tee and then hitting it well on the green, because these greens are tricky; you have to land it in the good part. I’d take par every day; it’s a good result.”.

Paula Martín, 68 strokes (-4)

“A really good day, I was really looking forward to this tournament at home. Today’s round was hard-fought, especially towards the end when I felt a bit tired. I’m happy with my game, with those birdies to recover from the three-putt on the 2nd. I’d take a round like this every day.”.

At the hotel, I saw that my teammates were doing well, although we didn't have the best finish. But this is a long tournament. The key is to finish among the top eight and be at our best for the match play.”.

CLASSIFICATION 1ST DAY

1. Denmark -2

2. England +1

3. Spain +2

Ireland +2

+.- Italy +2

Check out the live results, photo gallery and other additional information below in the Related Links section.

Online results, photo gallery and additional information below, in Related Links.