Swedes Christina Birke and Anki Hermanson have comfortably won the Spanish International Women's Senior Doubles Championship, held at the Arcos Gardens course in Cadiz on the eve of the start of the Individual event, in which the Spanish players will try to keep one of the most prestigious titles on the senior calendar at home.

The Swedish pair repeated their 2005 victory at Sherry Golf Jerez with a second round of 75 strokes that took them from second place to the lead after the Germans Cornelia Schmidt-Stutzle and Edeltrand Jacob – who started the day in the lead – completed a gray day (82 strokes).

The lackluster German performance also allowed the Spanish team to climb to the top of the leaderboard, although they didn't quite challenge Christina Birke – the 2005 Individual Champion – and Anki Hermanson. Beatriz Ramírez de Haro and Cristina Marsans, both from Madrid, shot 75 in their second round, securing second place with a two-stroke advantage over Ana Vilella from Barcelona and Carmen Maestre, also from Madrid.

Once the Doubles tournament is over, the Spanish International Senior Women's Singles Championship will take place on the 12th and 13th at the same Arcos Gardens course, featuring a strong field of favorites. Mallorcan player Vicky Pertierra is considered Spain's best hope to repatriate a title that has gone to foreign clubs in its last seven editions.

Catalina Castillejo, Sharon Rodríguez, Pía Allende and Cristina Marsans and Ana Vilella, among other local golfers, also have a chance to turn the competition's standings around.

RESULTS
1.- BIRKE, CHRISTINA/HERMANSON, ANKI (SWE) 144 (69+75)
2.- BEATRIZ RAMÍREZ DE HARO/CRISTINA MARSANS (SPA) 148 (73+75)
3.- VILELLA RAHN, ANA/MAESTRE OSORIO CARMEN (SPA) 150 (71+79)
+.- SCHMIDT-STUTZLE, CORNELIA/JACOB, EDELTRAND (GER) 150 (68+82)
Full results