Marta Spiazzi stages a historic comeback to win the Santander Golf Tour Match Play

• The Italian defeated Paz Marfá in a thrilling final, after stringing together seven consecutive birdies to come back from a five-hole deficit and win her first professional trophy
• Ana Botín, executive chairwoman of Banco Santander, was present on a historic day of golf at the Real Golf de Pedreña
• Marina Escobar defeated Natasha Fear in the battle for third and fourth place

Marta Spiazzi has been crowned champion of the Santander Golf Tour Match Play 2025 at Real Golf de Pedreña after an unforgettable final against Paz Marfá. The Italian player, who had reached the final with a solid victory over Natasha Fear, staged a memorable comeback by stringing together seven consecutive birdies between holes 8 and 14, recovering from a five-hole deficit to win by one. Young Marina Escobar completed the podium after defeating fellow amateur Natasha Fear in the match for third and fourth place.

The final day began at 8:15 a.m. with the two semi-final matches. The first match was an exciting Spanish duel between Paz Marfá and Marina Escobar. The Catalan took the lead from the first hole, taking advantage of a mistake from Escobar’s tee. The Almeria native, who had been very solid in previous rounds, struggled with her drive but kept her options open thanks to her iron play. Marfá, meanwhile, was coming off a victory over María Villanueva in the quarter-finals and was feeling confident on the Cantabrian course. The difference reached two points on the third hole, although Escobar cut the lead on the fourth. The exchange of blows continued until two consecutive birdies by Marfá on the 10th and 11th gave her a three-hole lead. Escobar reacted on the 15th and 16th holes with two birdies that put her just one behind. However, on the 18th hole, she missed her drive again, preventing her from forcing a playoff. Marfá closed out the match with a two-up victory.

In the other semi-final, Marta Spiazzi dominated from the start against Natasha Fear. The Italian took the lead on the second hole and from there on, she put her foot down to secure victory. Fear, somewhat erratic from the tee, couldn’t find her rhythm, while Spiazzi carded five consecutive pars to maintain her three-hole lead. A bogey by Fear on the par-3 12th increased the difference to four, and although the Javea native cut one back on the 15th, Spiazzi sealed her place in the final on the 16th hole with a 3&2 victory.

From the 8th hole onwards, the Italian entered a competitive trance: she scored seven consecutive birdies in one of the best streaks in the history of the circuit. The pace was astonishing and her accuracy devastating. With each passing hole, Spiazzi closed the gap until she completed her comeback on the 14th, where she took the lead by one. Another shot on the 15th, after a poor approach by Marfá, put the Italian two up, who in just seven holes had managed to turn the match around in an astonishing way. Marfá still had a chance on the 16th, but missed a two-metre birdie putt that would have brought her back into the match, and both reached the 17th hole dormie. The Catalan managed to save par to stay alive, and everything would be decided on the 18th hole. With a narrow lead, Spiazzi opted to play intelligently, without taking any risks, while Marfá gave it her all from the tee in search of the necessary birdie. Both executed good second shots and approach shots that left them with options from around two metres, but it was the Italian who holed out first, thus sealing one of the most spectacular victories in the history of the Santander Golf Tour.

In the match for third and fourth place, Marina Escobar played more freely than she had in the morning. The Andalusian took the lead on the third hole with a great birdie and maintained a narrow advantage until the ninth hole, where Fear tied with a birdie on the par 5. In the second round, Escobar scored three consecutive birdies to take a three-stroke lead, which she managed to maintain until the 16th hole, where she closed out her participation with a 3&2 victory.

The Santander Golf Tour Match Play thus brings to a close a thrilling week of golf in Pedreña, with outstanding play and one of the most exciting finals in the history of the circuit. The next event on the calendar will take place from 29 to 31 May at Naturávila Golf (Ávila), where the Santander Golf Tour LETAS, the fourth event on the calendar, will be held, organised jointly with the LET Access Series circuit.

In the grand final, Paz Marfá came out determined to win the title and clearly dominated the early stages of the match. She took advantage of several mistakes by Spiazzi to take a 3-stroke lead in just four holes, and extended her lead to five after playing flawlessly with her irons on the 6th and 7th. Everything seemed to indicate that the Catalan was on her way to her first victory as a professional, but golf had one of those twists in store that mark an era.

About Real Golf de Pedreña

Real Golf de Pedreña, founded in 1928, is one of Spain’s most prestigious and traditional golf clubs. Located in the Cantabrian town of Pedreña, this club is known for being the birthplace of legendary golfer Severiano Ballesteros. The golf course offers stunning views of Santander Bay and is surrounded by natural surroundings that combine the charm of the Cantabrian landscape with a challenging and attractive design for golfers of all levels. For the Santander Golf Tour, the course will be played at 5,368 metres, with a mix of tees from white, yellow and blue bars.

About the Santander Golf Tour

The Santander Golf Tour is Banco Santander’s firm commitment to professional women’s golf, and celebrates its tenth season in 2025. With ten tournaments throughout Spain, some of them part of higher circuits such as 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 and the Cantabrian Golf Federation, together with the other regional federations through which the circuit passes, provide the rest of the essential support for the tour.