Mediterráneo Golf’s young talent makes its debut on the Santander Golf Tour through the Sergio García Golf Academy
Caption: África Oliva and Daniela Gallego, amateurs from the Sergio García Golf Academy, on the 18th hole at Mediterráneo Golf
- África Oliva and Daniela Gallego, amateur players in the tournament and members of the academy, face a week of learning alongside players from the European circuit.
- The tournament begins tomorrow in a Birdie Challenge format with 34 players from seven nationalities and a strong local presence.
Official website of the Santander Golf Tour
Official website of Mediterráneo Golf
The Santander Golf Tour 2026 is already underway at Mediterráneo Golf, where the first event of the season is being held this week with a high-level international field. The Borriol course hosts a competition featuring 34 players from seven nationalities, including four amateurs (three of them local), as well as a strong group of national and international professionals.
Among the participants are leading names such as Nuria Iturrioz and Ana Peláez, along with players with a strong local presence such as Patricia Sanz, Natasha Fear, Leticia Ras-Anderica, amateur Martina Navarro, and Amaia Latorre, an Álava native based in Castellón. The tournament once again highlights local talent within an increasingly competitive circuit.
The competition will take place from March 27 to 28 in a Birdie Challenge format, a system that rewards aggressive play and the constant pursuit of birdies, across two days that will determine the first champion of the season.
In this context, two of the week’s standout figures are amateurs África Oliva and Daniela Gallego, both members of the Sergio García Golf Academy, who are enjoying a unique experience at Mediterráneo Golf by sharing the course with professional players.
For Daniela Gallego, from Murcia, this is her first experience in a professional tournament, which she approaches naturally and with a desire to learn:
“This is my first time playing with pros, but we come from competing at the under-18 level, and we see it as an opportunity to learn rather than focusing on results. I’m very happy.”
For África Oliva, who already has some experience in this type of competition, the week is an opportunity to focus on the small details that make the difference:
“I’m not nervous, I’m excited to see how the professionals play and learn from the small details. They see the game differently from us, and that’s very interesting.”
Both are familiar with the Mediterráneo Golf course, which they play regularly, allowing them to know well a technical layout where strategy is key. However, they agree that this relative advantage is balanced by the professionals’ experience:
“We know where to place the ball because we play here every day, but they have more resources and experience, especially when you get into trouble,” explains Oliva.
Gallego adds an important nuance depending on the format:
“Since it’s a Birdie Challenge, it changes the way you play a bit. If it were a regular tournament, maybe we’d have more of an advantage from knowing the course, but this makes it more even.”
Their experience at the academy has been key to their development as players. The Sergio García Golf Academy, located at Mediterráneo Golf and linked to the club, has established itself as a high-performance center where players combine academic and sporting training in a professional environment.
“I’m loving the experience, everything is positive: the teachers, the course, the atmosphere…” says Oliva.
In the same vein, Gallego highlights the qualitative leap since joining:
“It has become my second family. You realize the level of training, the facilities, and how well we have it here. It’s a huge change.”
Beyond technical learning, both emphasize the value of living and training alongside other players in a competitive environment:
“Here we’re all together, we help each other, and that makes you improve much more than training alone.”
The Santander Golf Tour represents a key platform for the development of future professionals.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn and compete with players who are where you want to get to,” explains Oliva.
Gallego also acknowledges the impact of sharing space with role models:
“You arrive and see players you follow, who have won tournaments… and you think about everything you can learn from them.”
As for the course, both are clear: patience and strategy will be key.
“It’s a course where you can make a lot of birdies if you play well, but it can also punish you a lot. You have to stay calm,” they conclude.
The tournament continues with high expectations, reinforcing Mediterráneo Golf’s role as a leading venue for professional women’s golf and as a breeding ground for future players on the circuit. In today’s traditional Pro-Am event, Marta Muñoz took victory with a total score of -45, making a strong statement for the rest of the season.
About Mediterráneo Golf
Mediterráneo Golf, located in Borriol in the province of Castellón, is one of the most iconic golf courses in Spain and a benchmark for high performance, closely linked to the development of major international figures such as Sergio García. Designed by Ramón Espinosa, the course features a technical and demanding layout combining narrow fairways, well-protected greens, and established Mediterranean vegetation that comes into play on many holes. Its balanced and strategic design rewards accuracy off the tee and control in the short game, offering a complete test for amateurs and professionals alike.
About the Santander Golf Tour
The Santander Golf Tour is a firm commitment by Banco Santander to professional women’s golf and celebrates its eleventh season in 2026. With eight tournaments across Spain—some included in higher-level circuits such as LETAS—it is supported by Banco Santander and Santander Private Banking as main sponsors, along with Carmignac and Santander Seguros. Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol, Bodegas Homenaje, Mahou, and PING also act as co-sponsors. The Royal Spanish Golf Federation, the Valencian Golf Federation, and other regional federations provide essential support for the tour.
For more information:
Eric Centella
Press Officer, Santander Golf Tour
eric@deporteandbusiness.com