Empordà Golf hosts the first round of the Santander Golf Tour 2025
• The tenth season of the circuit begins at the Links de Empordà Golf course on 20–21 March and will be played in Birdie Challenge format
• María Herráez, winner of the 2024 ranking, will seek to defend her title after her victory at this same venue last year
This morning saw the presentation of the first event of the Santander Golf Tour season, which will be held from 20 to 21 March at the Empordà Golf links course (Girona). The tournament will feature 31 players from eight different countries, and it will be the second time that this course has hosted a Santander Golf Tour event.
The presentation ceremony was attended by Antonio Aguayo, CEO of Empordà Golf; Sergio Ortuño, commercial director of Private Banking in Catalonia at Banco Santander; and Alicia Garrido, executive director of the Santander Golf Tour.
Antonio Aguayo, CEO of Empordà Golf, thanked those present for attending and was delighted with the event: ‘It is an honour for us to once again host the Santander Golf Tour. We are very grateful to Santander for its strong commitment to women’s golf, which we believe is a sport that is growing by leaps and bounds.’ Regarding the condition of the course, Antonio commented: ‘We have worked hard over the last few weeks to ensure that the course is in the best possible condition. We have tried to make the greens as fast as possible despite the heavy rainfall in recent weeks. The flag positions are strategically located and we have also allowed the rough to grow to make the game more challenging for the professionals.’
Sergio Ortuño, commercial director of Private Banking in Catalonia at Banco Santander, thanked ‘Empordà Golf for welcoming us once again to this spectacular venue with such wonderful scenery, as well as for the treatment we always receive when we come here,’ and emphasised “the importance of the pro-am for the bank and the circuit. Every year we have more people interested in participating and the waiting list just keeps growing. The players always treat everyone in an exemplary manner, showing their best smiles and making this event a unique experience for customers”.
Alicia Garrido, executive director of the Santander Golf Tour, thanked all the sponsors and collaborators for their support, as well as the press and public institutions such as the Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board. She also pointed out that this opening event of the season would be played in Birdie Challenge format, where the player with the most birdies wins and the professionals play a more direct and aggressive game. ‘It’s a way of getting the players out of their comfort zone. The aim is for the professionals to test themselves and look for alternatives that they might not have to look for in a normal medal play.’ This year’s charity initiative is being run by the Prodis Foundation, a non-profit organisation that is a leader in providing comprehensive support and training for people with intellectual disabilities to enable their real inclusion in society and the world of work.
Thus, the Birdie Challenge, a format that debuted with great success last year, will once again be the star of this inaugural event. Madrid’s María Herráez, the current circuit champion, was the winner in Empordà in 2024 and will begin her title defence here with the intention of repeating her victory.
Tomorrow will see the Pro-Am take place, where customers will have the opportunity to share the course with the professionals on the circuit. The official tournament will start on Thursday, kicking off a new edition of the Santander Golf Tour, which promises to be one of the most exciting to date.
About Empordà Golf
Located in the heart of the Costa Brava, Empordà Golf is one of Spain’s most outstanding golf destinations. Designed by the prestigious architect Robert von Hagge, it offers two 18-hole courses: the Links, with wide fairways, natural dunes and strategically placed bunkers, and the Forest, which winds through lush pine forests and demands maximum precision. Its combination of technical design and privileged natural surroundings have made it a regular venue for professional tournaments, attracting top-level players.
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, together with the Catalan Golf Federation and the Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board, provide the rest of the essential support for this tour.