María Herráez dominates at Empordà Golf and leads the first round of the Santander Golf Tour
- The Madrid native, ranked number one in 2024, carded a six-under-par round and leads by two strokes
- • Catalan Miriam Ayora shone in her professional debut and shares second place with Dutch player Lauren Holmey
Empordà Golf witnessed an opening day marked by the demanding links course and challenging weather conditions. Under constant rain and gusts of wind that complicated play, María Herráez demonstrated her talent and consistency to card a spectacular round of -6 and take the sole lead. The Madrid native, last year’s ranking champion and winner of this same tournament in 2024, remains in great form and heads into the final day with a two-stroke lead over Catalonia’s Miriam Ayora and Holland’s Lauren Holmey, who are tied for second at four under par.
Herráez, who teed off in the last group of the day, started her round with determination and scored her first birdie on the 4th hole. Despite missing some clear opportunities on the following holes, she strung together two consecutive birdies on the 8th and 9th holes to move within one stroke of the lead, which until then had been held by Miriam Ayora and Lauren Holmey. In the second round, with even more challenging conditions, the Madrid native managed to stay calm and take advantage of her opportunities, closing her round with birdies on holes 15, 17 and 18, sending a clear message to all her rivals that she is ready to defend her crown and dominate the circuit once again.
At the end of the day, Herráez assessed her performance: “It was a nice way to get back to competition in 2025. I was looking forward to the day, but it was definitely very tough, with difficult playing conditions. However, I fought with everything I had after a great pre-season and I’m very happy with those six birdies.‘ Regarding her goals, the Madrid native added: ’My goal is to get the best result possible and try to repeat the victory. I can’t control what the others do, but I’ll try to get the same number of birdies or more tomorrow to repeat the dream start to 2024.” She also highlighted the keys to her game: ‘On every hole, I left the ball in a good position from the tee and my iron play was also very good. I had a lot of birdie opportunities and, if I’m not mistaken, five of the six birdies were putts of less than three metres, so I can’t complain about anything today.’
Miriam Ayora, in her professional debut, managed to put herself in contention for the title with a four-under-par card. The Catalan began her day with birdies on holes 2 and 8, but it was on the first two holes of the second round that she took the lead with two consecutive birdies on 10 and 11. At the end of her round, she highlighted how comfortable she had felt on the course: “I know the course well because I’m from nearby, from Barcelona. I felt very comfortable, the course was in great condition despite the weather, and my tee-to-green play was excellent overall. I couldn’t ask for more in my first tournament as a professional.‘ She also encouraged the local crowd to attend the final day: ’I hope a lot of people come. Since there’s a Catalan with a chance at the title, it would definitely be a lot of fun to win it in front of all of you.”
Meanwhile, Dutch player Lauren Holmey, winner of the LET Access Series Flumserberg Ladies Open as an amateur in 2022, also carded a four-under-par round, highlighting her spectacular eagle on the 7th hole. Her round of -3 on the front nine and a birdie on the 15th hole allowed her to remain at the top of the leaderboard.
The first day has left us with a tight leaderboard, with up to ten players separated by just four strokes and everything still to play for on the final day of competition. Tomorrow, starting at 8:30 a.m., the battle for the first title of the season will resume at Empordà Golf, where we will find out the winner of this first event of the 2025 Santander Golf Tour.
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.