The challenging links course at Empordà Golf marks the start of the Santander Golf Tour 2025

• The prestigious Girona resort is hosting the first tournament of the year, which begins tomorrow and will be decided on Friday
• • Two invitations to the LET Access Series Super Bock Ladies Open and a place in the Tenerife Women’s Open are up for grabs at the start of the season

A top-class course for the start of the season

The Santander Golf Tour 2025 gets underway in an unbeatable setting. Empordà Golf, one of Spain’s leading golf resorts, is once again hosting a tournament on the circuit after also being the inaugural venue in 2024. This time, the tournament will be held on 20-21 March on the links course, a layout that stands out for its challenging design, natural dunes and strategic water hazards that will test the players’ accuracy.

In addition, golfers will have to contend with rough that has been allowed to grow longer than usual, forcing players to be very precise from the tee if they want to avoid problems. As an added factor, the course’s characteristic wind and rain will play a decisive role in the final result, making it a true test of skill and adaptation.

The tournament will be played under the Birdie Challenge format, which is being repeated after its successful debut last year. In this innovative format, players start with a guaranteed par, which means they will be looking to make a birdie or eagle on every hole. This rule encourages a more offensive and dynamic game, as participants must take more risks if they want to be in contention for victory. María Herráez, winner of the 2024 ranking, won on this same stage last year and will seek to repeat her triumph at the start of the season.

Big prizes at stake at the start of the season

The first event of the year not only marks the start of the season, but also brings with it great incentives for the participants. On the one hand, the Super Bock Ladies Open, a LET Access Series tournament to be held at Vidago Golf (Portugal) from 6 to 8 May, will award two invitations to the two best players in the Santander ranking after the second event of the season at El Campo de Golf del Parador de El Saler (Valencia) who are not automatically qualified, giving them the opportunity to compete in an international event.

In addition, the leader of the ranking after the first three events of the year — Empordà Golf, El Campo de Golf del Parador de El Saler and Real Golf de Pedreña — will receive an invitation to the Tenerife Women’s Open, a Ladies European Tour tournament to be held at Abama Golf from 5 to 8 June. This incentive represents a great opportunity for players on the circuit to take a step forward in their careers and compete in a top-level event in Europe.

María Herráez, ready to defend her throne

María Herráez, winner of the 2024 circuit ranking, returns to competition with the intention of repeating last year’s success, where she achieved two consecutive victories at the start of the season (at Empordà Golf and Club de Golf El Bosque) and maintained the lead until the end of the year.

‘The good memories of a victory are always there, but this year we are playing a different course, so I can’t rely too much on what I did last year. Even so, it’s a place I love, where we are always treated with great affection. I’m really looking forward to competing and starting the season,’ said the Madrid native.

One of the key moments of her last season was the decisive putt in the playoff that gave her the victory at Empordà Golf: ‘Without a doubt, the putt I made in the playoff to win was very special. I think it set the tone for the season. It was a very important moment in which I was very calm and knew how to close out the victory well.’

The tournament will feature 31 players from eight different countries, including regulars on the LET Access Series and the Ladies European Tour. Among them are professionals such as Leticia Ras-Anderica, Paz Marfà, Mireia Prat and María Parra, as well as Amaia Latorre, second in the Santander Golf Tour rankings in 2024, who will be looking to start the year strongly after a season in which she came very close to the title.

With the Pro-Am taking place today, the competition officially starts tomorrow, Thursday 20 March, at 8:30 a.m. and will run until Friday 21, marking the start of a season that promises excitement, rivalry and great opportunities for the golfers on the circuit.

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.