With the best possible escort, surrounded by family, friends and neighbors of nearby Guadiaro, Maria Parra seems determined to give continuity to the victory achieved last week in the IOA Invitational of the U.S. Symetra Tour, as it is the best Spanish once completed the first round of the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, Ladies European Tour tournament played in the golf course of La Reserva Club de Sotogrande.
With a round of 68 strokes (-4) in the demanding design of Cabell B. Robinson, Maria Parra shone exhibiting a remarkable consistency from tee to green and avoiding the problems posed by the course. The card of the Guadiareña was a true reflection of the good game she played during the opening day, since she barely made a couple of mistakes throughout the round (one of them solved with quality on the 9th hole) and, on the contrary, she scored five birdies despite missing a few more options from two or three meters.
“I played very well. I was very happy on the course, very focused, very confident with my shots. I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, and the putting worked very well,” summarized Parra, who at all times felt the support of the public. “It’s always good to play at home, to play with the people around you, who support you, with the family and also with Jaime [Larraín, her caddie and partner] on the bag, which gives me a lot of confidence. I am delighted. I have the support of my family, friends, neighbors… Many people from the town have come to see me and that encourages me a lot”.
In addition to the ambient heat, the warmth offered by his loved ones and the morale boost from last week’s victory in the United States.
“It’s been a long time since I felt something like this, since I hadn’t won in a long time. It has been two very complicated years, in which things didn’t work out for me as usual, but I have finally been able to play the golf I play and it has given me confidence for this tournament”, explained Parra.
Her game plan will be key to stay in the top of the rankings and aspire to victory, although the Spaniard is clear that this has only just begun.
“The key to playing this course well is to take a lot of fairways and put the ball in the right place, because the greens are pretty fast, they have a lot of drop-offs and it’s always good to kick uphill. If you kick downhill, it’s impossible to stop the ball.”
Also noteworthy is the performance of María Hernández and Elia Folch, who also managed to reduce by one stroke the par of the La Reserva course, and Carmen Alonso and Luna Sobrón, who tied with the Sotogrande course.
Leading this La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational is the English Charlotte Thompson, who finished with 66 strokes (-6), her best round as a professional,
“I’m very happy, I missed a few putts, but I also made several. It was a beautiful day, with no wind and a spectacular course,” explained Thompson to summarize a round in which he highlighted an eagle from the fairway on hole 2.
“We got to the green, there was only one ball and I said, ‘Well, I didn’t go long’. I took a look at the hole and there it was, at the bottom of the hole,” recalled Thompson, who hit a 52-degree gap wedge from 98 meters.
The Englishwoman, known for her forcefulness off the tee, made the most of her distance on a course conducive to it and on a day in which the wind did not influence as much as usual on the course of La Reserva Club.
“I’m going to stay focused on playing my game and trusting myself. But certainly the wind is going to be a big factor. I’ve been here before and thought it was a great course before I played well today. I’m reaffirmed that it’s a great course.”
Just one stroke behind Thompson is German rookie Esther Henseleit, who continues her magnificent playing streak and arrives at La Reserva Club full of morale after earning a place in the U.S. Open in the very tough European qualifiers.
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Teletype from La Reserva Club de Sotogrande
– The Spanish Association Against Cancer, a non-profit organization that leads the effort of Spanish society to reduce the impact caused by cancer, deservedly continues to be the protagonist at the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational. All those attending the tournament (admission is free) who make a donation to the AECC will be entered into a draw to win 30 vouchers for two green fees and buggy at magnificent courses in the area such as Guadalmina, Finca Cortesin, Flamingos, Alferini, La Quinta, Las Brisas, Alcaidesa, Los Naranjos, San Roque; two nights at the Melia Banus hotel and two paintings.
– María Parra and Jaime Larraín, her caddie and partner, are in sync and complement each other perfectly on the course. The girl from Guadiaro confessed one of her secrets: “He knows my clubs well because we hit the ball very close, so he helps me a lot with the distances”.
– Esther Henseleit, second classified in the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational after Thursday, is called to be a star of world golf. After turning professional with the lowest handicap recorded in Europe (+7.1), this LET rookie has already three places in the top five this season and qualified brilliantly for the U.S. Open in the European qualifier played at Buckinghamshire Golf Club.
La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational is sponsored by Sotogrande SA, the founding company of Sotogrande, and organized by Deporte & Business and the Ladies European Tour. The tournament will have extensive international television coverage and viewers in our country can enjoy it live during the four days through Movistar Golf, Teledeporte and Andalucía TV.
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