She was not even five years old when her parents inoculated her with a poison that her body has been unable to get rid of in the thirteen years that have passed since then. And the fact is that golf was very strong in Valentina Albertazzi, one of the many young people who live on the Costa del Sol and practice this sport. Of course, she is not just any amateur, far from it. In just one month -between December and January- she has won two international world titles (CJGA World Junior Challenge, Global Junior Golf Grand Final) and has finished second in another important international competition (Junior Honda Classic), all of them played in the United States.
Last year he collected seven victories and totaled sixteen top 10s in one-off tournaments for the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), which gives an idea of the phenomenon we are dealing with.
Federated by Atalaya Golf, of which her parents are members, and sponsored by this Costa del Sol club and Holiday Golf Group, Valentina was born in Turin 17 years ago and moved to Spain eight years ago with her parents and sister. The family took up residence on the Costa del Sol for different reasons. One of them was that the girls could pursue their studies in other languages, and another reason was the quantity and quality of golf courses and the good climate of this tourist destination, which allows them to play golf all year round.
Valentina started competing when she was 8 years old and has not stopped progressing since then. Handicap +3, she plays when she can with her sister, 12 years old and handicap 6.
-What was the first major championship you won?
-I would say the one that made me enter the world ranking, the U-25 Andalusian Championship a year and a half ago. Before that I had won others, but they didn’t count for that ranking.
-How was your experience of playing the Junior Honda Classic on a US PGA Tour stage like the PGA National?
-The course is very difficult, very demanding, because it is prepared for professionals, but I had a great time. It was a pity that I made a mistake on a couple of holes and that’s why I didn’t win, but it was a good experience for me.
-What are your plans for next year, once you finish high school?
-My plans are to go to college in the United States, in Fort Lauderdale (Florida), finish my studies and from there try to play and get the LPGA card (the U.S. Women’s Tour), by the age of 23.
-Does that university have a good golf team?
-Yes, they are ranked first in Division II and they have a program that is the 27th best in the entire United States. The university is private, it’s not too big and it’s very good.
-I imagine that you will receive a scholarship for your sports results…
-Yes, I have a full scholarship and it is an offer that was very good, I am very happy and eager to start.
-Let’s talk about your game. What clubs do you play best?
-My best clubs are the driver and the putter. It’s not that I have a club that doesn’t suit me because the truth is that I have a pretty balanced game. I’m very good with the drive and I love to kick: I could spend hours kicking.
-How many hours a day do you usually train?
-It depends on the exams, but I try to train an average of three hours a day when I have school, and in the summer and when I’m on vacation, a little more, four or five hours.
-Who are your favorite players?
-In men it’s clear that Tiger Woods, who is the one who made golf rise so much, and in girls I love the way Lexi Thompson plays.
-What do you do in your spare time when you’re not training or playing golf?
-I like fashion, music, I like to relax, to be with my friends, but the truth is that you don’t have a lot of free time when you play golf.
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