Both players have been the best of the program created by RFEG and Deporte & Business and whose goal is to encourage competition among young golfers who can qualify for the European team of the PING Junior Solheim Cup 2023.
Anna Cañadó and Paula Martín have become the winners of Objetivo 2023, the programme created by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Deporte & Business to improve the performance of elite golfers and encourage competition among the youngest players with options to qualify for the European team of the PING Junior Solheim Cup 2023, a tournament to be held at the Old Course of La Zagaleta, in Benahavís, Malaga, as a prelude to the Solheim Cup 2023.
As last year, this programme is based on a ranking established on the basis of four tournaments, with the three best results being awarded points, thus rewarding not only the game but also the consistency of these promising young players.
The events that have made up the calendar of the 2022 ranking of Objective 2023 have been the Spanish National Championship U-18 Women, which was held from 17 to 20 March at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid; the Celia Barquín Memorial, which took place from 1 to 3 April at the Real Club de Golf La Barganiza, in Asturias; the Madrid Women’s Championship, which took place from 8th to 10th April at Golf Santander, in Madrid; and the Spanish National Women’s Individual Championship, which took place last weekend at Club de Golf Ulzama, in Navarra.
Anna Cañadó, first in the Objective 2023 ranking with a total of 312 points, has been almost unopposed by winning two titles (Spanish National Championship U-18 Women and Madrid Women’s Championship) and a fifth place (Spanish National Women’s Individual Championship).
“I want to thank the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Deporte & Business for organising this challenge. I am very excited to have won the ranking and to have the opportunity to live a great experience with my friend Paula Martín. I will keep working to achieve my goal of qualifying for the PING Junior Solheim Cup. Nothing would make me more excited”, said the Catalan player.
As for Paula Martín, second with 308 points, she cemented her qualification with her victory in the recent Spanish National Women’s Individual Championship, after defeating her friend and CETEMA teammate from the Madrid Golf Federation, Cayetana Fernández, in a thrilling play-off. And to this victory she added a second place in the Madrid Women’s Championship and third place in the Spanish National Championship U-18 Women.
In addition, Paula Martín will have the opportunity to repeat last year’s experience, when she achieved the first place ranking in the Objective 2021 programme and was accompanied by Rocío Tejedo, fourth classified, as Cayetana Fernández, second, and Andrea Revuelta, third, were part of the European team of the PING Junior Solheim Cup.
“Being champion of Spanish National Women’s Individual Championship means a lot to me, I am very happy to have achieved it. I played very solid all week, until the last hole I saw myself with options and I was able to take my chance in the play off. And if we add to this that I have been second in the Objective 2023 ranking, I am doubly happy, as it is a great initiative for the Solheim Cup to be played in Spain, which will surely be a success,” said the player from Madrid.
Anna Cañadó and Paula Martín will receive as a prize a trip sponsored by the RFEG to the AIG Women’s Open to be held from 4 to 7 August in Muirfield (Scotland). In this scenario, the two young women will enjoy the experience of living a Grand Slam tournament in first person and will have the opportunity to feel the vibrations of the highest competition in the world.
The Solheim Cup 2023, an event of exceptional public interest whose official venue is Finca Cortesín, is sponsored by PING, Costa del Sol and Rolex as global partners; and by the Consejería de Turismo de la Junta de Andalucía, Acosol, the Ayuntamiento de Marbella and the Ayuntamiento de Benahavís as official partners, and Reale Seguros as official sponsor. Solán de Cabras, Eversheds Sutherland, Casares Town Hall, Toro, Vithas and E-Z-GO are official suppliers. Marca and Radio Marca are official media. LET, LPGA, RFEG, CSD, RFGA and Deporte & Business collaborate in its organisation.
More information on the website www.solheimcup2023.eu, on the Twitter account @SolheimCup2023, on the Instagram account @solheimcup2023esp and on the Facebook page Solheim Cup 2023.
