Olivia Mehaffey is looking to continue her fine run of form this week as the Ladies European Tour heads to the Spanish capital for the Madrid Ladies Open at Jarama-RACE Golf Club.
Mehaffey arrives off the back of two successive top-20 finishes in Australia in what has been a consistent start to her LET season.
The Tandragee native achieved finishes of 11th and 20th during her stint Down Under and she has taken advantage of her limited status on the Ladies European Tour.
Mehaffey tees off alongside Spaniard Elena Hualde and England’s Florentyna Parker at 8.52 local time on Thursday.
The rookie is sitting comfortably in 48th place on the Race to Costa del Sol and she will be hoping her consistency will be rewarded with more starts throughout the summer.
It’s a good period for Spanish golf with Jon Rahm winning his maiden major last year and notching his first win in eleven months despite being dethroned as world number one last month. The 2023 Solheim Cup will arrive at the picturesque Finca Cortesin Golf Resort and local favourite Nuria Iturrioz will be looking to put her name into the ring for selection with a win this week.
The Spaniard is without a win since 2019 but is using the biennial contest as motivation to break that drought and lift her fourth LET title while also boosting her hopes of a home debut in the competition.
“Since I was little I have always dreamed about playing in the Solheim Cup one day. The Solheim Cup is the pinnacle of the women’s game and every player from the United States and Europe aspires to make the team each time,” Iturrioz said.
“Next year’s event at Finca Cortesin is going to be even more special as it is being hosted in Spain. I have previously played with the National Team in Spain so I have an idea of what it feels like to play in these kind of competitions, although the Solheim Cup will be another step up in terms of my career if I get picked.
“Having the event in Spain also means it is going to be a beautiful week, and even more so at Finca Cortesin, as I know they will treat the tournament and the players with a lot of care and respect. It is my ambition to be there, and this goal provides me with all the extra motivation I need heading into the start of this season.
“I will of course try my best over the next 18 months to qualify for the European Solheim Cup Team automatically. By competing on the best courses, I want to try and achieve enough good results to hopefully earn my spot in the team through this path.”
Other notable names this week include Dutch talent Anne Van Damme and Solheim Cup veteran Caroline Hedwall.
Curtis Cup star Louise Duncan earned herself an invite this week, the Scot won the Women’s Amateur championship last year and did brilliantly to finish in the top-10 at the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie.
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