Julia Sánchez gets ‘Power Up’ ticket to play in hometown

A talented young Andalusian golfer is to be given a once-in-a-lifetime experience after being invited to compete at next week’s Aramco Team Series tournament, a Ladies European Tour (LET) event in her hometown of Sotogrande.

Sixteen-year-old Julia Sánchez will compete alongside many of the biggest names in world golf when she takes to the tee at La Reserva Club on Thursday, including the likes of U.S. superstar sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda, three-time major-winner Anna Nordqvist and legends of the game Catriona Matthew and Dame Laura Davies.

The teenager – who plays off an impressive handicap of -3.7 – has been selected to play as an amateur in the $ 1 million prize-fund event as part of the Aramco Team Series, powered by Public Investment Fund’s Aramco Power Up initiative, which aims to support promising amateur female golfers in each of the Series’ tournament locations on their journey to become future stars of the game.

At the Aramco Team Series Sotogrande, Julia has been invited to play in Thursday and Friday’s team element of the three-day event, where she will be part of a fourball comprised of her and three full-time LET professionals.

Additionally, the talented teen – runner-up at both the 2021 and 2022 Andalusian International Championships, and who was put forward for the Aramco Power Up initiative by La Real Federación Andaluza de Golf – will also be given one-on-one time with some of the big-name major-winners and Solheim Cup stars competing at La Reserva, allowing her to gain some invaluable tips and guidance.

Julia said: “This is an amazing opportunity for me and I can’t thank the Aramco Team Series enough. To be only 16 and given this chance to play alongside many of my heroes is something I could only dream of, so I can’t wait and I look forward to learning from the women that I hope to one day emulate.”

Talal Al Marri, Aramco General Manager of Public Affairs, said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer this incredible opportunity to a young golfer with the obvious talent, enthusiasm and drive that Julia so clearly possesses.

“Our support of the Aramco Team Series comes with the single aim of elevating women’s golf as much as we can. Creating opportunities like this through the Aramco Power Up scheme is key to our ambitions, so we are delighted to be backing Julia as she chases her own dreams of competing as a professional golfer.”

Next week’s tournament is the third Aramco Team Series event of the season, after being hosted in both Bangkok and London earlier in the year.

In Bangkok, 17-year-old Pimpisa Sisutham – a member of Thailand’s junior golf programme – was chosen as the first ever Aramco Power Up recipient, receiving a custom club fitting from Titleist and a full year’s access to tournament host course Thai Country Club’s world class facilities.

At the Aramco Team Series London, inspiring women’s golf coach Hannah Crump and her team at Ignite Golf were gifted a raft of new training aids to help them further grow the game amongst women and girls, after a wave of newcomers to their classes. The donation included three brand new sets of clubs for student use, a Flightscope Mevo+ launch monitor, PGA coaching tuition, a year’s supply of golf clothing through Aramco Team Series partner Reborn, and a year’s supply of Titleist practice balls, allowing them to bring even more amateurs into the game.