Julia Sánchez is a young woman with a bright future, having recently entered the World Rankings aged just 15. Julia lives in Sotogrande and studies at Sotogrande International School. She has been in the Manuel Piñero Golf Academy for the last seven years honing her skills, and the team are very proud of her progress.
La Reserva Club golf pro Victor Garcia, has guided and coached her from handicap 36 to +1.4, an incredible achievement for someone who is just 15 years of age. This year Julia has gone from strength to strength, winning the WAGR Triple A European Invitational in January with rounds of 74, 73 and 75. This performance put her into the World Rankings at 1531 and has shone a spotlight on this exciting young player. She also played in the U18 Spanish Championship and achieved a top 10 position, as well as coming runner-up in the III Celia Barquín Memorial Tournament, with rounds of 75, 69 and 71.
We spoke to Julia and her coach Victor Garcia to discuss her brilliant season, her hopes and future plans.
Hi Julia, huge congratulations on your excellent season, how did you get into golf?
I’ve always loved playing sports of all kinds, and although I started golf when I was little, I gave it up to try other sports. It wasn’t until years later when a friend invited me to play with her that I got back into it and now it is a vital part of my life.
What does golf mean to you and what does it teach you?
Golf is invaluable to me and has helped me to become who I am today. Of course, getting to a high standard in golf requires sacrifices, because it is a sport that you have to dedicate a lot of time to. However, I have learnt to combine my social life and my studies with my passion for golf and it has got me a long way. Above all, golf has taught me to be patient and accept what we cannot control, as things do not always go to plan.
What are your plans for the future? Would you like to play golf professionally?
Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do in the future. In terms of studies, I would like to study something related to mathematics and finance, although I also have a great interest in English literature. Combining golf with my studies is not an easy thing to do, but thankfully it is something that my school, Sotogrande International School, has helped me to do. They have made it easy for me to travel to compete and at the same time keep learning, which I’m very grateful for.
My dream is to obtain a scholarship at an American university on a golf team. I would like to be able to compete in different states and at the same time study and get a career.
How has Victor helped you along the way?
Victor is a very patient person, especially with me. He is a great coach and above all, we really understand each other. Victor has helped me in so many ways, he always knows how to correct my mistakes and he is always happy. What I like the most is that he explains things very well, which means that I can correct my mistakes very quickly.
Thank you Julia and best of luck for the rest of the year.
Hi Victor, thank you for speaking to us about your student Julia Sánchez, can you tell us about her strengths and why you think she’s such an exceptional player?
Julia has always been a student who was eager to learn, with above-average attention and commitment. She has an excellent attitude to competition and knows how to overcome bad results, as well as how to deal with victories without getting ahead of herself. She has her feet on the ground, knows how complicated this sport is and just enjoys the process and what the sport offers her.
I would highlight her long game as a particular strength. Julia goes very long off the tee and nowadays this is a very important advantage, as longer and longer courses are being designed and having the option of hitting shorter second shots than your fellow competitors is always an advantage.
We are currently working on her short game, as it is in that area of the game where she can cut even more strokes off the scorecard.
As a coach, where would you like to see her go within the world of golf?
Our main goal is to keep improving in order to get a scholarship to a good university in the United States and to be able to continue her studies while improving her golf.
It is very gratifying to see how Julia enjoys golf and everything that surrounds the sport. She enjoys training, competing, getting to know new courses and achieving goals, while at the same time she knows how to cope when the results are not what she expected.
Obviously, I would love to see Julia playing on the top-level circuits, but as everyone knows the journey to becoming a professional golfer is long and hard and there’s no magic formula for success. So right now, we’re enjoying the process and continued success, working hard and looking forward to a bright future, whatever that is.
Can you tell us about the La Reserva Golf Academy?
We offer a range of Junior programs and classes during the school year, as well as offering intensive courses during the school holidays.
We love to help youngsters discover this wonderful game and can take them at any age and level. We have a tried and tested teaching method which we apply to all young players to motivate them, build their skills and also let them have fun.
As the player evolves, depending on their motivation, skills and progression, we decide whether to increase the workload (on and off the field) and customise the training with the aim of starting to compete at an increasingly higher level, always taking into account the level of commitment of the player. The key is to continue to enjoy it and fulfil each players’ potential.
Find out more about golf at La Reserva Club on the website www.lareservasotogrande.com or download the academy price list. Call +34 956 785 252 or email lareserva@sotogrande.com to have your questions answered.
