Ana Peláez doesn’t remember the first time she played golf at Guadalhorce. What she does vividly remember is that she was very young and had a great time. Since then, at least once a year, she never misses a visit to the course located next to the Campanillas farmhouse, a stone’s throw from Málaga airport. She still comes with her friend Gonzalo. They play their rounds, whether on the big course or the nine-hole course. The important thing is to play. The important thing is to have fun. It’s Ana’s exciting connection with the venue of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España that started this Thursday.
The connection continues. The Málaga player has signed a scorecard of 66 strokes (-6) today and has placed herself at the top of the leaderboard, sharing second place and just one stroke behind the lead held by Finnish player Noora Komulainen (-7), one of the regulars in recent seasons on the Ladies European Tour.
Ana is at home, and that’s always a double-edged sword. Of course, you have the extra incentive to do well in front of your people, the added motivation, a kind of built-in turbo, but at the same time, you feel the weight of responsibility not to disappoint. You have to deal with these emotions, and Peláez, for now, has done it wonderfully, although it hasn’t been easy.
“I didn’t start enjoying myself until the 8th hole. From there, I managed to connect with myself and put everything else aside. From that moment, I had a great time with my caddie, thinking only about each shot,” confessed the golfer who comes from winning last week’s Campeonato de España de Profesionales at Guadalmina.
What does it mean to connect with yourself? It’s very simple, it’s about putting aside the result and focusing solely on hitting the best possible shot at each moment. Peláez made her first birdie of the day on the 7th, and from there, she made five consecutive birdies to go six under par. She still finished with a magnificent birdie on the 18th to erase her bogey on the 16th, the only one of the day. A sensational round of 66 strokes, presenting her candidacy for victory from the very first minute.
It’s Ana’s double connection, with herself and with Guadalhorce. A cocktail for success.
