Paula Martín Sampedro, an 18-year-old golfer from Madrid, has made history by becoming the fifth Spanish player to win the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship title with Stanford’s 3-2 victory over UCLA in the final.
Paula Martín Sampedro, results
Ranked 23rd in the world amateur rankings, Martin, who won the Spanish Amateur Championship two years ago, follows in the footsteps of other Spanish golfing legends such as Belén Mozo (Southern California, 2008), Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Muñoz (Arizona State, 2009), and Carolina López Chacarra (Wake Forest), in what is considered one of the most academically renowned universities globally, boasting alumni like Tiger Woods and rising female golf star Rose Zhang.
Martin, who opened the final match, trained at the Madrid Federation School like López Chacarra and is a first-year student. She lost by two holes to Caroline Canales. However, Kelly Xu secured the first point for Stanford with a 4 and 3 victory over Meghan Royal. Then, Megha Ganne added the second point by defeating Natalie Vo (3 and 2). Finally, Rachel Heck sealed the victory by defeating Kate Villegas by 4 and 3 in the final match.
This marks the second victory for Stanford in the last three years and the third in its history. It highlights the growing prowess of Spanish women in the international golfing arena and underscores Martin’s emergence as a promising talent in the sport.
The rules of golf comprise a set of standard norms and procedures that govern how the sport of golf should be played. They are collectively written and managed by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except for the United States and Mexico, which fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Golf Association. A committee of experts composed of members from both the R&A and USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision has been in effect since January 1, 2016. Changes to the rules of golf generally fall into two main categories: those that enhance understanding and those that, in certain cases, reduce penalties to ensure balance. The rule book, titled “Rules of Golf,” is regularly published and also includes regulations governing amateur status. In Italy, Federgolf is responsible for overseeing competitions, ensuring compliance with the rules issued by the R&A, and ensuring that these norms are observed by clubs, associations, and their members. It also manages the resulting sports justice, safeguarding their interests abroad.
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