“ My dream is to be World Number One”

Young, lively, passionate, but surprisingly mature and focused. Nuria Iturrioz, at just 24, has already made a name for herself in international ladies’ golf. Her time at Blume helped shape a destiny and life that would be inextricably linked to this sport. For her, those were the best days of her life. She had the opportunity to learn under the guidance of Marta Figueras Dotti as coach and alongside one of the leading golf figures right now, Jon Rahm.

Nuria’s cheerful nature, even when under intense pressure, reflects a personality which has helped her to win over the public and her fellow golfers. That’s because Nuria has a positive outlook on life, which bodes well for golf and a very promising future.

How’s the season shaping up?
The LPGA is my aim this year and then I’ll follow it up with whatever I can on the LET. That’s what I’ve got in mind, to compete on the Symetra. That would make up around 23 tournaments, plus 10 or 11 on the European tour, so all in all, more than 30 tournaments this year.

That’s a lot of tournaments. Do you think you’re physically and mentally prepared to take on so many?
Yes, last year I tried it and I loved it. It was one more year of practice to see what it was like there, in America, as it was my first year there not being in College and I liked it a lot.

Will you be at the Reserva Invitational? Can you fit it in?
This tournement was a big surprise and I´m very happy. I’d love to go. I hope I can, but we’ll have to see how things go. If not, I’m sure there’ll be plenty more opportunities and I’ll go as soon I can to support ladies golf. The Santander Tour is another, I’ll try and play as many as I can. After California, we’ll fly straight to Malaga to play in Lauro Golf.

Do you know La Reserva course?
I’ve heard great things about the course, and it looks spectacular on the photos. I’d love to play it. I hope the tournament is held for many years to come and I can take part on some occasions.

You came second in Australia with Luna Sobron as your caddie…it was very special.
I’m really grateful to Luna because she took me along as a caddie in an LPGA and I learned so much. I had the opportunity to see players close up, learn from great players, find out what it was like to be there which was my ultimate objective, of course. The sooner I learn how to react before different situations and how to keep cool on the course, the better I will be. At the following tournament, she hadn’t made the cut and I told her on the Saturday that I needed a caddie and she volunteered. We had a great time. It was special.

At what stage of your career would you say you are at now?
Let’s say that I started off quite strong. I won my second tournament as a professional and that raised my expectations. Then golf has a way of bringing you back down to earth and the last two years have not been difficult, but maybe a little disappointing. Still, you learn. The important thing is to keep looking forward and take the positives from it. You can’t lose your enthusiasm; that’s something I’m never lacking.

You don’t have the life of a typical 24-year-old. Golf forces you to make many sacrifices
Yes and no. I don’t look at them as sacrifices because it’s my life. I’m 100% committed to this. I train from when the sun comes up to when it goes down, but I do that because this is what I want to do. I’d rather be on the golf course than in the street. So, it’s not difficult for me, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice.

You lead a very healthy life, for example you look after what you eat
Yes, I’ve always believed that good nutrition is important, not just sport but also for your life in general. It’s something you need to do to be happy and feel good about yourself.

How many hours a day do you train?
I try to train for seven to eight hours on golf, plus an extra two on physical work. So more or less nine a day.

What’s a professional training routine like?
I get to the golf course between 8:00 and 8:30 in the morning. My routine is to putt for two to three hours, then practice the short game, the approach or distance control. Then, in the afternoon, I practice ball-hitting technique with my coach, or I go on the course and I play holes using different shots. I measure the distances to learn about my clubs and, particularly during the week before a competition, I get in the competition frame of mind, go out on the course and aim for results. Luckily, there are younger players at my club who train there, and I sometimes compete with them if I can.

Marta Figueras, as head of the LET Council, is aiming to establish 30 tournaments a year. If she manages this, do you think you would return to Europe to compete?
I honestly believe she is doing a great job. Three tournaments this year in Spain is a great achievement. The problem is it needs a lot of support. What we, the players, don’t understand is why in a country such as Germany, where there is a lot of business, there are no tournaments. The previous Management destroyed the European circuit and we were all extremely annoyed and disappointed. However, a lot of work is being put in and I know that Marta and her team are moving in the right direction.

I believe that it was the players themselves who encouraged her to run for the LET
It’s her passion and she’s doing all she can to help us. The other year, when she started to talk to people, she didn’t really want to do it, but on the other hand, golf is her passion and she’s particularly interested in women’s golf. So, who better than her to represent us? It’s true though that it’s very hard and I wish her luck. All in all, it’s a stressful job and she needs the support of more people. She knows that the players are behind her, especially the ones in Spain, and I hope everything works out fine for her.

Right now, there’s a very good roster of Spanish player
It’s true that many good players are coming up and I hope it stays that way because I know that lots of highly-motivated amateurs are coming through the ranks. They want to take the step up and take women’s golf further.

Blume is doing a great job.
I was lucky enough to be at Blume with Marta Figueras as coach, and those years were the best of my life. I grew up so much, both as a golfer and a person. They showed me the values you need to have and, as a result, I made my mind up 100% to dedicate my life to this sport.

How would you describe your golf?
I’m a girl who is very passionate about the sport and I’m lucky to have enough power to make the ball go very far. I’m skilful, so I’m quite good around the green and on the approach. Plus, this year, I worked hard with the irons during pre-season with my coach. We’ve worked very hard on this part because I had to increase my Green in Regulation average. Now, I’ve got to lower my putting average. That’s the only problem I’ve got.

Putting is hard in general for golfers
That’s because we are very nervous, and we think too much. The Koreans are an exception. They are like robots. But of course, we Europeans have lots of passion and enthusiasm when it comes to the final. It’s all in the mind. You’ve got to be relaxed when you’re putting.

Which do you hate the most in a tournament – the first drive or the last putt?
Well, I like them both. On the first drive, I just let go and it’s the same with the last putt. There’s an interesting anecdote that we have often talked about when we get together with caddies. We have said that with every player we work with, you can always hear that final sigh of relief. When they sink the putt and pick the ball up, they always exhale loudly. I’ve been watching out for it recently and it’s true that we all do it. My favourite part is the last putt, especially if it’s to win. I love the pressure and the more adrenaline, the better.

Is that why you smile even during the most stressful parts of a round?
Yes, I love that feeling. I’m happy, I’m in my place, this is my environment. I enjoy it. The more people who come to see me, the better.

Could you ever see yourself doing anything other than golf?
No. I’m golf, golf and more golf – unless I get injured. And even if I get injured, I would still carry on playing.

You played the mixed tournament in Australia. What do you think of that type of tournament?
I love it, because you can also see how men do things; how they talk to each other and how they think. They have different ways of doing things. I think we women can learn a lot from them, especially how they simplify things more. I loved it in Morocco, and I think the European tournament should be considered, and I know LET is interested.

Who is your golfing idol?
Severiano is somebody I’ve seen in lots of videos. I never met him in person, but I’ve watched him a lot. And I’ve followed Azahara and Carlota since I’ve been at Blume. Jon Rahm, too, because we’ve been together at Blume and he’s great. I always said that he would be somebody incredible. He’s going to be number one. He’s going to achieve it.

What’s your dream in golf?
My dream is to be World Number One. I’ve always said this and it’s now much more within my grasp. In the end, in golf, passion and entertainment will always win.

Good luck Nuria. We’ll keep a close eye on you, returning that smile you give to us and supporting you as you chase your dream so you can tell us all about it. It’s safe to say that talent and personality are not things you’re lacking.

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