Rocío Tejedo’s list of achievements is amazing even though she is just sixteen years old. She became the first Spaniard to win the the German Girls 2023 in June. Furthermore, she won the Sotogrande European Nations Cup, the women’s Copa Catalunya and the Copa Andalucía, achieving 24^th position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Her family is her unconditional support and her sister, Carla Tejedo,  is her role model.

There is no doubt that playing the Ping Junior Solheim Cup and the Ryder Junior Cup afterwards, and winning both, has been an experience that will mark Rocio’s future. In those tournaments the Castellonese golfer has been able to meet the best women and men golf players in the world: “The truth is that I’m very happy to have been able to experience all these emotions. There have been very nice weeks. Obviously, it is not the same as being a professional, but the Solheim as much as the Ryder are the closest tournaments to the professional world. You are treated as if you were one and I think that we deserve it after all the effort behind them. I am very grateful to the people who created this kind of tournament because they are wonderful”.

The Zagaleta is a completely private course to which only the owners of the houses in the urbanization have access. Its singular design, its natural surroundings and its excellent preservation are its signs of identity: “It is very exclusive, as we already knew. I had never played in a course so private as this, but it was exquisite.  Even when you had a bad swing you could enjoy it because the conditions were perfect, and I think we have been the envy of a lot of people. It is a course in which you can make a lot of birdies, but if you have a bad day, you can do a lot of bogeys also” Rocío explains.

With Andrea Revuelta, they were the fortunate ones to open the competition sweeping the foursome of the morning: “We took advantage because we are closer. Our team was very consolidated and on top of all that, I played with Andrea who is Spanish, and we have played together many times. It was much better and easier”, Rocío says.  However, she wasn’t happy with the result in the afternoon: “When you play a team tournament, to fail a swing and lose a hole affects you much more. You must try to fight through it all and, that’s why for me, winning a point was more important”.

After the two first days, the European team played the individual matches with an important advantage, but the captain knew that there was still a long way to go: “We were told to be very concentrated. Years ago, there was the miracle at Medinah when the team fought back, and they ended up winning, and we knew that this year the American team could do the same, that’s why we should give it our all. Only this way we can achieve something”.

Finally, the local combination kept the trophy and Rocío could enjoy close-up the moment of triumph: “It has been fantastic to finish the last one and celebrate all together. To see that the team is waiting for you to celebrate the victory was a magical moment. All the audience applauding!  For me, it has been a dream come true”.

Architecture or Engineering are the two options that Rocío has in mind for her future career. Even though she is very young, she has her life quite well planned: “I’ll go to the USA to study the four years at the university and after that I’ll try to become a professional. I can see myself playing golf for a few years, but I want to have a good degree just in case that is not for me, or when I am a certain age, to be able to dedicate myself to what I have studied and form a family”.

Her analytic and serious character contrasts with Carla’s, a companion of her childhood and of golf: “My sister is much more open than me, she is a lot of fun, she doesn’t take everything as a joke because she is very centred, but she is happier, and I think I should do the same. I go about my own business, concentrating and even though it doesn’t look like I am enjoying it because I am serious, I do enjoy it all.”

Carla couldn’t share this unique experience alongside her sister due to her studies in the USA, however she supported her from afar: “She has told me she would have loved to participate in this experience, that I enjoyed it at the full, sharing it with my family, shouting and enjoying one hundred per cent and that’s what I set out to do”. Rocío explains.

Carlota Ciganda y Azahara Muñoz are some of Rocío’s role models in golf, but there is no doubt that her biggest admiration is always towards her sister: “I hope to follow in her steps, to be like her, not just as a player, but also as a person. Sometimes I wonder who is better than me in golf and I can only think of one person, my sister”.