Ana Pelaez finished in a tie for fourth place at Pre-Qualifying and was one of six Spaniards in the top 20 last week at La Manga Club.
The 23-year-old made her professional debut at the Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande where she finished T42 individually and she produced the same result at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open.
In the LET’s season finale, Pelaez thrived while playing at home and put in a T11 performance with rounds of 71, 70, 74 and 72.
Having only been professional for a matter of months, the Spaniard admits is has already been a rollercoaster and she has learned a lot about herself.
“It has been a rollercoaster because when you turn pro, you want to be up there,” she said. “I felt like I was ready to be at the very top and I think I put some pressure on myself that I didn’t need.
“We worked on that my team and I and we found the right way to work and to basically compete with that pressure. For the past three weeks it has been great and hopefully for the next week also.”
Pelaez sailed through to the Final Qualifier at LET Q-School and is hoping to replicate her performance on the North and South Courses once again.
“I have always said that competing at home is a gift. The weather and the environment are different, and I absolutely love it,” she continued.
“I have enjoyed the courses a lot and also having my caddie with me makes everything so much easier. I’m not expecting much. Hopefully the same attitude and the same game – hopefully, we can keep that going and just chill and live in the moment.”
But Pelaez isn’t the only Spaniard to have turned professional in recent months as Elena Hualde is also through to the Final Stage after finishing tied for sixth last week.
Speaking about their friendship and turning professional at similar times, Pelaez was glad to be on the journey alongside her friend.
“I feel like we are all very lucky to have turned professional at the same time because we have been all together for the past 15 years or so,” she added.
“Doing everything together helps because you’re living a different world, but at the same time you’re with the same people and that makes it so much easier to have people that help outside of the golf course. We play and then we’re friends, so the environment is very healthy.”
Hualde is enjoying the home comforts of being back in Spain and credits her time at Auburn University for making her ‘dream come true’.
“I tried to qualify for the LPGA in the States but I’m taking the chance here this week and I hope that I can get in the top 20 at the Final Stage next week,” said the-23-year-old, who studied engineering.
“Going to the States and being at Auburn has helped me make my dream come true. I could study at the same time as playing golf, so now I can turn professional and make a living out of it.
“I love being with my family and that helps with my performance, feeling like I’m at home so I’m happy to be back.”
In Pre-Qualifying, Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio finished T6 alongside Hualde to ease through to the Final Qualifier this week.
The 29-year-old is happy with where her game is at and hopes past experience will help her succeed in the pressured environment.
“It has been great. I am feeling very comfortable, playing very well and hitting the ball very well so I’m going with the flow,” said Sanz Barrio, who sunk her first-ever hole-in-one in round two.
“This is my second time in LET Q-School. I did it six or seven years ago. I have done the LPGA Q-Series a lot, so I’m very used to it.
“I think you need to know how to handle yourself a little bit such as your nerves because you know how Q-School does to you. Hopefully I’m very experienced so that’s going with me.”
