Staff WriterThe La Sella Open is back, and Spain’s own Nuria Iturrioz is rolling into Dénia with the kind of form that makes the locals start dusting off their trophy shelves.
From 18–21 September, La Sella Golf will host the third edition of the €1,000,000 showcase — the richest women’s golf event in Spain — and the field looks like it’s been handpicked to keep the drama level somewhere between Shakespeare and a Sergio García tantrum.
Iturrioz, who lifted the La Sella Open trophy in 2023, arrives this time with wind in her sails. The 28-year-old Spaniard snapped a two-year title drought in Houston last weekend, birdieing three of her final five holes to take down Charley Hull by two shots. That victory handed her a fifth Ladies European Tour crown, and the timing couldn’t be better.
“I’m really excited to go because it has good memories for me,” said Iturrioz. “I think it’s a great golf course and I’m looking forward to trying to do my best.”
She added: “At La Sella Open they put a lot of effort into making us feel comfortable and they are always asking us how they can improve, and I know they are trying to do their best to make it look like a Major.”
A Tournament Punching Above Its Weight
This isn’t just another stop on the schedule. Voted Tournament of the Year by players in 2023 and winner of Best Player Services in 2024, the La Sella Open has earned a reputation as the LET’s overachiever.
Beyond the record prize pool, organisers are even paying €1,000 to players who miss the cut — a small but crucial safety net for those grinding through the season.
Germany’s Helen Briem knows exactly what the tournament means. The 20-year-old stunned the golf world by winning her debut LET event at La Sella last year and now returns to defend her crown.
“With a year of experience as a professional on the LET now, I think it’s the whole package,” said Briem. “Most of the players stay on site and with the apartments, the pools, the weather, a great golf course and great facilities, it doesn’t get a lot better than that.”
Rivalries Brewing
Fellow German Laura Fuenfstueck — runner-up here in 2023 and fresh off her first LET win at the PIF London Championship — is itching for another crack.
“Financially it helps a lot of players that have maybe not had a successful year so far, and with no Pro-am, you can just have four days of preparation,” she said. “I’m sure it’ll be a good field, nice and competitive and a lot of Spaniards are picking up in form so that’s always good for the home crowds. I’m sure Helen (Briem) is excited to try to defend her title and I’ll try to have a little say in that as well!”
Add in French veteran and tournament ambassador Celine Herbin — who has made Dénia her adopted home — and you’ve got yourself a cocktail of experience, youth, and national pride.
“I’m excited to play in front of the members, family, and crowd and to play on the course that I’ve played a lot of times, one I feel very comfortable on it so it’s going to be a fun week anyway whatever the result,” Herbin said.
The Course: Fair But Ferocious
La Sella Golf may offer resort pools and sunshine, but the course doesn’t hand out birdies like tapas at a beach bar. The rough near the greens is thick enough to swallow an iron whole, making accuracy the week’s non-negotiable.
“You need to be good with your iron game, you need to be precise, you cannot really miss a lot the greens because the rough is going to be a bit difficult to manage, so a precise iron game will definitely help to win the tournament,” Herbin explained.
That said, the reachable par fives could turn the leaderboard into a fireworks show. Expect eagles, momentum swings, and more plot twists than a Spanish soap opera.
What to Expect
Between Iturrioz’s homecoming, Briem’s title defence, and Fuenfstueck’s pursuit of redemption, the 2025 La Sella Open has all the makings of a classic.
On what fans should look forward to, Iturrioz put it bluntly: “The show from us! There are a lot of Spanish players here so I think they can come and watch us and learn a lot from us.”
Herbin added: “I think they’re going to see a very good level of golf, and we have the best players in Europe so it’s always fun to watch that.”
Best of all? It won’t cost you a cent. Entry to the La Sella Open is free for spectators, who can sign up for tickets online.
For a tournament that keeps raising the bar for women’s golf, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to spend four sunny days in September.
