Noemí Jiménez Martín was born in Marbella. Her mother was a black belt in karate and her father was a professional golf player. It was inevitable that she would be a golf player. Her first memory was practising a swing with a mop handle and since then she has had one dream only: playing in the Solheim Cup. In this interview she tells us about this and other dreams and her passion for golf.
How did you start playing golf and how old were you?
She laughs when she says it was her father’s fault. He is a professional golf player and golf was very important at home. One of my first memories is practicing a swing with the mop handle and Christmas balls. I was one year old.
When did you realize you could become a professional golf player?
I realized it from the moment I started being part of national teams and mainly when I was at university. Azahara Muñoz is one of my models and I wanted to follow her example and go to university in the United States and see what happened. And so I did. Once I was there, I improved a lot and then, I really decided I wanted to be a golf player.
What is your golf dream?
This is an easy question. However, I do not have one dream only. I want to play in the Solheim Cup, go to the Olympics as part of the Spanish team and win a big tournament. I know that I have to go step by step because golf is a long-distance race. If I had to choose one I would say I would choose playing in the Solheim Cup. I had the opportunity to see a Ryder Cup live and even though I was only a spectator I felt goose bumps. I cannot imagine what it would be like to take part as a player.
What are your models in women’s golf?
As I mentioned before, Azahara Muñoz and also Lidia Ko have been my examples. I am impressed by their calmness and serenity when they play golf. Concerning men’s golf players, I admire Jon Rham. He was also a university classmate in the United States and I am very happy for his success. Jon has always shown a very positive attitude and he has always believed in himself. Being self-confident is one of the keys to success. However, there are many golf players that I admire for different reasons, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Olazábal, Sergio García, Rafa Cabrera, well, and many others. Regarding international players, I like Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods the most.
At present, Finca Cortesín is one of your sponsors. Tell us how this relationship started.
I am sure I do not have to mention to Golf Circus readers that in women’s golf, unless you are within the top 5 players, you cannot survive without a sponsor as you do not have enough resources to develop a career. As you can well imagine, I am very grateful to Finca Cortesín for all their support and encouragement during the last three years.
I’m sure you know the golf course very well. Could you tell us about Finca Cortesín?
From a player’s point of view Finca Cortesín is a spectacular golf course. In recent years, all the works that have been carried out there make Finca Cortesín a top golf course and the work of its Green keeper, Ignacio Soto has been incredible. Regarding service and customer satisfaction, anyone who has visited the complex has witness the exquisiteness of details and personal attention displayed there that makes you feel in paradise.
How important do you think social networking sites are?
I think social networking sites are part of our lives nowadays and golf is no exception. You have to learn to use them efficiently and if you use them well, they are an undeniable marketing tool. Social networking sites are a window to display what you do and make yourself known to people and companies that did not know that you existed. In my case, I contacted one of my sponsors, Farmastein, by using social networking sites.
Will you focus on the Ladies European Tour exclusively next year?
My plan is playing the Ladies European Tour completely. Obviously, I have to combine a minimum of six tournaments of the LET Access Series and try to compete in the majors. The Solheim Cup is also played this year so I am going to do my best to have the opportunity to play in it.
Do you think you are prepared to go and play in America?
Well, I think it is better to be patient and go step by step. My projects have the objective of playing in the European Tour and living this experience at ease. Thus, I can see if I have good chances to win in Europe and then go to play in America.