IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT ANDALUCÍA HAS NO TOUR EVENT”

 

He is one of only two Spanish tournament directors for the European Tour, and is also deputy director of the European Challenge Tour. José María Zamora (born in Barcelona in 1969 but a Madrid resident since he was a child) certainly has a capacity for work… a man who knows the rules of golf better than anyone, as well as the mysteries and vagaries of the main professional competitions.

 

Are you worried about ending up without any work due to the lack of sponsors for tournaments and the resulting cancellation of Tour events?

Nothing is sure in life, but I believe that I’m doing my work well. Currently, in addition to being a tournament director for the European Tour, since August last year I have also been deputy director of the European Challenge Tour. This takes up a great deal of my time and I have to say that, fortunately, there are some days when I need more hours for all the projects we have.

What does being deputy director of the European Tour involve?

Basically, helping the director of the European Challenge Tour, Alain de Soultrait, with various projects, such as new tournaments in new areas (the Ukraine, China, Oman, South America), visiting new courses, the Challenge Tour regulations… The director will be retiring in a few years and there will need to be a replacement.

Do you still referee?

While this is one of my responsibilities as a tournament director, there are many other aspects of the job, in marketing, public relations, negotiations, organisation, etc., and, as there is one head referee at the course together with another six or seven referees, this area is very well covered and I can focus on other tournament aspects. We only referee full-time in the majors and Ryder Cup.

Spain has gone from having seven tournaments in 2011 to just one this year. What do you think about this calamity?

I think seven tournaments was nonsense, an unsustainable situation, and likewise I believe that one tournament is very few. Even taking into account the current economic situation, I believe it’s inconceivable that there is no event in Andalucía. Probably one of the few tourist segments that works particularly well is golf and, if no tournament is being held in Andalucía, this means that people will start to forget the destination if they don’t see it on the TV. It is highly probable that other destinations, such as Turkey and The Algarve, which do have tournaments, will become more relevant and many people will opt to have their holidays there. It is important to show the rest of the world that in Andalucía you can play golf in short sleeves in March and October.

Is it possibly true that tournaments are too expensive to hold in these times?

You can invest the amount you want to in tournaments. There are some tournaments with €1 million in prizemoney that could be held instead with €600,000, so the returns you achieve in having the tournament seen four hours live on TV for four consecutive days, throughout the world, is without a doubt greater than the investment. When tournaments are held with a budget of €10 million, companies take into account other factors such as brand image, providing value to clients, etc.

How many Tour events are you in charge of this year?

This year only four tournaments on the European Tour because, as I mentioned before, I have a lot of work with the European Challenge Tour. Over the next two years we will have to decide if I focus my career on the European Challenge Tour or continue as a European Tour tournament director.

United Arab Emirates, China, India… Where lies the future of the European Tour?

I would like to say the future is in Europe but in a few years I believe it will be in Asia, in general, as this is where the money and interest in major tournaments resides. I think the United Arab Emirates now has enough tournaments, and they have created a healthy competition atmosphere among themselves.

Can you tell us the most interesting story from your Tour career?

A couple… At the 2006 Ryder Cup (K Club), I refereed in the singles match between McGinley and Henry, and on the 18th a streaker jumped into the lake. I don’t believe they showed it on TV. Another tale, on a golfing level, is that I carded a hole-in-one on the 12th at Augusta.

Do you believe there will be a return to the times when Spain hosted the highest number of tournaments on the Tour?

I don’t believe so. We had our “bubble” as far as the number of tournaments was concerned, although I hope we once again have two or three, which is where I think we should be.