It has not been a bed of roses to climb into the top 10 of the world amateur golf ranking (his best position so far has been eighth), but neither has it been a painful journey, especially because he loves what he does and passionately enjoys the time he devotes to his favorite sport. Álvaro Mueller-Baumgart Lucena, a 16-year-old son of German and Spanish parents from Malaga, started playing golf at the age of 3 when his father took him to a public driving range near their home, “and I’ve been hooked ever since”. Trained -like Azahara Muñoz, Noemí Jiménez, Ángel Hidalgo and many other champions- at the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina School, Álvaro had an extraordinary season last year in which he won the Spanish International Under 18 Championship, the Spanish Absolute Championship and the Spanish National Under 18 Championship.
-Where do you see golf’s greatest attraction compared to other sports, such as soccer, which you also enjoy?
-What differentiates golf from other sports like soccer for me is the pressure you feel when you are playing because every shot counts.
-What has the RCG Guadalmina Golf School given you as an athlete and as a person?
-Thanks to Guadalmina Golf School I have kept my interest in golf. They have great teachers who make the lessons fun, but what sets Guadalmina Golf School apart from the others are all the kids they have and the friendships you make in the lessons.
-What are your nearest sporting objectives for this year?
-This year I would love to win an Interautonomico with the Andalusian team since last year we were so close. A closer goal is to defend my title in the U18 Spanish Championship.
-What has been your greatest satisfaction as a golfer so far?
-No doubt winning the absolute Spanish Championship, winning by one stroke with a birdie on the last one was incredible.
-And the biggest disappointment?
-Although last year was pretty good, losing in the first round of the European Team Championships, after winning the medal and with the great team we had, was pretty tough.
-What did you think or feel when you saw yourself in the top 10 of the world ranking?
-It was very nice but the truth is that I don’t give much importance to the world ranking, because for me the most important thing is that I am the best player I can be.
-You plan to study at a university in the U.S. What do you think that experience will bring you, especially as a golfer?
-I hope it will help me a lot to develop as a player, I will be able to play in courses very similar to the PGA tour with very good people and I think it will help me when I become a pro.
-Among your aspirations is to become a professional. What goals would you like to achieve in that field?
-In professional golf I would like to make it to the European Tour. It’s been one of my dreams since I was a kid and I don’t think there could be a better way to make a living.
-With which of the current great players do you feel most identified and why?
-The truth is that I don’t feel very identified with any of them because nowadays everybody hits 300 meters with the drive and I still don’t hit that much. I also think that my style of play is unique and I would like to keep it that way.
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