Born in Guadiaro (January 1983) and raised “golfistically” in La Cañada, Alvaro Quiros is enthusiastic about the celebration of the Spanish Open at the Real Club Valderrama, next to his home, with Sergio Garcia as host. Winner of six European Tour titles, the last one in the final of the 2011 Race to Dubai, he is training hard to rub shoulders with the best players in the world again. This season he finished fourth at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February.
He started playing golf at the age of 9 and at 24 he won his first title on the European Tour, the Alfred Dunhill Championship 2007, followed by the Portugal Masters 2008, Commercialbank Qatar Masters 2009, Open de España 2010, Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2011 and Dubai World Championship 2011. Injuries slowed down an excellent career but the champion from Guadiaro continues training to regain his best form.
Álvaro Quirós: “Right now I’m working hard but seeing few results. Every night I go to bed thinking ‘I’ve done everything I could’, but, unfortunately, it’s only enough to fight to make the cuts. There are times when, no matter how much you want to, you cannot.
“I am aware that I am not yet ready to win a tournament, although I try to fight every shot. In spite of everything, the desire to fight is still intact and with that attitude I will play the Spanish Open at Valderrama, which I am very excited about.
“As a Spaniard and a golfer, playing the Open de España at Valderrama means a lot, it is the maximum, you can’t aspire to more, a course that has won so many prizes, that has hosted the best tournaments: Volvo Masters, the Ryder Cup, the World Golf Championships….
“For me it is even more special because it is next to my house, it makes me very excited. I remember when I was a child we were invited to play par 3 and there were prizes for everyone, we were given a box of chocolates. The special thing was to enter Valderrama, it was incredible, a very well-kept garden, everything perfect.
“It’s a pity that “Pisha” won’t be playing this year. I wish I could attract as many people as he does, he always attracts a huge crowd, but we’ll try to get them to come and cheer us on anyway.
“Valderrama is not long but it requires you to put the ball in the right place on every shot; it’s not enough to leave it 15 meters more or less, no, you have to leave it where the course asks you to. It goes a little against my game but I like to train there because it puts me on the edge of the impossible, it takes me to the mental limit and that forces me to make an effort, it’s the best training.
“The greens are small, most of them receive uphill and for me that is complicated. In April there should be no wind, although in this area you never know. After the pruning of the cork oaks it is now more playable and the new chipping-green area is very good, the players are going to love it. Whenever I can I train at Valderrama and I am very grateful to be able to do it in this great course.
“Winning the Spanish Open in Seville was incredible. The first memory that comes to my mind is the image of my mother approaching me on the 18th green. Golfistically speaking, I remember the putt I made on the 17th and the second shot on the 72nd hole: the ball bounced forward and I made a delicate six-meter putt to go out to play-off. On the playoff hole I went to the same place, hit the second shot one more meter, I made par and James Morrison went into the water. Winning was an incredible feeling, a dream come true”.
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