The Copa de Andalucía is the starting signal for the great amateur competition in Spain. There is no better way to test how Christmas has been for the best talents in our country. A glance at the list of winners of the men’s and women’s tournaments is enough to gauge the enormous importance of this event, which has been held since 2007 in boys and 2013 in girls.
Both tournaments start this Monday. The men’s category will be played at the Real Club de Golf de Guadalmina for the fourth consecutive year, while Atalaya Golf Club will be the venue for the women’s event. One thing is certain. There will be a new champion in both men’s and women’s categories this season. The current winners are Iván Cantero and María Parra, two players who have already made the leap to the professional world.
As we say, the list of winners of the tournament is more than brilliant. Alfonso Castiñeira, Carlos Pigem, Pedro Erice, Manuel Couto, Juan Francisco Sarasti, Víctor Pastor, Jordi Flotats, Adrá Arnaus, Pep Anglés and Iván Cantero have all won. Of all of them, several are already making a living in the professional world, as is the case of Pigem, Sarasti, Anglés and Cantero himself, who is taking his first steps. Arnaus seeks to repeat the triumph he achieved in 2014.
A priori, the great Spanish favorites for victory are Ángel Hidalgo from Málaga, Alejandro Aguilera, Adriá Arnaus, Javier Sainz, Asier Aguirre, Santiago Vega de Seoane, Pablo Rodríguez-Tabernero, Eduard Rousaud, Alejandro del Rey, Ignacio Montero or Víctor Pastor from Córdoba (winner in 2012) are other Spanish players. Another golfer called to do very well is Marcus Svensson, Swedish by birth but Andalusian by adoption. He is federated by Andalusia and also plays in Guadalmina. We must count on him. Among the foreigners, the Finnish Kim Koivu stands out .
The tournament is played over 72 Stroke Play holes in four consecutive days, 18 holes each day. The last day will be played only by the 50 best classified and equal in this position. The tournament is valid for the Boy National Ranking and the World Ranking.
As for the girls, the search is on for a successor to María Parra, who has dominated the Copa de Andalucía in the last two years. She won in 2016 at Villapadierna-Alferini and in 2015 at the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. If the men’s list of winners is impressive, the women’s list is no less so. In addition to María Parra, Ana Peláez and Nuria Iturrios have won this event. Almost nothing. Parra has the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour card and Iturrios has already won on the European Tour.
Among the favorites to relieve Parra are Paula Neira, Raquel Olmos, Amaia Ubide, Irene Rollán, Natalia Aseguinolaza, the Andalusian Sara Navarro, Teresa and Cecilia Díez-Moliner, Blanca Fernández or the Murcian Dimana Viudes. A lot of young women and a high level.
The women’s tournament is played over 54 holes in Stroke Play over three consecutive days, 18 holes each day. At the end of the second day, a cut will be established for the first 50 and the tied 50. It is also valid for the World Ranking, as well as for the Absolute, Girl and Cadet Women National Rankings. A total of 90 players will participate.
Leave a Reply