The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, which was scheduled to be held from April 30 to May 3 and had to be postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, will be the only European Tour tournament to be held in Spain this season and will finally be played from September 3 to 6. The coordination of all the entities involved in its implementation, both private and public, has been staged at the press conference held on Tuesday July 14 at the Real Club Valderrama and serves as a magnificent metaphor for the unity needed to face the future with enthusiasm. Once again, golf becomes an essential engine for Spain and Andalusia and demonstrates its commitment to society.
Peter Adams, director of the championship and representative of the European Tour at the event, made clear in his speech the gratitude of the circuit to all the institutions involved in it, which have not hesitated to prioritize the holding of the tournament to offer a message of optimism and hope.
“We are able to make this announcement thanks to the support of our partners and collaborators, and we are especially indebted to Nuno Brito e Cunha, president of Real Club Valderrama, Javier Reviriego, its general manager and the club’s board for accepting the change of dates and hosting the tournament in September. On the other hand, we are delighted that both Jorge Villavechia and his Estrella Damm team and the Junta de Andalucía as a whole, represented here by the Secretary General of Tourism Manuel Muñoz, have supported us. We are also grateful for the support of the RFEG and the RFAG, especially for the help they have given us as interlocutors with the various authorities in relation to the protocols necessary to hold the tournament given the current situation with covid-19, and the constant support of San Roque and its mayor,” Adams recapitulated in his speech.
“In these difficult and unprecedented times, the strength of these friendships and relationships allows us to form a team capable of organizing a tournament in Valderrama facing the challenges posed by covid-19. Top-level professional golf will return to Spain, fans will have the opportunity to cheer on their heroes and they, the best players in the world, will compete in wonderful Andalusia, making it clear that both Andalusia and Spain are open and willing to welcome golf tourists once again,” concluded the European Tour representative at the event.
Javier Reviriego, general manager of Real Club Valderrama, insisted on the main lines of Adams’ message and emphasized the special character that this edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters is going to have.
“We have lived through some complicated months and it has not been an easy decision to continue holding the tournament, but we have considered that we had the opportunity and also the obligation to contribute to reactivate the economy and tourism, so necessary at this time. We also feel obliged to be with the European Tour in these delicate moments. This is the 26th tournament to be held at the Real Club Valderrama and we had to stand by the professionals and sponsors and support them to the maximum,” explained Reviriego.
In addition, the Real Club Valderrama wants to emphasize the social character of the tournament with measures of deep significance at the local level.
“It is going to be a special event, we still don’t know if there will be public and the priority is safety, but we want Valderrama to be a golf party within the circumstances. We will follow at all times the guidelines of the health authorities and we will make the best tournament that the circumstances allow us. We wanted this year’s tournament to have a strong social character and we are going to contribute with an important economic donation to alleviate the consequences of the pandemic at a local level. We want to send out a message of optimism that reinforces the image of our sport, golf, which is committed to society and is an important driver of tourism,” added the club’s general manager.
Reviriego gave a quick and accurate summary of the current situation with regard to the tournament’s staff and financial endowment.
“We still don’t have confirmation of players, it will depend a lot on the travel restrictions. For example, the US Open is played two weeks later, if there is a quarantine in the United States, Sergio Garcia could not come. We can assume that the situation will evolve for the better in the next seven weeks”.
“The prize purse is also not decided. If there are benefits that we could not offer to the sponsors, such as hospitality tents, it is possible that there will be a readjustment, but it will be seen in the coming weeks. In addition, part of the money will go to social aid,” explained Reviriego. “I think the most important thing this year is to move the tournament forward, to convey an image of security and to build for the 2021 edition. We will make the best tournament that circumstances allow. It is an unprecedented date for us, but the field will be in perfect condition.”
Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, referred to the importance of the Real Club Valderrama in the European concert, the importance of this tournament for the image of golf in the world, and the security of golf as a sport.
“I would like to highlight the supportive and generous attitude shown by the Real Club Valderrama with its commitment to keep the tournament. Getting it to be held shows the confidence that all the sponsors have in this club that changed the history of European golf,” said the president of the RFEG. “The tournament will be a very important media focus for people to see that golf is a sport without danger of contagion. In addition, it will contribute to the recovery of tourism and the economy in the second half of the year, something very necessary at this time”.
Pablo Mansilla, president of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, also highlighted the absence of risks in the practice of golf and the suitability of Andalusia as a tourist destination.
“Holding this tournament is very important for everyone, especially for two reasons: it is important for golf because it helps to show that it is a very safe sport, and it is important for Andalusia, to show that it is the best place to be right now.”
For his part, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, mayor of San Roque, wanted to remember the people who have faced with courage the crisis of covid-19 from their jobs and stressed the importance of the tournament for the area.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the health personnel and professionals in sectors such as food, logistics and security who are on the front line of the battle against covid- 19,” said Ruiz Boix. “In addition, I would like to highlight the attitude of the Real Club Valderrama and especially its director, Javier Reviriego, for seeking a response to the situation other than the suspension of the tournament. The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters is very important to revive the economy of San Roque, which has nine golf courses, the best in Spain, with Valderrama at the head”.
Finally, Manuel Muñoz, Secretary General for Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía, closed the event by conveying a clear idea.
“The celebration of the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters is a milestone for the Junta de Andalucía because we want to convey the message that Andalucía is a safe place and it is important to give a sense of normality. In April the situation was very difficult, so we are proud to be able to present this great tournament,” explained the secretary general. “The championship will allow us to showcase our important tourism resources to the whole world through golf. In addition, it will help us enhance our leadership as a golf destination. This activity generates 700 million euros a year in Andalusia, as one million people come to our land to play golf as their main motivation.”
After resuming its activity in Austria with the celebration of two tournaments also valid for the Challenge Tour, the European Tour will continue its journey with a six-week tour of the United Kingdom before the action reaches Spain and Portugal, where the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters will be played from September 3 to 6 and then the Portugal Masters from 10 to 13 of the same month.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters will be the 25th individual tournament on the European Tour to take place at the prestigious Real Club Valderrama, the first course in continental Europe to host the Ryder Cup in 1997, an edition in which the great Seve Ballesteros led the European team to victory, and will be part of the remodeled Race to Dubai 2020.
The tournament will be governed by the Tour’s comprehensive health strategy, developed by Dr. Andrew Murray, its medical director, and will be bolstered by the innovative “Golf for Good” initiative, which aims to support the communities through which the European Tour passes, reward real heroes (such as the staff tackling the fight against covid on the front line) and promote the many health benefits of golf.
Last year, Christiaan Bezuidenhout won his first European Tour title on a course that is always a great challenge, winning by six strokes over a chasing pack that included four Spaniards, including Jon Rahm, the current world number two.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour tournament valid for the Race to Dubai that is held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Ministry of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration of the Andalusian Regional Government, as well as being co-financed with European funds and declared an Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government, and supported by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation. The tournament is also supported by Rolex, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Maui Jim, Grupo Hospitalario Quirónsalud and the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation are official suppliers.
In the photo illustrating this information, the members of the presidential table during the press conference at the Real Club Valderrama. From left to right: Gonzaga Escauriaza, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, Javier Reviriego, Manuel Muñoz and Pablo Mansilla (photo © Real Club Valderrama).
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