Renew or die. Progress or regress. Look forward or stagnate. The Gecko Tour has opted for the first option in each and every version one can imagine of this vital dilemma. The fifth edition of the Gecko, which kicked off at the end of October, has been marked by one word: revolution.
It all began with a visceral change in aesthetics. The website, the logo and even the name were renewed. The pro was dropped, in an attempt to enhance the brand, the impact. The Gecko or The Gecko, as you prefer, has taken a leap in quality. Better courses, more three-day tournaments, Pro-Am Series and the same close collaboration with the Ernie Els Foundation that fights childhood autism. It’s the charity version.
The friendly lizard continues to grow in the heat of the Costa del Sol and with the growing confidence of professionals and amateurs who battle it out every week for tournaments that award between 10,000 and 20,000 euros. The Gecko has combined a perfect blend of experience and youth. There are experienced players who bet on this circuit to stay in shape, compete with new talents and reopen the door, why not, to the European Tour. There are the examples of Manuel Quirós, Gabriel Cañizares, Carlos Rodiles, Carlos Balmaseda, Carlos del Moral, Eirik Tage Johansen or Mark Tullo? Players, all of them, who not only print quality to the Gecko, but serve as a model and reference for young people who come squeezing behind.
The Gecko has also become the perfect test bed for those talents who want to make the leap to the elite and need to prepare in winter. Where better than under the climate of the Costa del Sol? They come from all over Europe ready to take on the world. Just ask Marcus Kinhult, Swedish amateur, World Number Three, who came, saw and won. He won in his debut at the Gecko, in the first round played at Torrequebrada Golf Club. The Englishman Jimmy Mullen, one of the great promises of British golf, also played that tournament. Kinhult would get the European Tour card a couple of weeks later.
The Andalusian gross domestic product has also triumphed so far this season. Alfonso Gutiérrez achieved one of the most emotional victories in the history of the Gecko, Carlos Rodiles was equally faithful to his appointment with the triumph and Marcos Pastor demonstrated that not even a broken foot can defeat the ambition of a champion. And we must not forget the important role of women in the Gecko. The level of female participation is more powerful every day. Noemí Jiménez, Lauralie Migneaux, Laura Cabanillas, Carmen Alonso, Annabel Dimmock, Mayte Vizcarrondo or Nuria Iturrios show that in the Gecko the girls are also warriors.
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