“Our idea is that every year the tournament consolidates itself as one of the best in the Circuit.”
If there is anyone in Andalusia who knows what it takes to manage a major international professional tournament in his field, it is undoubtedly Javier Reviriego. The general manager of the Real Club Valderrama experienced first-hand the celebration of the World Match Play Championship during his time at Finca Cortesín and, now in his current professional position, the Andalucía Valderrama Masters and the Open de España.
With a degree in Business from the University of Florida and an MBA with a specialization in golf course management, Reviriego, who is pictured here with the Andalusian Regional Minister of Tourism and Sports, Francisco Javier Fernández, is looking forward to this new challenge.
-What does the return of a great tournament like the Andalucía Valderrama Masters mean for Real Club Valderrama?
-For us it means a return to what Valderrama has always been, which is to host major professional tournaments, and we are very happy. The agreement we have made with the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and the European Tour is for five years and our idea is that every year the tournament grows, that it consolidates as one of the best on the Tour and the truth is that we have all the ingredients to make it happen. We have a magnificent date, we have a great host like Sergio and we have the Regional Ministry supporting the event and, of course, Valderrama.
Will the dates, in mid-October, be similar for all five years?
-The Tour calendar comes out every year, but our idea is that it will always be in October.
-What advantages does the choice of that date in the European Tour bring to the tournament in terms of the presence of great players?
It is very good for two reasons: on the one hand, there are players who are fighting for the possibility of entering Dubai, there are others who are playing for the card, the American Tour is already over, with so there is greater availability of European players playing there, so we are very happy with the date.
-Will the course present any novelty for the new stage of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters?
-We are about to finish our investment plan. The design has not changed since the times of the Volvo Masters, what has improved is the agronomy, that is to say, we have made a great investment to improve the irrigation, to improve the bunkers, to improve the tees, to improve the greens and greens, and all that in a month, October, which is very good for the course, which is a very good date, so I am convinced that we are going to present the course in magnificent conditions.
The presence of top-level players depends on several factors, one of them being the prizes…
-Well, it depends on many things. It depends, for example, on whether the player likes the course, and here we obviously have an advantage, it depends on the dates, that it does not coincide with other events, and of course on the prize money, and then we are lucky to have Sergio, who is supporting the tournament and who will surely be able to convince some of his friends to come and play.
-The prize money of the tournament has not yet been disclosed, but the aspiration is to become part of the Rolex Series of the European Tour, that is, the ones that give out more money…
-To be part of the Rolex Series the prize fund has to be seven million minimum. The objective that we have with the European Tour and the objective of the Tour is that we become a Rolex Series, because they have told us, and in that line we are working. Our objective is to be part of the Rolex Series.
-How have the negotiations with the Junta de Andalucía been: easy or complicated?
-The first meeting I had with the Minister (of Tourism and Sport) in March to present the Open de España was very good. I explained the project we had from Valderrama and I have to say that he welcomed it perfectly, he gave me his word that he was going to do everything possible to support the event, and he has complied, so I think it is a great compliment to the Minister because he has an excellent vision of tourism promotion, knowing perfectly the impact that golf has on Andalusian tourism, especially on the Costa del Sol, and I think the fact that he has opted to support the Andalucía Valderrama Masters is a clear sign that they support the sport and golf tourism.
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