For the first time in its 13 years of history, the Andalucía Golf Challenge-Destination PGA Riviera Maya by Bahía Príncipe Circuit held one of its events at the La Monacilla course in Huelva – and it was a great success. As with most of the tournaments on this circuit, the "sold out" sign had to be hung out in advance. La Monacilla is a superb design by José María Olazábal that proved to be a pleasant surprise for those not previously familiar with the course. Many players travelled from the Costa del Sol, Sevilla and central Spain to take part in the tournament.

The day was magnificent, sunny and with a light breeze towards the end – the perfect temperature to play golf. The level of play was extremely high and the top three places that earned players the right to compete in the final – where five magnificent trips to Riviera Maya next October will be decided – were hotly contested.

As for the tournament results, the scratch winner was Fernando Alonso Oses, with 35 points. In category one, Alberto García del Castillo won with 37 points, followed by Elías Plaza López-Berges (35) and Pablo Cascajo López (also 35). In category two, the winner was Juan Carlos Carrasco Rodriguez (39 points), second was José Manuel Castilla Requena (38) and third Tomás Gómez Fernández (37).

In addition to prizes for the top three players in each category and the scratch winner, there were also two special prizes for closest to the pin. The prize on the 12th hole was sponsored by Bodega Bernardino, one of the best restaurants in the area, and the prize of a shoulder of Iberian ham was won by Juan Cruz Campoy. Closest to the 10th hole was Cristina Santos Mozo.

(PHOTO GALLERY AT THE END OF THIS TOURNAMENT REPORT) 

The La Monacilla event was the third of as many as 30 tournaments scheduled to be held during the 13th edition of this hugely popular open amateur circuit, organised by Andalucía Golf/España Golf magazine. The Circuit will cover most Andalucian provinces, in addition to other areas of central Spain, with the majority of events being held on the Costa del Sol.

The Circuit’s grand finale, which will decide the five winners of trips to the Mexican Caribbean, will be held at Almenara on 30 September, followed by a gala dinner at Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús. 

Access to the final will be direct for the winners of each category and the leading scratch player in all the qualifying tournaments, while the rest of the places in the final will be awarded based on the Benahavís Ranking, calculated from points obtained in each leg.

The next event will be on Saturday 1 April en el Royal Sevilla Golf Club, designed by José María Olazábal. 

ENTRY REGISTRATION


DESTINATION PGA RIVIERA MAYA by BAHÍA PRÍNCIPE

The grand finale of the circuit will decide the five winners of one-week all-inclusive trips to the Bahía Príncipe resort in Riviera Maya, with golf at PGA Riviera Maya, El Camaleón Mayakoba and Playa Paraíso. The top two finishers in each category and the scratch winner in the final, to be played on 30 September at Almenara, will travel to the Mexican Caribbean.

PLANNED DATE FOR THE TRIP

28 October to 4 November 2023

The PRIZE INCLUDES:

- Flights from Málaga or Madrid to Cancun (round trip)

- Transfers between the airport and hotel

- All-inclusive accommodation at the 5-star Grand Tulum Bahía Príncipe hotel

- Golf at PGA Riviera Maya, El Camaleón Mayakoba and Playa Paraíso

The Circuit is sponsored by Benahavís Town Hall, Turismo Costa del Sol, Bahía Príncipe, Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús, Vivienda del Trading and Marca Marbella. The main collaborators are Holiday Golf Estates, Fairway+blue and D.O. Somontano. Cadena SER and Andalucía Golf/España Golf magazine are the Circuit's official media outlets.

BENAHAVÍS

Benahavís is a town with a rich Andalucian flavour, highlighted by narrow white streets, typically Arab, most of which lead to sunny squares. It is a welcoming town where you can enjoy nature and luxury developments, carefully integrated into the natural landscape and enveloped by golf courses meandering around the slopes of the Serranía de Ronda mountain range. Founded by the Arabs, under the protection of a 10th century fortress, Benahavís today is a perfect combination of tradition and modernity – a charming town that offers endless possibilities as a first-class tourist destination.

COSTA DEL SOL TOURISM

Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning is a public-owned company operating under the auspices of the Málaga provincial government (Diputación) and whose main objective is to promote the province as a tourist destination and to support economic growth, by designing and undertaking projects at the service of private companies and public entities. It is dedicated to providing professional consultancy, advice and services in the following areas: tourist and business development, tourist and territorial planning, new technologies and modernisation of the tourism industry, and tourism marketing. It is a technical instrument set up for departments of the Diputación and municipalities, municipal authorities, associations and other public or private organisations associated with the development of Málaga province.

BAHÍA PRÍNCIPE

Bahía Príncipe Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain owned by Grupo Piñero, a prestigious Spanish family group that has interests throughout the high-end holiday industry network. Managed entirely by the Piñero family, the company has 27 hotels with more than 14,000 rooms, and is grouped under four categories: Bahía Príncipe Sunlight, Bahía Príncipe Grand, Bahía Príncipe Luxury and Bahía Príncipe Fantasia. The hotel chain has a presence in the most attractive locations in the Dominican Republic, Mexico), Jamaica and Spain.

GRAN HOTEL GUADALPÍN BANÚS

This five-star, frontline beach resort is located in the Nueva Andalucía (Marbella) area, just a 15-minute walk from the famous Puerto Banús marina. Offering tailor-made golf packs, Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús and CostaSol Deluxe can organise your golf getaway so you don't have to worry about anything. Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús is recognised as an elite and cosmopolitan option for those who are looking for the best hotels in Marbella. Only six kilometres separate it from Marbella’s town centre, highlighted by its charming Old Town with cobble-stoned streets and ancient churches – a wonderful place to visit.

VIVIENDODELTRADING.COM

The best manager of your capital is you. Learn to invest in a diversified and efficient way so that your money works for you. Viviendo del Trading has been training people for more than 10 years to manage their own capital with realistic expectations – and to enjoy a simple, easy and calm management process. Viviendo del Trading currently comprises seven people, six of whom are traders and investors. It is tremendously difficult and quite rare to bring together a team of traders with different profiles and specialities.

MARCA MARBELLA

Marbella is synonymous above all else with quality of life, an exceptional tourist destination that has been recognised worldwide for decades – with its image associated with the luxury, glamour and social status of other iconic resorts such as Monte Carlo and Saint Tropez. The keys to its success, attracting millions of visitors every year, are varied, highlighted by its extraordinary climate, its hotel infrastructure, its marinas, its beaches extending along 27 kilometres of coastline, its wide and varied range of leisure activities, and its many sports facilities, including 15 golf courses in the municipality.

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