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“Players will be impressed with the condition and presentation of the golf course”
Royal Valderrama’s general manager is extremely pleased that the club has secured the tournament. “For us,” says Javier Reviriego, “hosting the Open de España, a tournament with a history dating back more than 100 years and the second oldest in Europe, is a matter of great pride. The Open de España has a great tradition and has had some fantastic winners, and we believe it fits in perfectly with our club.”
- How was the choice of Valderrama as the venue for the tournament conceived?
- We’ve been working with the European Tour for months on a very ambitious project for the future. During these conversations, in January, they suggested the possibility of hosting the Open de España and we were delighted to accept. The new European Tour CEO, Keith Pelley, is making a great effort to revitalise historic tournaments on the Tour, and his view is that they should be held at the top courses.
- What does it mean for the club to be hosting the Open de España?
- Valderrama has hosted major professional tournaments since its early days. The Open de España has a great history and an impressive list of former winners. Our club values golf history and traditions highly, and that’s why the tournament fits in perfectly with our values. I believe it is a mistake to base the quality and prestige of a tournament only on the prize fund: history has enormous value and it is worth recalling that the top events around the world base their prestige on the past. A tournament that dates to 1912 warrants absolute respect and that is exactly what has motivated the European Tour to make such a significant commitment to the tournament.
- What effect will there be holding the tournament in April?
- For us it’s a considerable change. We have always hosted tournaments in autumn (October) and this year it will be in spring. We hope that fantastic weather will help the course shine on TV. It’s true that we haven’t had much preparation time, but we have complete confidence in Adolfo Ramos and his team. He is one of the best agronomists in the world and the course will be in excellent condition.
- What impact will Sergio García’s close involvement, through his foundation, have on the tournament?
- The European Tour is applying this model to many of its tournaments, such as with Rory McIlroy in Ireland and Ernie Els in South Africa. We all believe it is a fantastic way to add prestige to a tournament and that his support will be a key to it being a great success. Sergio is one of the sport’s major stars, he has been among the elite of international golf for many years, and he enjoys enormous respect on the Tour. He will be the tournament host, and we will support his foundation with a major donation.
- Presumably his presence and involvement will attract top players to the tournament…
- It’s still a little too soon to know which players we will have but I’m sure that Sergio will help attract top players to the event. I have no doubt we will have a great field, the best in recent years…
- Who finances the tournament?
- The European Tour covers the tournament budget and the organisation will be the responsibility of the club together with the Tour’s events team. We, of course, provide all our experience hosting major events and we will do all we can to attract co-sponsors.
- Have there been any changes to the course since the last European Tour event was held here, the Valderrama Masters?
- Players will find a course that has been improved significantly, and which offers a fresh appearance compared with previous years. The bunkers have been reconstructed, all the tees are completely new and a lot of work has been carried out on the trees. We undertook a major pruning of the cork oaks and I believe players will have more options when they miss the fairway. Many will take more risks, as pruning the branches has created more options to reach the green from the rough.
I believe the pros will be appreciative, even though it is still a very tough course. Valderrama is a course that is still able to defend itself very well against the big hitters. You have to dominate all the shots, hit very straight from the tee and obviously have a great short game. Only the top designs manage to minimise the impact of new equipment on results; I think Valderrama is an example of a course where accuracy and imagination play a much more important role than power. The reality is that there are very few courses still around like this one.
I would also highlight the new practice areas; I think they are really going to enjoy the new practice layout and the short game area.
- Will there be many surprises on the 17th? Will quite a few balls end up in the water beside the green?
- The 17th hole always generates a lot of comment, and it will continue to do so. The greens are going to be very fast… but that’s Valderrama. We have to protect the course with fast greens and with “interesting” pin positions. That’s all part of the show, and it’s the public that appreciates it most. We should never forget that.
