Twenty-one professional golfers of great projection -one more than in the previous promotion, an absolute record since this initiative was launched in 2010-, some of them protagonists of very good results in the different Circuits despite their obvious youth, make up the Pro Spain Team 2017 Program, an initiative of the RFEG, in collaboration with the Autonomous Federations, which pursues the training and assistance to elite golf players in their first years in the professional field.
The list of golfers selected by the RFEG Professionals Committee to form part of the 2017 Pro Spain Team Program includes, in the men’s category, Pep Anglés, Carlos Pigem, Borja Virto, Scott Fernández, Juan Sarasti, Toni Ferrer, Emilio Cuartero, Daniel Berná and Jacobo Pastor -all of them already selected in the 2016 Pro Spain Team Program- and the new additions of Iván Cantero and Mario Galiano. Ignacio Elvira, Antonio Hortal and Gerard Piris have dropped from 2016.
In addition, in the women’s category, Nuria Iturrios, Marta Sanz, Patricia Sanz, Noemí Jiménez, Natalia Escuriola and Camilla Hedberg -already involved in 2016- and, as new this year, María Parra, Luna Sobrón, Elia Folch, Silvia Bañón are part of the Pro Spain Team 2017 Program. Mireia Prat and Marta Silva do not continue in this initiative, compared to last year.
In total, a uniform group of golfers, all of them characterized by an outstanding career, who in 2017 have a help that facilitates their transition from the amateur stage and enables a faster incorporation to the most important Professional Circuits.
It should be noted that in the present group of members of the Pro Spain Team 2017 there is a golfer with a card in the LPGA and the LET, María Parra, sensational irruption in professional golf, in addition to two golfers with a card in the European Tour -Pep Anglés and Borja Virto-, seven in the Challenge Tour, one in the Asian Tour -Carlos Pigem- and eight women with a card in the Women’s European Tour.
Gonzaga Escauriaza: “You golfers represent Spain phenomenally”.
Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the RFEG, emphasized that “I love this presentation, one of the best moments of each year since it is proven that the program works because many cards are obtained from the important circuits, and not only through the Schools, a fact that is fundamental in relation to the viability of the project”.
“I see a lot of fellowship, illusion,… this works as a team, and in a team the group is always worth more than individuals alone. To the players I say that you represent Spain and our golf wonderfully, keep it up. This is the way for you to reach the European and American Tours. It is our responsibility to help you and we do not want to fail you”, said Gonzaga Escauriaza.
For his part, Jaime Salaverri, First Vice President of the RFEG and President of the Professionals Committee, recalled that “this is the eighth edition of the program and in this time we have gone from 9 players to 21, something that fills us with pride. The budget of the Program is 260,000 euros, so we have to thank all the Autonomous Federations and the federates because without them it would be impossible to carry out this wonderful project. Nacho Elvira, Azahara Muñoz, Carlota Ciganda, Adrián Otaegui, all have passed through here and have grown enormously by our side. We supported these players for five years because the path of the professional is not a straight line, there are better and worse moments”.
Ignacio Gervás, Sports Director of the RFEG, expressed himself in this line, who commented that “this year, as a novelty, there will be more support for technical and physical follow-up, especially for the girls, with a couple of concentrations throughout the year. They have the RFEG’s Center of Excellence at their disposal. It is worth remembering that we are pioneers in Europe in the creation of programs of this type. After us, other countries have joined us.
“Very grateful for the help received.”
Representing the golfers in the 2017 Pro Spain Team Program were two young talents, María Parra -with a spectacular breakthrough in professionalism, after getting the first American Tour card- and Borja Virto, who has already been in the Program on four occasions. Both stressed, in their respective speeches, that the Pro Spain represents the push that every young golfer needs.
“Many golfers have spoken very well of the Pro Spain Team. I am very grateful for the help they give us because without it it would be impossible to start this professional career. We hope to translate this gratitude into results over the next few years,” said the young Andalusian golfer.
For his part, Borja Virto stressed that “thanks to the help of the Pro Spain Team I have been able to develop my career so far. I started in the Alps Tour, which does not have much prize money, but travel is just as expensive as in any other circuit. From there I went to the Challenge and followed the advice I was given in the Pro Spain to try to access the Tour from the Challenge. And it went very well.
Jon Rahm’s message from afar. “The Pro Spain Team is a great initiative”.
During the presentation of the 2017 Pro Spain Team, a video of Jon Rahm -the most promising Spanish golfer at the moment- was shown in which he praised the benefits of the Pro Spain Team Program.
“I send you greetings from Washinton Road, on my way to Augusta. I am very supportive of the Pro Spain Team initiative. I think it’s a great idea for young players like me who have not been as lucky as I have been. It is a great initiative, a great support, and good luck to all. Let’s see if soon, next year, many of you, who have been my teammates, will also be playing the Masters with me,” said Jon Rahm, recent winner of his first tournament on the PGA Tour, the Farmers Insurance Open.
Financial, training and management assistance
All members of the Pro Spain Team 2017 benefit from a Program that establishes financial aid – depending on the Tour they usually play -, training – evaluation by TPI technicians, physical trainers, etc. – and management – invitations to tournaments, search for sponsors -. They can also use the Golf Center of Excellence located in the practice area of the National Center, a model facility that is at the forefront of world golf.
It should be noted that, in return for the technical and financial assistance provided, the selected players undertake, among other things, to dedicate several days to RFEG initiatives (ProAms, concentrations of the national amateur teams, etc.), as well as, in the future, to participate in the Spanish Open or Spanish Professional Championships whenever their obligations allow them to do so.
Azahara Muñoz, Carlota Ciganda, Jorge Campillo, Ignacio Elvira or Borja Virto, to name a few examples, are a clear example of sporting projection from their training from the grassroots to their inclusion in a program that this year has among its members golfers who are already achieving very good results in the various professional circuits.
Carlos Pigem’s generosity
Special mention for the generosity of Carlos Pigem, player already seated in the Asian Tour, where last year he achieved a triumph, who celebrates his fifth year in the Program, and who has renounced in advance in this 2017 to receive the economic aid to contribute to the dissemination and growth of the Program in gratitude for the support received by the RFEG since its earliest childhood, an initiative that already made at the time Azahara Muñoz, Carlota Ciganda, Belén Mozo, Jorge Campillo, Adrián Otaegui and Ignacio Elvira.
The selected professional golfers will receive the aid provided for in the Pro Spain Team Program -which they return partially or totally depending on their income in the different Circuits- after signing an Agreement in which they commit to collaborate with the RFEG (and in its case the Autonomous Federation that supports them) in different initiatives. The external name of the group is Pro Spain Team 2017.
PRO SPAIN TEAM MEMBERS
2010 Promotion
Azahara Muñoz, Tania Elósegui, María Hernández, Jorge Campillo, Jordi García del Moral, Pedro Oriol, Moisés Cobo, Borja Etchart and Jesús Legarrea.
2011 Promotion
María Hernández, Belén Mozo, Carlota Ciganda, Adriana Zwanck, Pedro Oriol, Borja Etchart, Jorge Campillo, Jordi García del Moral, Jesús Legarrea and Moisés Cobo, Jordi García Pinto, Iñigo Urquizu and Juan Antonio Bragulat,
2012 Promotion
Belén Mozo, María Hernández, Carlota Ciganda, Adriana Zwanck, Mireia Prat, Jorge Campillo, Jordi García del Moral, Jordi García Pinto, Borja Etchart, Pedro Oriol, Jesús Legarrea, Antonio Hortal, Ignacio Elvira and Gerard Piris,
Promotion 2013
Carlota Ciganda, Belén Mozo, María Hernández, Mireia Prat, Marta Silva, Jorge Campillo, Jordi García Pinto, Pedro Oriol, Ignacio Elvira, Antonio Hortal, Gerard Piris, Borja Etchart, Adrián Otaegui, Sebastián García Rodríguez and Carlos Pigem.
Promotion 2014
Belén Mozo, María Hernández, Mireia Prat, Patricia Sanz, Marta Silva, Jorge Campillo, Adrián Otaegui, Ignacio Elvira, Jordi García Pinto, Carlos Pigem, Pedro Oriol, Sebastián García Rodríguez, Jacobo Pastor, Juan Francisco Sarasti and Borja Virto.
2015 Promotion
Belén Mozo, María Hernández, Marta Sanz, Patricia Sanz, Mireia Prat, Marta Silva, Jordi García Pinto, Pedro Oriol, Borja Virto, Ignacio Elvira, Antonio Hortal, Carlos Pigem, Emilio Cuartero, Sebastián García Rodríguez, Juan Sarasti and Jacobo Pastor.
2016 Promotion
Marta Sanz, Patricia Sanz, Noemí Jiménez, Natalia Escuriola, Nuria Iturrios, Mireia Prat, Marta Silva, Camilla Hedberg, Ignacio Elvira, Borja Virto, Carlos Pigem, Toni Ferrer, Scott Fernández, Emilio Cuartero, Juan Sarasti, Antonio Hortal, Pep Anglés, Gerard Piris, Jacobo Pastor and Daniel Berná.
2017 Promotion
María Parra, Nuria Iturrios, Marta Sanz, Patricia Sanz, Noemí Jiménez, Natalia Escuriola, Luna Sobrón, Elia Folch, Silvia Bañón, Camilla Hedberg, Pep Anglés, Borja Virto, Carlos Pigem, Toni Ferrer, Scott Fernández, Emilio Cuartero, Juan Sarasti, Jacobo Pastor, Daniel Berná, Iván Cantero and Mario Galiano.
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