With an inevitable smile and emotions still running high after last week’s victory at the Acciona Open de España, Rafa Cabrera Bello arrives at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters eager to face the challenge posed by the tournament venue, the Real Club Valderrama, which once again presents its best at this event worth three million euros and included in the decisive phase of the Race to Dubai.
In the mind of the Gran Canarian, distant memories and also the due precautions generated by the demands of the San Roque route.
“The first time I played here I was twelve years old, I came to the final of the junior ranking and for me it was like coming to the most beautiful garden I had ever seen in my life. Throughout my adolescence it was a dream to play the Volvo Masters which was the most important tournament of the year,” Cabrera Bello recalled. “This is a course that suits my game, it’s not long, you have to go very straight, the second shots to the green are key, you have to know where you can miss and have a good short game. The only thing I haven’t been able to do so far is to play with ease, without worrying so much about the negative consequences of not hitting a good shot, but to believe more that it’s going to be a good shot. I think that can change this week.
The recent victory at the Club de Campo has changed the perspective and, of course, also boosted the Spanish player’s confidence.
“I come with more desire, if before I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, now I’ve come out of it and I’m in great shape. Valderrama is the most intimidating course of all the ones I’ve played in my life and coming here with one hundred percent confidence can help me a lot this week”.
“I’ve noticed that the course is a little easier because they’ve cleaned it up a bit and the last time I played it the rough was very high, but no matter what year you come, there are shots that intimidate and I use the word intimidate not because I’m going to play with fear, but to convey the feeling that we players have when we face the challenge that almost every shot on this course entails,” Cabrera Bello summarized.
Just as the public passionately followed the outcome of the Spanish Open last weekend, Rafa Cabrera Bello will once again encounter a human tide in his first two rounds, which he will share in the star match with Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick starting at 9:40 on Thursday.
“It’s not the first time I’ve played with Jon and it’s lovely to play with the crowd wanting to cheer you on, you have that added bit of pressure of wanting to do well for them to thank them for coming to see us. I can’t promise I’m going to play well, but I can promise that right up to the 18th green I’m going to be delivering my best.”
In his mind, the recent memory of a victory that had a very special flavor, a triumph that he was able to share with his family and that was sealed by a three-way hug on the 18th green of the Club de Campo with his father and sister.
“Severiano Ballesteros, Jon Rahm, Alvaro Quiros, Sergio Garcia …. Adding my name to that list of winners and knowing that when I’m not here my name will still be linked to that of so many greats makes me very happy,” Cabrera Bello explained. “Nobody has followed me in more rounds of golf than my father. He had seen me win as an amateur, but never as a professional, and for a father, to see his son win and on top of that win the Spanish Open in Madrid, with the whole crowd roaring his name, has to be very nice. To be able to give that to my father made me feel very emotional”.
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INSIDE THE ROPES
Pau Gasol switches to golf
The classic pre-tournament Pro-Am was held today with the presence of Pau Gasol, the Spanish basketball idol who recently announced his retirement. Gasol has changed the basketball courts for tees, fairways and greens, as he has become a great fan of golf.
“I started during confinement, it was one of the few activities you could do outdoors, you could walk, go out and be with your family a little bit. I started in the United States while I was in my recovery and the truth is that it was very good for me on a mental level to disconnect.”
Gasol has played with Adri Arnaus, whom he met at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer. There they had the opportunity to chat and the Catalan professional, a great admirer of Gasol, encouraged him to share a game when he returned to Spain, which they have been able to do on several occasions.
Pau acknowledges that he is hooked on golf and is enjoying it very much.
“I’m getting to know people in the golf world, who are very healthy people. This sport is a challenge and I’m looking forward to improving.”
For the Spanish basketball great, there are certain similarities between the two sports.
“You have to work long hours, be focused on every shot, don’t accumulate mistakes, have a short memory and be aggressive when it’s your turn. The rest, enjoy.
The game has also counted with another great sportsman and golf fan, Luis Figo. They played the first round with Adri Arnáus and the second with the Scotsman Robert McIntyre.
Martin Kaymer, a great at Valderrama
The German player Martin Kaymer, world No. 1 in 2011 and winner of the 2010 US PGA Championship and the 2014 US Open, wants to get rid of the thorn of the second place achieved last year, when he fought for victory in the last round, and finally win in one of his favorite courses.
“Valderrama is very special for many reasons, it’s a real icon of golf in Europe. I usually play well here, I love it and the course is always in incredible condition.”
Defending champion John Catlin wants to strike again
John Catlin, defending champion, recalls with emotion his triumph at Valderrama, his first victory on the European Tour.
“It was very special, especially on a course like this and I remember a lot of shots perfectly. I’m looking forward to competing again,” summarizes the American player, who won a close duel with Martin Kaymer. “I remember it like a boxing match, one punch after another and it turned out that I held my own until the 18th green. I’m proud of how I handled the situation, I had won tournaments, but to do it on the European Tour is another level. The victory gave me a lot of confidence.
The future of Andalusian golf in Valderrama
Once again, the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation has taken advantage of the presence of the best European professionals of the moment in Valderrama to motivate the young promises of the Andalusian youth.
The champions of the infantile, alevin and benjamin categories have received an invitation to play the Pro-Am and share a match with the professionals. The initiative is not only a prize, but the best way to learn first-hand what professional golf is like, to which they may end up dedicating themselves. Andalusia has some 6,000 children’s licenses, a magnificent foundation for the future.
Tickets to enjoy Jon Rahm and the rest of the players who will attend this year’s edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are on sale, and the flexibility of the offer allows you to choose between individual access for each day, four-day passes or passes for the weekend, with preferential rates for children under 14 years, federated or people with reduced mobility.
Tickets can be purchased from the Tickets menu on the tournament website, at edamgolf.es or at Fever.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour tournament valid for the Race to Dubai and held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local de la Junta de Andal
ucía, as well as being co-financed with European funds and having been declared an event of exceptional public interest by the Government of Spain. The tournament is also supported by the Diputación de Cádiz, Exterior Plus, Hero, Rolex and Santander Private Banking. Callaway, Cinco Jotas, Enterprise, Gadira, Kyocera, La Reserva Club Sotogrande, Marca, Quirónsalud, Riversa, the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, SO/ Sotogrande, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.
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