In golf there are indissoluble marriages, unions that reinforce the character and luster of each of the “spouses”, elevated by the qualities that are exchanged with their partners. The European Tour and the Real Club Valderrama have been walking a common path for almost 35 years, and the champions that have emerged from this very close relationship adorn the list of winners of the tournaments that have been held during this time on the San Roque course. At the Estrella Damm N. A. Andalucía Masters, tournament to be played from 14 to 17 October at the Sotogrande club, Jon Rahm arrives with the intention of joining the list of majors winners who have also won in Valderrama.
There are now 25 European Tour events played at Real Club Valderrama (16 Volvo Masters, two American Express Championship, one Open de España and six Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, to which must be added the spectacular Ryder Cup hosted in 1997, in which Seve Ballesteros led the European team with character and skill to beat the American team led by Tiger Woods, probably the best player in history.
The demanding fairways and impeccable greens of Real Club Valderrama make it a fair and selective judge, something that is obvious if we take a quick look at the list of players who have been crowned at his club. Among the winners of the Volvo Masters we find a long list of major winners (Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Justin Rose…) to which we must add the two champions of the American Express Championship (Tiger Woods and Mike Weir) and Graeme McDowell and Sergio García, winners of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters and also crowned in the most demanding stages of world golf (the U.S. Open and the Masters at Augusta, respectively).
Jon Rahm, the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Open, has twice played the Real Club Valderrama, and his progression is undeniable. After missing the cut in 2017, in the first tournament he played in Spain as a professional, the player from Barrika fought until the last hole the title of the 2019 edition to Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and finished second tied with Adri Arnaus, Alvaro Quiros, Eduardo de la Riva and Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera.
The current world number one arrives at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in 2021, therefore, with the intention of improving one place and adding his name to the spectacular list of winners at Valderrama.
“Valderrama is one of the best layouts I’ve ever seen, visually it’s beautiful and beautifully manicured. The courses don’t need to be 10,000 meters long to be demanding. I find Valderrama a lot of fun, it makes you think and play all kinds of shots and, if you miss, you can play it. It keeps you on your toes,” said Rahm in his debut at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, making clear the passion he feels for the San Roque course.
Tickets are now on sale 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, 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 of the tournament websiteat edamgolf.es or at Fever.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour tournament valid for the Race to Dubai that is 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 Andalucía, in addition to 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 Rolex, La Reserva Club Sotogrande, Exterior Plus and Santander Private Banking. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Marca, Kyocera and the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation are official suppliers.
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