Sergio Garcia heads the Spanish participation in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters which will start tomorrow thanks to the sponsorship of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Andalusian Government. Sergio will defend the title he won last year in his first tournament after making history at the Ryder Cup in Paris, where he broke the record of points scored by a player with a total of twenty-five and a half.
The line-up of Spaniards in the tournament also includes José Mari Olazábal, double winner of the Augusta Masters (1994 and 1999), Pep Anglés, Jorge Campillo, Alejandro Cañizares, Nacho Elvira, Scott Fernández, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Sebastián García, Ángel Hidalgo, Pablo Larrazábal, Pedro Oriol, Carlos Pigem, Álvaro Quirós, Eduardo de la Riva, Santiago Tarrío and Samuel del Val.
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There is a lot at stake in this Andalucía Valderrama Masters – Sergio García Foundation, the last tournament of the year scoring for the final of the Race to Dubai, which is played in Europe and which puts two million euros in prize money at stake. For some players it is the opportunity to finish off a great season, as is the case of Jorge Campillo. The player from Extremadura has achieved six top 5s and ten top 20s and will be one of Sergio García’s main rivals in his fight for victory. Nacho Elvira and Pablo Larrazábal can consolidate their place among the top 60 in Europe and ensure their presence in the grand finale in Dubai.
In a very different situation come other players such as Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Álvaro Quirós, Pedro Oriol, Scott Fernández or Alejandro Cañizares, who need an excellent result to keep their playing rights in the Tour. In one case or another, the Armada is sharpening its teeth to do its best in a tournament that can decide the season. In their efforts, they will undoubtedly count on the unconditional support of thousands of Spanish spectators.
Who will undoubtedly enjoy the week is the young Malaga-born Ángel Hidalgo, who debuts as a professional thanks to an invitation from the organization after a great career as an amateur. Champion of the Spanish International under-18 in 2016, European amateur team champion 2017 and Spanish absolute champion 2016 and 2018, Hidalgo turned professional at the beginning of October.
An unforgettable Pro-Am
Today the Pro-Am of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters will take place and it will surely be an unforgettable day for a group of children from the Andalusian golf academy. The Royal Andalusian Federation, one of the sponsors of the tournament, has decided to allocate its six Pro-Am places to the Andalusian champions in the infant, junior and junior categories. All an experience and motivation for these little ones who dream of becoming great professionals like their fellow players.
They will not be the only children who will visit the Real Club Valderrama tomorrow. The students of the La Cañada Golf Club Children’s School will also have the opportunity to enjoy the Pro-Am in a special way. A total of 30 students, divided into different groups, will follow the matches of the Spanish players.
Golf is health: walk and win
Spectators attending the Andalucía Valderrama Masters on Saturday 20 can participate in Walk & Win, a pioneering initiative of the European Tour with the support of QuirónSalud to promote healthy lifestyle habits among fans.
Each spectator entering the Real Club Valderrama will be offered the Walk & Win accreditation. To participate, and while enjoying the tournament action, they must follow the marked course, stamp the document at holes 5 and 13, and hand it in at the QuirónSalud tent. You will have walked a total of six kilometers.
Official presentation of the tournament with local authorities
Yesterday took place the presentation of the tournament with the participation of Nuno Brito e Cunha, president of the Real Club Valderrama; Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, mayor of San Roque; Daniel Moreno, territorial delegate of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Andalusian Government in Cadiz; Pablo Mansilla, president of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation; and José Mª Zamora, director of the Tournament.
Nuno Brito e Cunha, president of RC Valderrama: “We are fortunate to have Sergio Garcia as host, but I am also sorry that other Spanish players are not here. I fully understand that they have other commitments, but I want them to understand that the club, Andalusia and Spain are making a great effort to bring the best. Spain is fortunate to have fantastic ambassadors who should not forget that they have grown up here, that it was the regional federations, the national federation and the clubs who have always promoted their careers. We are committed to finding other dates that are more suitable for the sporting calendar of these great champions. If we can, we will do it”.
Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, Mayor of San Roque: “I would like to highlight the commitment of Sergio Garcia and his Foundation with the tournament, a commitment that is not economic. He is the soul of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters and also this year he comes to defend the title after his brilliant role in the Ryder Cup. We will count on other great players, but I would like to sweep a little for home and wish special luck to Alvaro Quiros, who is from our land”.
Daniel Moreno, territorial delegate of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía in Cádiz: “Tourism and Sport is a binomial that works perfectly. Our presence in the Andalucía Valderrama Masters is a great opportunity to join the excellence of Valderrama and make known the Andalusia brand linked to major events. We have more than 100 golf courses and it is important to position ourselves as the best destination in the world to practice this sport”.
Pablo Mansilla, president of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation: “For the first time the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation is sponsoring the event and we want to thank the European Tour and the Real Club Valderrama for welcoming us and offering us the possibility to put our Andalusian champions of children, juniors and juniors to play the Pro-Am, and the Andalusian pitch & putt champions to play the Monday tournament after the Masters”.
José Mª Zamora, Tournament Director: “We must congratulate RC Valderrama for the conditions in which they have presented the course, after the spectacular reforms they have carried out in recent years. There is no course in Europe presented at the same level as Valderrama and the players are already recognizing it”.
The Andalucía Valderrama Masters-Sergio García Foundation, tournament valid for the Race to Dubai, has the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía, through the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union; the Diputación de Cádiz, the City of San Roque, the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation and the City of Marbella complete the institutional support. It also has the support of La Reserva de Sotogrande, Rolex, Heineken, Dubai Duty Free, Santander Private Banking, Shell, Exterior Plus and Samsic Iberia. Only Water, Quirónsalud Hospital Group, Coca-Cola, Varma, Korporate Technologies Group and Volvo are official suppliers.
PHOTOS: ©RC Valderrama
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