The Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, new venue of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, is an old acquaintance for the Spanish players, as most of them competed there during their amateur stage. This week they meet again with the San Roque course in its debut as the venue of the DP World Tour, and arrive with good memories and eager to celebrate a Spanish triumph.
The course will be more demanding than usual, with narrower fairways, high rough and fast greens to test the excellent line-up of players and offer a beautiful spectacle to all the fans attending the tournament from October 19 to 22.
Of the 126 registered players, seventeen are Spanish: Pablo Larrazábal, Jorge Campillo, Adrián Otaegui, Adri Arnaus, Rafa Cabrera Bello, amateur Jaime Montojo, Alfredo García Heredia, Alejandro Cañizares, Borja Virto, Álvaro Quirós, Carlos Pigem, Pep Anglés, Santiago Tarrío, Ángel Hidalgo, Nacho Elvira, Sebastián García and Alejandro del Rey, many of whom participated in the traditional pre-tournament group photo on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the contenders who arrives in the best shape is Alfredo García Heredia, ninth last week in Madrid. The Asturian could tie the card for next season in Sotogrande.
“I’m going to do the same as last week, plan my game and keep in touch with Jorge Parada, my coach. The course is very good and let’s see if the weather respects, I’m very confident. I had played several times after the renovation, but it is very different, there is much more rough than usual. It is a course that can be very difficult with the wind. If I don’t get the card it won’t be because of this tournament, but because I didn’t play well for four months. I have no tension, but logically, I will try to get it”, he assures.
The only amateur player in the tournament is Jaime Montojo, a member of the club and winner of last year’s Sotogrande Cup. “I know very well the bad areas to avoid around the green or from the tee, but my biggest advantage would be a strong wind blowing and changing direction from one day to the next because I know very well the two prevailing winds. I think the course is more accessible with a westerly wind. In the first holes it doesn’t influence so much, but in the second round, when the west blows in favor, it becomes easier. With the easterly, the 14th is very tense because of the water, and the 15th and 18th are longer,” he explains.
“The course is different, the fairways have narrowed, especially on hole 1. The rough is quite high and you don’t know how the ball is going to come out and, obviously, I’ve never seen the greens so hard and fast,” added Montojo, who is looking forward to the week. “This is my first professional tournament, but I’ve played in the United States with the best in the amateur world. I have to try to normalize it and play my golf, play the way I know how. I come to enjoy and learn, you always want to play well and you have pressure, but whatever happens, I’m going to learn a lot,” he said.
Another local player who knows the course well, Alvaro Quiros, also attests to the changes in the course. “The fairways have narrowed, some are still generous, but if you miss them, access to the green becomes very complicated because the bermuda rough makes you lose control and that protects the second shots. The course is great and if we are lucky enough to have the wind blowing, it will be a different story.”
The traditional Spanish posed ended with a surprise for Adri Arnaus, who turned 29 on Tuesday and blew out the candles in front of his teammates. “I’m very excited to celebrate my birthday in Spain, with my family, my girlfriend, it’s very special”. Arnaus played the Sotogrande Cup as an amateur and returns with great enthusiasm. “I have very good memories, you always remember fondly the amateur stage, the course is spicier than the last time I played it, but you can always tickle it, although if the wind blows you will have to play very well. The rough is high and the greens are pretty tough for a Tuesday, that’s where the key will be, unless it rains”.
The Barcelona native continues this week his solidarity initiative to benefit the Gasol Foundation, which fights childhood obesity and promotes healthy habits among children.
“When I saw that there were two tournaments in a row in Spain I thought I would do something special, I know Pau Gasol very well and I decided to collaborate with his foundation. For every birdie I make I donate 100 euros and for every eagle, 250. This week I raised about 1,800 euros and hopefully this week it can be many more,” he explains.
“We are privileged to be going around the world doing what we love, and to be able to share something in these tournaments is an honor,” he adds.
Rafa Cabrera Bello also returns to Sotogrande after many years.
“I already liked it a lot back then and I hadn’t played it after the renovation, I thought it was a great course, it’s in very good condition. It has very interesting holes and I think that if the wind picks up it will be a great tournament, it will be entertaining”.
To enjoy the tournament, all you have to do is purchase tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, with a discount for federated players and free access for children under thirteen years of age, on the tournament’s website.
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