The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters celebrates ten editions, all held in the area of Sotogrande (San Roque), and returns to the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande with a spectacular lineup led by Jon Rahm, winner of two majors and best Spanish world ranking. All this has been discussed in the presentation of the tournament, which has encouraged spectators to enjoy it from 17 to 20 October. To do so, all they have to do is purchase tickets here.
Once again, the representatives of the entities and institutions related to the tournament took advantage of the presentation of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters to show their closeness to golf. Once again, through a professional tournament, this sport shows its roots and makes clear its tourist, economic, promotional and cultural potential. This is the sixth year that Estrella Damm, the premium beer brand of the Spanish company Damm, gives its name to the tournament and confirms its link and support to sport and golf.
Kostka Horno, manager of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, wanted to highlight the history of the club and the players who are on the list of winners of the tournaments held at the club in Cadiz. The impeccable Robert Trent Jones course, the first European design of this famous architect, returns to the forefront of golfing news.
“The Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters offers us a great opportunity to show our course to the world, a 1964 Robert Trent Jones jewel, completely restored in 2015, that many amateurs did not know about. We have a great tradition in amateur competition thanks to the Sotogrande Cup, but it had been 40 years since we had hosted a professional tournament.”
“We are sure that this second edition is going to be a great success like last year and will help us to position ourselves among the best courses, as well as to promote Sotogrande and San Roque as a golf destination.”
There are already 66 DP World Tour tournaments that have been held on Andalusian soil, to which should be added events of the stature of the recent Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup or a good number of other professional circuits. In addition, Andalusia is a regular venue for high-level amateur events such as the Sotogrande Cup, also held at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, all initiatives that make clear the close relationship between Andalusia and golf.
“Golf tourism is fundamental in our strategy for its ability to deseasonalize. For the first time, we have achieved that the first and third quarters of the year grow more than the second quarter, which corresponds to the summer months,” said Arturo Bernal, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Andalusia of the Junta de Andalucía.
“We receive a million players a year who generate revenues of 2,000 million euros and provide jobs for some 50,000 people. Golf is an industry in Andalusia and now we are working especially to attract the Z generation, which is the future”.
“Golf is also a model of sustainability and this course is an example. Eighty percent of the 120 Andalusian courses irrigate with reclaimed water and the rest do not because they do not yet have the necessary infrastructure. The golf sector’s commitment to the environment is undeniable.”
José María Zamora, tournament director of the DP World Tour, gave a complete review of the tournament’s line-up and wanted to highlight the importance of its situation in the calendar, as it will be vital for those who are fighting to enter the circuit’s play-offs.
“I would like to highlight the enormous contribution to golf that Real Club de Golf Sotogrande has made thanks to the Sotogrande Cup, one of the best amateur tournaments that many DP World Tour players have played and won”.
“This year we are going to hold a new event of the G4D Tour (Golf for Disabled), the circuit for players with disabilities that shows the most inclusive side of golf.”
José Crespo, president of the Professional Committee of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, stressed the importance of tournaments such as the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters for amateurs, and its value in popularizing golf and complementing the initiatives launched by federations such as the Andalusian one.
“From the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation we emphasize the importance of a tournament like the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters to promote this sport among the youngest and to form the junior players”.
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“It is impressive how many children play golf in this area and they will have the opportunity to see their idols up close. Junior golf is vital and this tournament is a great boost to our sport.”
Paula Conesa, third vice president of the Diputación de Cádiz, also wanted to emphasize the importance of initiatives such as the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in the promotional strategy of the institution she represents.
“This tournament makes an important contribution to increasing the prestige of our province and making it a benchmark in the organization of major events.”
“During the next week we are going to be the European capital of golf and that is a very important lever for tourism in the whole province. There is no better marketing campaign.
Then closed the ceremony Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, mayor of San Roque, who emphasized the character of his municipality and the weight that golf has in its history, marked by the fields that houses in its term and the importance of the tournaments that host.
“San Roque is an unparalleled golf destination with nine outstanding courses including a municipal course, La Cañada, which has a school attended by more than 300 children. In addition, we enjoy 300 days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 24 degrees.”
“We have a wealth of experience in hosting major golf tournaments and the important thing is to extend the sporting and tourism impact well beyond the days of competition. The tournament has a potential audience of more than 400 million viewers worldwide.”
“I encourage all fans to come and enjoy not only golf but also our gastronomic and leisure offer.”
As all the members of the presidential table made clear, the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters has become a powerful sports, cultural and tourist engine for San Roque, Cádiz and Andalucía, attracting quality tourism and becoming a world reference.
Its location in the calendar, in the decisive phase of the season (in the so-called Back 9 of the DP World Tour calendar), has made it possible to attract a top-level team that will include the best Spanish players and a good number of international stars.
Among them, the presence of Jon Rahm, winner of two majors and best Spanish player in the world ranking, Ángel Hidalgo, champion of the Spanish Open recently held in Madrid, Adrián Otaegui, winner of the tournament in 2022, or the international players Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, Matteo Manassero, Niklas Norgaard, Víctor Pérez, Thorbjorn Olesen or Matt Wallace.
Photo: from left to right, José Crespo, president of the RFGA Professionals Committee; Kostka Horno, manager of Real Club de Golf Sotogrande; Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, mayor of San Roque; Arturo Bernal, Minister of Tourism and Andalusia Exterior of the Junta de Andalucía; Paula Conesa, third vice president of the Diputación de Cádiz; Ser
gio Ragel and Luis Rubio, representatives of Estrella Damm at the event; and José María Zamora, tournament director of the DP World Tour. (photo © Bosco Martín)
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