The 2016 Spanish Open will go ahead thanks to Sergio Garcia.
The European Tour today (Wednesday) announced Garcia will host the event to be staged from April 14th to 17th at Valderrama Golf Club on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
It will be the first time Valderrama will host a major Tour tournament since Garcia won the 2011 Andalucia Masters.
Of course, Valderrama hosted the season-ending Volvo Masters from 1988 to 1996 and then again from 2002 to 2008. In 1997, there was the emotional scenes of Seve Ballesteros lifting the Ryder Cup after leading Europe to a one point victory.
However news the Spanish Open will take at all comes after much discussion between the European Tour, the Spanish Golf Federation and Valderrama.
It is understood, and this could not be confirmed, the Spanish Federation was far from pleased when the European Tour recently awarded Rome the 2022 Ryder Cup, and with Spain officially placed second among the five bidding nations.
The Spanish Federation as a result refused, and this also could not be confirmed, to be involved in running the Spanish Open and with ‘talk on the range’ that the event would be called ‘The Spanish Masters’ given the Spanish Golf Federation owned the tournament’s title right.
As well, and this also could not be verified, but Valderrama it seems was asking a six-figure Euro sum to play host to any event, and with suggestions the Spanish Open and/or Masters may instead be heading to PGA Catalunya.
Fortunately, it seems common sense has finally prevailed but then not before plenty of long distance telephone calls back and forward last week from Dubai to the Spanish Golf Federation.
Sergio Garcia lifts the Spanish Open trophy in 2002.
Of course, the Spanish Open is one of the longest running ‘National’ Opens on the continent having first been staged in 1912 and won last year by England’s James Morrison at El Prat.
Amongst the Major Champions to win are the late, great Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Arnold Palmer and Charl Schwartzel alongside European Number Ones Robert Karlsson and Colin Montgomerie. Four Spaniards, aside from Ballesteros, have also claimed the title since 1972 – Antonio Garrido (1972), Alvaro Quiros (2010), Miguel Angel Jiménez (2014) and Garcia himself in 2002.
The €2 million tournament will be the first tournament of the 2016 season to be played on European soil and as well as the support of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Real Club Valderrama, the tournament also has the full backing of Garcia, the 11 time European Tour champion and five time Ryder Cup winner, who will assume the role of tournament host.
Garcia’s involvement – through his Foundation which was set up in 2002 – further emphasises the direct player involvement on this season’s European Tour.
“I am delighted to have this involvement with the Real Club Valderrama Open de España hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation. This is a whole new way of working together with The European Tour and I am very proud to be a part of it,” he said.
“Part of that pride stems from the fact that the tournament is going to be played at Valderrama which is, without doubt, one of the best courses not just in Europe, but in the entire world, and one which has a rich history within the game.
“I personally have great memories of the golf course, having won the Andalucía Valderrama Masters there in 2011 and I am sure that all the players who tee up in April will enjoy testing their game against the fantastic layout.”
Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, said: “It is an honour for us to celebrate the Open de España, our flagship event that has written so many pages in the history of European golf, at such a prestigious venue as Real Club Valderrama. Working together with The European Tour and Sergio García, a great ambassador of the game, has been a great pleasure and we are sure that we will produce a memorable Open”.
