What is the historic victory connection Soren Kjeldsen has with Valderrama?
The affable Dane continues to impress posting an opening score of a five-under 66 to be sharing the Estrella Damm N.A Andalucia Masters lead with four others on the famed Costa del Sol course in Spain.
Kjeldsen, now aged 47, grabbed five birdies in his bogey-free display and none better than landing his 186-yard second shot, at the par-4 18th to five-feet and send his birdie putt to the bottom of the cup.
So what is special about Kjeldsen and the tight tree-line Valderrama course?
Soren Kjeldsen wins the 2008 and final staging of the Volvo Masters
Most Irish golf fans will recall Kjeldsen capturing the Rory McIlroy hosted Irish Open at Royal County Down in May 2015 but it was the events of November 2008 that are special in writing this article as Kjeldsen captured the 2008 Volvo Masters at Valderrama that was the last time the European Tour season-ending event was staged at Valderrama.
The then 33-year-old Kjeldsen defeated Martin Kaymer and Anthony Wall by two shots to win the closing Volvo Masters that had first been played in 1988 when Nick Faldo held off Seve Ballesteros. The following year saw the introduction of the Race to Dubai.
Though that’s not the end of the Kjeldsen/Andalucia winning connection as he created what had to be, and still is, a rare golfing double four months later as he captured the 2009 Open de Andalucia, a regular European Tour event that run from 2006 to 2012.
And Kjeldsen spoke after his round about his score of 66 that shares the lead on day one of this year’s Euro 3m event.
“I felt I was playing well coming into today, but to go bogey free round this place is a bit of magic,” he said. “You
don’t expect that – you expect to be punished at some stage. When you don’t get punished you enjoy it while it lasts.
I had 171 metres on 18, between a five and six iron. I had to take quite a bit off the five iron, it was coming in from the left a bit tight, but it came out perfectly.
“It also gets very windy around here and today was probably moderate for this place. It is the defence of the course. First because it’s difficult to control the ball and second because it dries the course out – as everyone knows the greens are lightning fast and only get faster when it dries up. This place keeps you on your toes.
“I don’t bomb it like most guys do today, but having said that, it seems like even the bombers enjoy it here. It could drive them crazy if they were to play courses like this every week, but I love the variation of different courses. If you are a bomber or not, you can only love this place, it’s so good.”
Well said Soren and good luck in making it a triple Valderrama victory treat.
