Andalucia Masters 2023, Sotogrande

Andalucia Masters 2023, Sotogrande

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai took place at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande from Thursday 19th October to Sunday 22nd October. This tourament had previously been held at the Valderrama Golf Club, which in June 2023 hosted the LIV Andalucia 2023. The Andalucia Masters moves to a new venue at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande for the ninth edition of the event.

Meronk soars to victory in Sotogrande

Adrian Meronk (Poland) carded a pair of eagles as he fought his way to a fourth DP World Tour victory at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

Winner Adrian Meronk wanted to make the headlines after not being picked for the European Ryder Cup team. At Real Club de Golf Sotogrande he did just that, by reaching 16 under par after posting a sublime six under par final round of 66 to secure his third victory on the 2023 Race to Dubai. He finished one stroke clear of overnight co-leader Matti Schmid, whose title charge fell away after bogeying the par four 16th.

The 30-year-old showed the resilience of a man who has four victories in the last 15 months as he was forced to fight back from an underwhelming start which saw him sit two over through his first three holes.

He kickstarted his round with an eagle at the par five sixth hole following a stunning approach into eight feet, before the moment of the round arrived at the par four ninth. The 2019 Challenge Tour graduate found the fairway for the first time this week and took full advantage by holing out from 121 yards to surge fully into contention.

Meronk, who has also won the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and the DS Automobiles Italian Open during the 2023 season, then holed a 42-footer at the tenth for birdie, with further gains coming at the 12th, 14th and 17th holes.

The 2022 Horizon Irish Open winner narrowly missed a final birdie attempt at the last hole but a par was enough for Poland’s only DP World Tour winner to add a fourth trophy to his collection. Victory sees Meronk leapfrog New Zealand’s Ryan Fox on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex into third place.

Schmid’s second place was enough to ensure he retains his playing privileges for the 2024 season, climbing 84 places to 70th on the Race to Dubai, while England’s Richard Mansell followed his tie for sixth in Madrid last week with a third place in Sotogrande thanks to a four under 68 to finish on 14 under par.

South Africa’s Louis de Jager finished in a tie for fourth alongside American Chase Hanna, whose six under par 66 saw him reach 13 under par to be well-placed to retain his card by moving up to 105th on the Race to Dubai.

Adrián Otaegui, co-leader after the first round, finished in the ninth place as best Spaniard after carding a 74 in the last round.

Day 4 - Player quotes

Adrian Meronk: I didn’t have my best golf on the first day so to be honest, to win that tournament is very special. My dad was here this week, same as Italy, so it’s super, super special and I’m over the moon.

I knew it was going to be tricky all day. The weather was not very helpful with different wind, but I didn’t get off to a hot start. I was trying to talk to myself, in my mind to stay positive, and I knew I was hitting good shots on the range in the morning so I knew I had the game. I just stayed in it and the eagle on six gave me some momentum. I believed and stayed super focused until the last putt which I’m really proud of and my caddie as well. It was tricky going down the back nine with different wind, gusting, little bit of rain but I was super focused.

My dad was with me this week again, when I won in Italy he was with me as well. This week is very special for him as well because he’s the person why I started playing golf. Very emotional for him I’m sure. Very happy to have another win this season, points on the board and I’m very, very happy.

My goal at the end of the year was top three on the Race to Dubai. Obviously Rory and Rahm are quite a way ahead of us but I believe if I can play well in South Africa and the final then I can get some more points and move into the top two, we’ll see. I’m in a great position for a PGA TOUR card so I’ll just keep focussing on that and keep getting better.

Adrian Meronk, joins the illustrious list of winners at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

With his triumph at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, the Pole joins the illustrious list of winners at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Adrian Meronk, from Poland, winner of the Andalucia Masters, adds his victory to a list of historic champions at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande such as the Argentine Roberto De Vicenzo, winner of the 1966 Spanish Open, and the Spaniard Severiano Ballesteros, winner of the 1987 Spanish Professional Championship.

“I did not have my best start, so winning this tournament is very special. I am over the moon. I knew it was going to be tricky today and that the weather was not going to be very helpful,” said Meronk, after his fourth win in the DP World Tour.

Ballesteros in December 1987,

In December 1987, Ballesteros had to face similar weather conditions to beat the best Spanish golfers of the time, such as José Rivero, Seve's teammate on the European team that won the Ryder Cup that same year, at the neighboring Real Club Valderrama.

"On the 16th I played a three-wood to the fairway and Seve hooked his ball into the left bunker. I left my ball 12-feet for birdie and Seve hit into the green bunker and holed it from there," recalled Pepín Rivero about the "genius" Ballesteros last holes that gave him the victory at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

"I also did very well in that tournament," said Juan Quirós, then a professional at the club, who finished fourth, four strokes behind Ballesteros. "All the memories of Seve are good, from anywhere he made you the greatest thing in the world. He was a phenomenon and bad luck that he died very young," recalls Quirós, who began his career at the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande as a 13-year-old caddie.

Although he joined the club a year later, Juan Quirós remembers the stories about De Vicenzo's victory in 1966: "With what he paid the caddie, a neighbor of mine from Guardiaro, the boy had enough to fix up the family house and open a food stand."

"On the 12th hole, De Vicenzo rolled up his pants and got into the water to save par," said Jaime Brujó, then right-hand man of the club's founder, about the last round of the Argentine, who had started his golf career as a young "lagunero" (lake boy), recovering balls in the water.

A few months later, in July 1967, De Vicenzo won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. In July 1988, also the year after his victory at the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande, Severiano Ballesteros won his third Open Championship and fifth major at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

“I hope I can follow that trend,” said Adrian Meronk, who after his victory this week at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters, Adrian Meronk, moves back into the top 50 on the Official World Ranking and third on the Race of Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

He will have several chances to follow the footsteps of De Vicenzo and Ballesteros in the majors in 2024.

Day 3 - Winther and Schmid share lead in Spain, with Otaegui two shots behind

Jeff Winther and Matti Schmid each posted seven under par rounds of 65 to take a share of the lead into the final round of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

The duo broke free of a crowded pack to reach 14 under par and go into Sunday two strokes clear of defending champion Adrian Otaegui, who is third on 12 under at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Denmark’s Winther, whose only DP World Tour win came on Spanish soil at the 2021 Mallorca Golf Open, birdied the second hole before catching fire at the fifth where he reeled off four birdies in a row. Two further gains arrived at the 12th and 14th before he safely navigated his way home to finish bogey-free and set the target.

That target could only be met by Germany’s Schmid, who will tomorrow go in search of his maiden DP World Tour title. Like Winther, the 25-year-old made the turn at five under before also birdieing the par five 12th and then becoming the first man to reach 15 under with an eagle at the 14th. However, he gave a shot back at the next hole which meant he had to settle for a tie for the 54-hole lead.

Spaniard Otaegui had a strong home support lining the fairways of Real Club de Golf Sotogrande and they were treated to a grandstand finish, with the defending champion finishing birdie-birdie to move right into contention.

Frenchman Jeong weon Ko continued his quest to retain his DP World Tour playing privileges by adding a two under par round of 70 to move into fourth place on 11 under, with German Nick Bachem, England’s Richard Mansell and Poland’s Adrian Meronk sharing fifth place on ten under par.

Due to adverse weather conditions forecast for Sunday afternoon, the final round of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters will be a two-tee start from 8:40am until 10:30am local time.

Day 3 - Player quotes

Jeff Winther: Lovely day, beautiful weather, good greens, what’s not to like? I’ve found something the last couple of weeks, months, that’s working and I’m just sticking to it. I’m not trying to do anything that I’m not comfortable doing. I’m quite pleased with it. I’ve gotten some help and I’m pleased I took that step.

It would be cool [to win in front of family and friends] but it’s not on top of the list. I’m enjoying myself, I’m trying to play some good golf, trying to take one shot at a time, one day at a time. It’s not on top of my list as like ‘I need to do this’ so I’m just taking it step by step.

Matti Schmid: It started off good, really good. Birdies on one and two. Just played really good golf. Just one bogey, which happens. The rough is really unpredictable here. You get those flier situations. Played really solid from tee to green and made some putts too.

I didn’t get a great lie off the tee then I hit it in the bunker close to the lip so I had to hit it really high. I was hoping it wasn’t plugged in the bunker so I was quite relieved that I had the lie that I had. I just took a 52 out and gave it a big swing. It worked out good.

It would mean a lot to me. I’m fighting for both cards on both Tours. I’ve got to keep grinding, I’ve got a few more chances and tomorrow is a big one, but one shot at a time.

Adrian Otaegui: I’m happy with the way I finished. It was quite a slow start. Just played okay, a little bit slower on the front nine but I started to play better on the back nine. Had to wait until the putts dropped but it was a good birdie-birdie finish.

It was fantastic. I felt like there were more and more crowds towards the end as well. The wee ones are fantastic, so I love them.

I’m feeling good. Just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Done good over the last few days so I’ll just keep doing that.

Adrian Meronk: I’m very pleased. I had that number in my head before the round so I’m glad to be ten under going into Sunday. Tomorrow’s going to be a tricky one with the weather, so everything is possible and I’m excited for it.

I’m a little bit fatigued. Especially after my last tournament, I got sick at the Alfred Dunhill Links and lost six kilos of bodyweight, so I’m still trying to get back into shape but everyday it’s getting better. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit fresher.

I’m very excited. You want to be in contention on Sunday. I’ll probably be a couple back, the weather will be tricky so it’ll be quite interesting.

To enjoy the last round you only need to  purchase tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, with special prices for federated golfers and free for children under 13, on the event website.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.

Day two - Bogey-free Otaegui shares Sotogrande lead

Defending champion Adrian Otaegui posted his second bogey-free round of the week to move into a share of the lead at the Andalucía Masters.

The Spaniard opened with a round of 66 and followed that with a three under par 69 on day two – again without a blemish – to join South Africa’s Louis de Jager and Frenchman Jeong weon Ko on nine under par at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

While the wind was not as strong as on the opening day in Sotogrande, there was a consistent swirl in the air and Otaegui started with a birdie at the par four first hole and followed that with 14 successive pars. Back-to-back birdies arrived at the 16th and 17th holes in front of strong home support as he moved into contention heading into the weekend and ensured he was the only bogey-free player through 36 holes.

De Jager and Ko, who both carded excellent rounds in the tough first day conditions, continued where they left off, both dropping just a single shot all day as they go in search of their maiden victories.

For Ko, who graduated from the European Challenge Tour in 2022, the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters and next week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters provide the final opportunities to climb the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex from his current Ranking of 130th. The top 116 players on the Race to Dubai are projected to retain their cards for 2024.

Kiwi Daniel Hillier is fourth on eight under par after posting an impressive six under par 66 after bouncing back from an opening bogey, while Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera is part of a six-way tie for fifth place a shot further back after a stand-out seven under par 65.

A total of 67 players made the cut, which fell at one under par, including 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn thanks to a stunning four under par back nine.

The 15-time DP World Tour winner holed a combined 146 feet of birdie putts on the back nine to sneak into the weekend.

Day two - Player quotes

Adrian Otaegui: I’m happy with my day, I’m happy with the way I played. I felt very confident from tee to green. I gave myself lots of birdie chances but not very close. I hit some good putts, didn’t hole many, but happy that I holed a couple on 16 and 17. Very happy overall.

I’m proud. I played very solid from tee to green. Didn’t put myself in too much trouble over the last two days. At the beginning of the round, it was pumping and quite easy to make a silly mistake or to make a bogey.

I love playing in Spain and love playing here. I really feel the support of the crowd and I hope they come more on the weekend, and they’re louder as well.

Louis de Jager: It was a bit easier today, especially that front nine. The front nine was just a little breeze so I took advantage of that and then I just held on during the back nine, it’s what you have to do.

It’s quite consistent. There’s not as many gusts today so it’s tricky but definitely easier than yesterday afternoon.

When it’s downwind you’re taking advantage and when it’s into the wind you’ve got to keep the spin low. It’s actually making the holes a bit shorter, so it definitely helps.

Jeong weon Ko: That was brutal conditions. Just being able to fight in these conditions, play with no bogeys, that was really nice.

It was tough, a lot of wind. There was a lot of course management, I talked a lot with my caddie. I think we've produced some very good shots in the right places. The putting was helping me, the short game was good as well. Really solid round, I think.

It’s quite an important week but I’ve been fighting and working on my game. Right now I feel like it’s together and doing the good things. If it comes out as a good result, I’m happy. If not, I might have to work a bit more and figure some things out.

Thomas Bjørn: Alex Fitzpatrick kept saying ‘you’re putting like my brother’ so that must be a good thing. I rolled in some long putts on that back nine. Pretty bad bogey on 15 and I thought that was pretty much it but managed to birdie the last three to probably sneak into the weekend. It’s always nice.

I’m running out of exemption at the end of the year and this was going to be my last event on the exemption. I was still going to play some events here and there but this was going to be my last event on the exemption. The only thing I was thinking about those last few holes was 28 seasons with a card out here and it was coming to an end. I had to give it a go and see if I could put a nice round together for that.

Day One - Morrison motors ahead in Sotogrande

James Morrison posted his lowest round of the year to storm into the first round lead at the Andalucía Masters.

The Englishman carded just a single bogey on his way to a eight under par round of 64 at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, only being denied the course record due to preferred lies being in operation when play was brought to a premature end due to darkness.

Germany’s Nick Bachem currently lies second on seven under par while Spaniard Adrian Otaegui began his title defence with a bogey-free six under par 66 to sit third, but the day belonged to Morrison, who came alive around the turn.

An eagle at the par five sixth hole kickstarted a red-hot run of five birdies in six holes, before bouncing back from his only dropped shot of the day with a final birdie at the par four 16th.

The 36-year-old’s eight under par effort was his best since his round of 62 at the 2022 Made in HimmerLand and comes at a pivotal time of the season. He sits in 105th position on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, with this week’s event in Sotogrande the penultimate counting event towards the season-long standings.

Fourth place is shared by England’s Daniel Gavins and Dutchman Wil Besseling, who is currently battling to retain his playing privileges as he sits 155th on the Race to Dubai - the top 116 players on the Race to Dubai are projected to retain their cards for 2024.

World Number Ten Wyndham Clark, who is making his maiden appearance on Spanish soil this week, opened with a two under par round of 70 in Sotogrande.

Players will complete their first rounds at 9:10am local time on Friday, with no change to round two tee times. 

Day One - Player quotes

James Morrison: I’m happier now with the wind and the rain starting to pick up on the last hole there. I’m very happy. Knew the draw was going to be that way and we got more holes in this morning with no wind than we actually thought we were going to get in so we had to make hay while the sun was shining and I did that.

It’s gusting. It’s quite an exposed bit of the course, that 18th green, and you’re waiting for a gust to come behind you and it’s just difficult. You’ve got to get a wide base. It’s a lottery. You’ve got no chance of holing those putts but luckily enough it went in.

Spain’s been very, very good to me over the last 14 years. I’m guessing it’s the free-pouring gin and tonics that do it for me, which is the main thing, and the ham, obviously. I love coming here, it suits my eye, most courses inherently aren’t as long as we play on Tour so they’re more positional sort of golf courses.

Nick Bachem: It’s awesome. The course is amazing. It’s a pleasure playing here, practicing here. The greens are normally firmer and faster, they’re always crazy but I think the Tour did a great job being able to play in this wind today. It’s obviously pretty windy so it’s a bit slower than usual but it’s a great test out there.

Adrian Otaegui: It was a very good day from tee to green and I felt very good on the golf course. I gave myself lots of chances, didn’t miss many shots, didn’t miss many greens. The few greens I missed, I managed to make up and down so it was a very positive day for me.

We had a bit of everything today. We had one hole with rain, one hole with sun and good weather, one hole with wind, it was a bit of everything. The conditions were good for the first four or five holes but the wind was gradually growing. The last nine holes, for the back nine, was getting difficult and it looks like it’s going to keep getting windy in the afternoon. I’m obviously pleased with the way I played and with my score.

Wyndham Clark: I honestly played pretty good. Just in the middle part of the round I just really struggled with the wind. I like to think I’m a pretty good wedge player but three wedges I missed the green and two of them I made a bogey and that was all wind-related. One of them we thought was down off the left and it gusted in off the left so I came up way short. Another one, it just didn’t hit the ball so the wind was swirling. It had a predominant but then it would teeter back and forth. It was a tough day but shooting two under is a good round for the conditions.

It was fair with the windy conditions but for me it was a little slow. I’m used to a little bit faster greens. They were fast Monday and Tuesday and even some of yesterday but they were significantly slower today. Our hole group were leaving putts short. With the wind, I get it, if it continued to blow it could’ve got a little crazy. I just needed to make an adjustment.

Tournament eve round up and golfer comments

U.S. Open Champion Wyndham Clark is relishing the opportunity to tackle the test of Real Club de Golf Sotogrande as he makes his maiden appearance on Spanish soil.

The World Number Ten has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the PGA TOUR, winning for the first time at the Wells Fargo Championship in May before claiming his maiden Major title at Los Angeles Country Club a month later. He then made his Ryder Cup debut in Rome, contributing 1 ½ points to the U.S. Team’s total.

The Andalucían venue has hosted the Sotogrande Cup for over 50 years and has a list of winners which includes Major Champions Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari, with the Italian making his first appearance in this event for 12 years.

Molinari, the 2018 Open Champion, will play the first two rounds alongside Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who claimed his maiden DP World Tour title at last week’s acciona Open de España, and nine-time PGA TOUR winner Matt Kuchar.

The American, who has represented the U.S. Team in the Ryder Cup on four occasions, joins countryman Clark in teeing it up in Spain for the first time, while Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre flies the European flag as the sole member of Luke Donald’s triumphant Ryder Cup team in Sotogrande this week.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox will be looking to continue his excellent run of form which includes a Rolex Series victory – at the BMW PGA Championship – and two top three finishes in his last four starts, having climbed to third on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

Player quotes

Wyndham Clark: It’s beautiful. Thus far, it’s been a great experience. The food’s been fantastic, the people are amazing and as for the golf course, I was really pleasantly surprised. I really haven’t played much golf like this. The trees out there, the topography, it’s so beautiful, I’ve really enjoyed my time thus far.

At the end of the day, it’s golf, you’ve still got to get the ball in the hole. There are a lot of similarities, but I just think as a golfer you want to play against the best competition around the world and challenge yourself as a player. You want to play different environments, courses, players and put yourself in those environments and see how you handle it. I love coming over here and challenging myself. I love to travel so I like seeing the world and coming to a country that is as great as this, is a real treat for me.

“I hope there are more events we can play over here. I love the PGA TOUR, I love the United States but I also love travelling the world and to grow the game of golf, I think it’s the best thing for golf, to make it a global game. If we could play more events outside the US, who have both US players and international players, I think it’s the best thing for the game. I would love it if we had five to seven events outside the US which were in Europe, or in Asia, or the Middle East, or wherever it is.

Matt Kuchar: The topography here is beautiful – it reminds me a lot of Southern California. You’ve got mountains, you’ve got the ocean, you’ve got palm trees, it’s a pretty special place. The weather seems to be great, although they say tomorrow’s not going to be quite as good. I’m excited to be here. The weather we’ve had the last few days, the scenery that’s around. We’re staying pretty close to where Wyndham is, we saw them walking around last night near the marina.

There are a number of unique tee shots that I don’t feel like we don’t see very often on the PGA TOUR. With the elevation changes here and the severity of the dog-legs, trying to figure out whether or not to be aggressive and cut a corner or lay-up is a challenge. I feel like there’s a bit of a learning curve, I guess for everybody playing a competitive tournament here, but trying to figure out off the tee. There are still three or four holes where I’m still thinking do I lay up or do I pull drive and try and cut the corner. 

Pablo Larrazabal: It is actually my first time here. My caddie lives up the road, my dad lives five minutes away and it’s the first time I’m playing this golf course. Well, I actually think I played once when I was 13 or so, but it’s been 27 years without playing here. A couple of rounds around here is enough to really love this place and to look forward to a great challenge.

This is a really cool place. It’s a beautiful piece of art. Having these golf courses around us, it’s not that famous, but this is a golden piece we have in the south of Spain.

Francesco Molinari: It’s a distant memory now but I remember it very clearly because it was my first major international amateur win. I remember the course pretty well after 19 years. I remember playing with a few guys that are out here on Tour now. They are great memories and I can say I’m pretty happy with how the last 19 years have gone since then. I think younger me would be pretty happy with how my career has been so far.

I think the course is pretty much the same. They changed the grass, so it’s slightly different grass and I think they added a couple of tees. The large part of the course is mostly the same. It’s amazing, even after 19 years, playing the course the memories come back and it’s a really good course. It’s tricky with the wind, so I think we’ll see some good things this week.  

Thirteen golfers in the OWGR top 100 and 12 Ryder Cup players

13 golfers in the OWGR top 100 and 12 Ryder Cup players are playing in the ninth edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, tournament held from October 19-22 at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

All of them will compete for this title in the Sotogrande tournament with the best prize fund of all those held on Spanish soil in DP World Tour's history. The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters strong field will be led by Wyndham Clark, 2023 U. S. Open champion, Ryan Fox, 2023 BMW PGA Championship winner or Matt Kuchar, four-time U.S. Ryder Cup team member. They will be joined by stars of the stature of Robert MacIntyre, two-time DP World Tour winner and one of the European stars at the Ryder Cup in Rome, where he finished undefeated and scored 2.5 points in three matches.

In his spectacular debut in the biannual competition he was mentored by three vice-captains that will play in Sotogrande: the brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, inescapable reference of Italian, European and world golf, and Thomas Bjørn, bastion of continental golf and captain of the winning team in the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris. Francesco, 2018 Open Championship winner, returns to Spain to play his third Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, while Edoardo has never missed his appointment in this event and will play it for the ninth time. Thomas Bjørn will sign his seventh appearance.

The Danes Thorbjørn Olesen and Søren Kjeldsen, who came close to winning the first edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in 2010; the Englishmen Oliver Wilson, Ross Fisher and Andy Sullivan; and the Welshman Jamie Donaldson also left their brilliant mark in different editions of the Ryder Cup.

The international squad is reinforced by Poland's Adrian Meronk, with three brilliant victories on the DP World Tour in the last fifteen months and firmly established in the noble zone of the world ranking; France's Victor Perez, already with five DP World Tour titles to his credit; or Sweden's Alexander Björk, a prodigy of consistency who already has eight top-tens in 2023.

Rasmus Højgaard, Thriston Lawrence, Dale Whitnell, Tom McKibbin, Simon Forsström, Marcel Siem, Jordan Smith, Guido Migliozzi, Richie Ramsay, Ewen Ferguson and Todd Clements are other recent winners on the DP World Tour that will be at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande and will have to face the local team led, among others, by Adrian Otaegui, defending champion, Pablo Larrazabal, winner of two tournaments in 2023, Jorge Campillo, with a title already this season, or Rafa Cabrera Bello, 2021 Open de España champion.

Adrian Otaegui returns to Real Club de Golf Sotogrande as the defending champion.

Twelve years after playing the Sotogrande Cup in a superb Spanish team that faced the best European amateur golfers (many of whom already with notable professional careers), Adrian Otaegui returns to Real Club de Golf Sotogrande as the defending champion of the Andalucia Masters which took place in October 2022 at the nearby  Valderrama Golf Course. Otaegui from San Sebastian, in a more than remarkable season, comes to Sotogrande with his fellow Spanish squad and eager to fight again for this 2023 title from October 19-22.

“Every victory has its history and its moment, but it is true that last year's win at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters had a special flavor: my first victory in Spain, in front of the Spanish public, in one of the places I love the most. It was the first title with my parents on the course, sharing the whole week with me, with many people from San Sebastian. It was a very nice victory in a week in which everything went well. Unforgettable,” recalled Otaegui.

Read our report of the Andalucia Masters 2022

Although it’s been a while since the last time he played the Real Club de Golf, Otaegui has great memories of the course where he won the team bronze medal in the Sotogrande Cup in 2011. The Sotogrande area is very special for the Basque, and a new triumph would endorse the great relationship he has with this corner of the Andalusian geography. 

“I remember perfectly the Sotogrande Cup we played in 2011. The event carries such fame and prestige that all the players in Europe wanted to play it. It is a course that I love, it is always very well maintained, demanding, with fast greens and when the wind blows it can be very hard. I'm sure there will be good rounds if you have your game ready, but you can suffer as well. It's a course that suits me, although there are holes I don't know after the renewal. I can't wait to play the practice round. I have great memories of the Sotogrande area, of going as a teenager with 14 or 15 years when I could, in winter, to train with wind and with a different grass to the one we have in the north. It is an area I am very fond of,” exlpained the Basque player.

History permeates Adrián Otaegui's career and not only because of his time at the Sotogrande Cup: winner of the British Boys like another star from San Sebastian, José María Olazábal, he also made his debut in a DP World Tour tournament, the Iberdrola Open in 2011, on a very special date. 

“It was just the week after Severiano Ballesteros passed away and it was different and emotional. That same year, after playing the European Championship with the RFEG team, I turned pro, quite young. The idea was to gain experience to learn the trade. I think it was the right decision because I knew for sure that I wanted to devote my life to golf and I feel privileged to be able to dedicate myself to what I like, to my passion, to what I have always wanted,” said Otaegui.

Throughout his twelve-year professional career, Adrián Otaegui has been able to mature and make the most of all his efforts, overcoming the initial difficulties and taking advantage of the road to learn how to win and, above all, how to live. With four DP World Tour titles already under his belt, the future is still brimming with possibilities.

“The elite professional world is different from what you imagine as a kid. I've been lucky enough to play a lot of tournaments all over the world, in different courses, with different cultures, on different continents and tour. I have played all the majors except the Masters, and the experience has been magnificent. I love the competition and the challenges you face every day on a golf course. It is a matter of overcoming, of solving problems that come to you little by little, as in life,” said the Spanish golfer.

Before him, a notable challenge: to revalidate the first title he won on Spanish soil, and for this he will lead a notable group of Spanish players such as Pablo Larrazábal, winner of the Korea Championship and the KLM Open this year, Jorge Campillo, champion of the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa, Nacho Elvira, Adri Arnaus or Rafa Cabrera Bello.

They will face international stars such as the Americans Wyndham Clark and Matt Kuchar, the New Zealander Ryan Fox, the Italian Francesco Molinari, the Scot Robert McIntyre, the Pole Adrian Meronk or the Frenchman Victor Perez.

 

Technical and Environmental info about Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

The management of Real Club de Golf Sotogrande have pesented information about their commitment to environmental conservation and the responsible use of natural resources, especially water ahead of the DP World Tour event to be held from October 19-22.

The recent course restoration, carried out between 2015 and 2018, laid the foundations for improved maintenance management.

"We used certified 419 Bermuda on tees, fairways and rough, a warm-weather variety that needs less water, and reduced the turf area by 1.9 percent (10,150 m2). In addition, we installed 37 kilometers of drains that channel water to the lakes, making the most of rainwater. This drainage network, together with the 75 tons of silica sand used throughout the field, helps to keep the bermuda grass in good condition in winter, thus avoiding reseeding, which requires a lot of water," explains Patrick Allende, golf course manager.

Efficient irrigation is another key element of maintenance. The course is irrigated with reclaimed water from the Sotogrande urbanization's wastewater treatment plant, thus achieving complete water reuse and avoiding the disposal of such a precious resource into the sea.

"We have a modern irrigation system with 2,245 individually managed sprinklers and a state-of-the-art program that allows a very efficient water usage. We use daily humidity sensors and a weather station to determine the water needs of the course with great precision," 

The complex irrigation network is combined with a fertigation system that allows the field to be fertilized through water. "With this tool we achieve very high levels of optimization in the use of fertilizers," 

The environmental impact study carried out for the restoration of the golf course quantified a 20% saving in water consumption as a result of these measures. In addition, other parameters such as CO2 emissions, non-hazardous waste generation and noise emissions were reduced by 25 %.

The Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is working on an ambitious program to install solar panels to produce energy and gradually replace the traditional machinery with electric machinery that can operate with the energy generated at the club.

 

American duo Wyndham Clark and Matt Kuchar will join Ryan Fox and Rafa Cabrera Bello for the Andalucía Masters

U.S. Open Champion Clark has enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2023, winning his first PGA TOUR title at the Wells Fargo Championship in May before claiming his maiden Major Championship at Los Angeles Country Club a month later, finishing one stroke clear of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

The 29-year-old went on to finish third in the FedExCup – his highest career finish – and the World Number Ten made his Ryder Cup debut at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club last week ahead of his maiden visit to Spain for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

“I’ve never played in Spain before so it’s something I’m really excited about,” said Clark. “I’ve seen some pictures of the course and it looks amazing. It’ll be really cool to go and play there and I’m also looking forward to experiencing what Spain has to offer.”

Four-time Ryder Cup player Kuchar, who was member of the victorious United States Ryder Cup side at Hazeltine in 2016, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up in Spain for the first time.

“I haven’t played in Europe as much as I would have liked to over the last few years and I have heard good things about this tournament, so I’m sure it’s going to be a great week.

“We are lucky as golfers to be able to travel the world with our jobs, but in over 20 years as a professional, I’ve never had the opportunity to play in Spain before. I’m excited to head over to Sotogrande and see what it has to offer.”

BMW PGA Champion Fox, who defends his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title in Scotland this week, won his maiden Rolex Series title at Wentworth Club last month and is aiming for a strong finish to the season.

“There are some great events at the back end of the Race to Dubai and the Andalucía Masters is one of them,” said Fox.

“I finished third in Ireland last month and feel like I have a good run of events now where I can build some momentum in the lead up to the last few events of the year. The course looks great so I’m looking forward to heading to Sotogrande in a couple of weeks.”

Former Ryder Cup player Cabrera Bello, whose most recent victory came in Madrid in 2021, is looking forward to returning to his home country as the Rolex Series winner targets more success.

“Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is a brilliant golf course and it is deserves to host a tournament with the prestige of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters,” he said.

“Winning in Madrid was one of the best moments in my career, doing it in front of my home fans, and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to do it again later this month.”
 

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