Sergio García will lead the Spanish contingent next Thursday as the Andalucía Valderrama Masters gets underway with the support of the Council of Tourism and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía. Tournament host García is set to defend the title he won last year, in the wake of becoming the all-time European Ryder Cup points leader in Paris last month.
He will be joined by double Masters winner José María Olazábal (1994 and 1999), as well as compatriots Pep Anglés, Jorge Campillo, Alejandro Cañizares, Nacho Elvira, Scott Fernández, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Sebastián García, Ángel Hidalgo, Pablo Larrazábal, Pedro Oriol, Carlos Pigem, Álvaro Quirós, Eduardo de la Riva, Santiago Tarrio and Samuel del Val.
There is much at stake in this Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, the last European Tour event of the season to be played in European soil, with a prize fund of two million euro. For Jorge Campillo it will be the opportunity to cap off a great season. After six top-5 and ten top-20 finishes, Campillo is seen as a strong challenger for the title. Nacho Elvira and Pablo Larrazábal will look to consolidate their position inside Europe’s top 60 in order to secure their spot at the Race to Dubai’s final event.
Other participants, such as Alejandro Cañizares, Scott Fernández, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Pedro Oriol or Álvaro Quirós, will need a great performance this week to keep their playing rights. In any case, it will be a crucial week for the home contingent as they enjoy the full support of thousands of Spanish fans.
One of the more excited participants ahead of the event is sure to be a young player from Málaga, Angel Hidalgo, who makes his professional debut invited by the organizers after a great amateur career: 2016 International Spanish Champion sub-18, 2017 Europe Team Champion, 2016 and 2018 Spanish Champion. Hidalgo turned professional this month.
A very special Pro-Am
The Andalucía Valderrama Masters Pro-Am will be an unforgettable experience for a group of young promising golfers from Andalucía. The Andalusian Golf Federation, one of the tournament sponsors, has offered six spots in the Pro-Am to the current boy and girl champions of Andalusia by age groups. These kids that train and dream of becoming top golfers will have a chance to share a round with their heroes on Wednesday.
Other young fans at tomorrow’s Pro-Am will be pupils from Club de Golf La Cañada’s Junior Golf School. A total of 30 pupils divided into groups will follow the Spanish pros.
Healthy golf - Walk & Win
Spectators attending the Andalucía Valderrama Masters on Saturday are invited to join the Walk & Win event, a ground-breaking European Tour initiative supported by QuirónSalud with the purpose of promoting healthy lifestyle habits amongst golf fans.
Every spectator will be offered a Walk & Win participation card at the entrance of Real Club Valderrama. In order to participate, they must follow the established route as they enjoy watching the action. They will have their card stamped when they pass by the 5th hole and again on the 13th, and will eventually hand it in at the QuirónSalud tent after having walked a total of over three and a half miles.
Tickets for the 2018 Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation start at €15 for the Pro-Am on Wednesday October 17, €20 for Thursday and Friday and €30 on Saturday and Sunday. Children aged under 14 are admitted to the event free of charge when accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Tickets are available now HERE
The Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation is sponsored by the Council of Tourism and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía through the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union, with the added institutional support of the Diputación de Cádiz, the San Roque City Council, the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation and the Marbella City Council. It also enjoys the support of La Reserva de Sotogrande, Rolex, Heineken, Dubai Duty Free, Santander Private Banking, Shell, Exterior Plus and Samsic Iberia. Only Water, Grupo Hospitalario Quirónsalud, Coca-Cola, Varma, Korporate Technologies Group and Volvo are official suppliers.
