It’s safe to say that the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters is one of the best tournaments on the European Tour calendar, and it’s not the only tournament at the highest level in Spain in 2019, nor is it the only one where it’s possible to catch the main stars in the world of golf in action, such as Jon Rahm, Sergio García and Matthew Fitzpatrick. But the big event at Real Club Valderrama, held from June 27th to June 30th, is all that and so much more. One of the main incentives of the tournament is that it pertains to the “Qualifying Series” of the Open Championship, meaning that it will be granting three golden tickets to play in the fourth and last major of the season, which will be held on the Royal Portrush course in Northern Ireland from July 18th to July 21st, one of the last opportunities for golfers in the European Tour to earn a spot in the Open Championship, making it all the more attractive.
More than just an additional incentive for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, it’s also worth noting that the Real Club Valderrama will once again become a pioneer, making national golf history by being the first course in Spain to host a qualifier for the Open. This is the sixth season since the Royal & Ancient introduced this new form of accessing the Open and, to date, their tournaments have not yet touched upon Spanish terrain.
Thus, Valderrama will always be linked to the history of the Open, the oldest tournament in the world, as well as being the only course in Spain and continental Europe, dating back to 1997, to host a Ryder Cup. Always cutting edge. Always hand in hand with the biggest events in golf.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters will grant three invitations to the Open to the highest-ranked golfers who finish in the top ten, and who don’t already have a spot secured. And thus, it’s a very enticing prize, a sweet pot that the golfers are prepared to fight for. In light of these special events, the European Tour live broadcast online of the rankings will be done a bit differently. Viewers will see the results superimposed on a claret jug, the trophy that will go to the champion of the Open Championship, with the names of those who have already qualified. It’s the easiest way to be able to follow who will be there on Sunday fighting for the three golden tickets.
The Real Club Valderrama will attempt to give Spanish golf a stroke of luck with this “qualifying series”. Much needed at that, seeing as how, since it’s been implemented, the numbers have been unsatisfactory, to say the least. Of the near 150 different golfers that have managed to earn one of these ‘golden tickets’ for the Open by way of this system in the past six years, only one was Spanish, golfer from the Canary Islands, Rafa Cabrera Bello, in the Open de France in 2015, a rather minuscule amount.
In the latest edition, there are many candidates who are vying for their shot at one of those all-powerful golden tickets, so to speak. Of the 22 Spanish golfers on the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters roster, there are only four who have already qualified for the Open: Rahm, Sergio García, Jorge Campillo and Adrian Otaegui, which means there are fourteen potential candidates to win a dream trip to Portrush. There are currently five Spanish golfers who have secured their spot in the upcoming Open. The four previously mentioned and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who earned his spot as last year’s champion of the Open Championship Senior on the Old Course at St. Andrews. The record of Spanish participants in an Open Championship goes back to 1983 and 1991, when there were ten representatives. The Open in 1991 is, coincidentally, still the major with the most Spanish golfers in history, a total of seven, to make the cut.
Valderrama could be the one to make history now as the first champion of the Open Championship qualified by way of the “Qualifying Series”, why not? For now, the best score in these past five years from a golfer who has gone through these tournaments is fourth place, claimed by American golfer, Steve Stricker, in 2016. Additionally, there have been three more top tens: Edoardo Molinari (7th in 2014), Tyrrell Hatton (5th in 2016) and Eddie Pepperell (6th in 2018).
It’s important to note that after Valderrama, there will still be four more qualifying tournaments for the Open, which are the Rocket Mortgage Classic, held the same week as the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, the Irish Open, the Scottish Open and the John Deere Classic. In other words, after Valderrama, there will only be nine more spots up for grabs through this ever so enticing “Qualifying Series”.
Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2019 hosted by the Sergio García Foundation are on sale now at the event website, starting from just €7 for juniors and €18 for adults (free entry for children aged under 12 when accompanied by an adult). For more information, see the event website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local of the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by EU and declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Diputación de Cádiz, Dubai Duty Free, Rolex, Exterior Plus, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, ISDIN, Korporate Technologies Group, Marca, Maui Jim, the Hospital QuirónSalud Campo de Gibraltar, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf and Volvo are official suppliers. 5J, Gadira, Grupo Joly and Varma collaborate in the event as well.
