Adrian Meronk, from Poland, winner of the Estrella Damm N.A. 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.

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 Guadiaro, 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.