Real Club Valderrama maintained its reputation as one of the toughest stops on the European Tour as just five players broke par during the first round of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

Four competitors share the lead on two under par as the field battled windy conditions in Sotogrande at the notoriously tricky 1997 Ryder Cup venue.

Scotsman Connor Syme continued the strong form he showed over the UK Swing and was the first player to post a score of 69 after finishing his round with three birdies in a row from the 16th hole. He was joined on that number by Spaniard Jorge Campillo, Guido Migliozzi of Italy and American John Catlin.

Spain’s Pep Angles sits one stroke back on one under par while six golfers share sixth place after carding level par rounds of 71, including last week’s ISPS Handa UK Championship winner Rasmus Højgaard and his Danish compatriot Søren Kjeldsen, who won the 2008 Volvo Masters on this golf course.

Player Quotes
Jorge Campillo: “I played very good on the front nine, and the back nine I kept it steady there. Just a shame about the bogey on 17 but overall it was a good round.

“I put the ball in play off the tee quite well and I hit good iron shots, my short game wasn’t as good as it has been in the last few months and my putting was good too. Everything was good besides the short game – I had a couple of up-and-downs where I would normally hit it close and I didn’t but overall it was good.

"I am normally a patient man, especially on this golf course – you have to be - and par is a good score on this golf course so it’s easier for me to be patient on these kinds of courses.”

Connor Syme: “I did play well on the back nine, I missed it in the good spots – as silly as it sounds, if you’re going to miss it in certain trees you’re better off being in the right ones, so you’re always taking that line where you’re taking that second shot.

“So I worked my round, I didn’t hit a great tee shot on 16, got a little bit fortunate but I missed it on the right side and hit a nice shot in and holed a nice putt, same on 17. It’s just about managing your ball, that’s so important around here. I was happy with the back nine, to be honest I didn’t know how I was scoring. It’s one of those days where you’re just getting on and grinding and it’s nice to see a few drop at the end.”

Guido Migliozzi: “It’s been a great day of golf. It’s no joke around here, Valderrama on a windy day, so I’m happy about my game and happy about the result. This is a paradise so I’m happy to be here and happy to play well.

“I need more consistency from my results. I’ve been struggling a bit on the first tournaments back but now I’m working hard and trying to improve day by day and the results will come.”

John Catlin: “I hit a couple of shots really close. On one I think I was two feet away, and then on the par three I hit one to about two feet as well. The par five I hit it up greenside in two and was able to chip one down there about five, six feet and holed it. Really it was my approach shots. Didn't give myself any long putts and was able to hole them. 

“This is already an incredibly difficult golf course. Then you add 35km winds, tough pins and very firm and fast greens. I'm very happy to be in the red. That was my goal at the start of the day, to have achieved that is very nice.”

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, 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 the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, Exterior Plus, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Marca, Maui Jim, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Riversa, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.

A rejuvenated Martin Kaymer cannot wait to take on the test of Real Club Valderrama at this week’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

The former World Number One has made no secret of his love for The 1997 Ryder Cup venue, and heads into the week with renewed confidence after challenging for the title at last week’s ISPS Handa UK Championship at The Belfry - where he missed out on a play-off spot by a single shot and finished in a share of third.

The two-time Major Champion from Germany is keen to build on last week’s performance as he continues his preparations for the U.S. Open - which he won in 2014 - in a fortnight’s time at Winged Foot.

Last week’s champion Rasmus Højgaard is also riding high after winning the second title of his rookie season, adding to his AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open success last December.

The Dane became the second youngest player in European Tour history to record multiple wins, aged just 19 years and 171 days.

Højgaard earned praise from 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn, who has tipped his young compatriot for big things in the future. This week, Bjørn returns to the venue where he made his debut in The Ryder Cup in 1997, starting a journey which culminated in his victorious captaincy two years ago.

Player Quotes

Martin Kaymer: “I’m confident. Of course, my confidence is higher than last week. But it was very disappointing for me to hit that tee shot on 17. I was very surprised with myself because it’s probably the easiest tee shot for me. I didn’t take the opportunity that was presented to me so I was disappointed by that but I need to see the positives from what happened last week.

“Valderrama is a golf course that was probably one of my top three golf courses around the world. If it wasn’t taking place at Valderrama this week I probably would not have come to Spain. For me it’s a very special place. I’ve always wanted to win here some day, and every time I have the opportunity to come here and play and compete, I take it.

“The beauty of the golf course is you don’t need to shoot four or five under every day. You just need to keep it in play and level par is a very good score. You don’t need to feel the pressure of making five or six birdies every day.

“It’s a golf course where you need to strike the ball well, it’s not a putting competition. It’s more about shaping the ball in all different angles so it’s more about playing golf, not the attacking. That’s what I really like about this golf course.”

Rasmus Højgaard: “I feel pretty good. It was awesome to get my second win, it all happened pretty quick. It’ll definitely take some time for it to sink in. It’s hard to tell what has worked for me. I’ve played solid from the British Masters and kept my patience. That’s been the key for the UK Swing success.

“(Valderrama) is awesome. It’s an awesome course, in great shape, you’ve got to hit some good shots out here to make a score. It’s a lovely place.

“If you’re playing well you can make some big moves on the leaderboard, I’ve seen the winning scores here over the last few years. It’s not been 15 or 18 under par, it’s been around ten under par. If you shoot under par in any round, you’ve done well.”

Thomas Bjørn: “For me the stand-out memory of Valderrama is sitting on the driving range for the opening ceremony of the 1997 Ryder Cup. The King of Spain was here, Seve being Captain and being part of that team will always be the stand-out memory for me. 

“It was the start of an amazing relationship for me and The Ryder Cup. Being part of that team alongside all of the heroes I grew up with, that for me was such a special moment.”

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, 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 the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, Exterior Plus, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Marca, Maui Jim, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Riversa, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a European Tour event that will take place from September 3-6 at the Real Club Valderrama, serves as the perfect example of the close and long-standing relationship that Andalusia and golf have had for decades.

With the sixth edition of this event at Valderrama, Andalucía have held 61 elite men’s professional tournaments, more than any other region in Continental Europe. From 1966, the most skilled golfers in the pro tours have played the best Andalusian courses in world-class events, including 21 Volvo Masters, 11 Andalusian Opens, 11 Spanish Opens, 6 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, 3 Volvo World Match Play Championships, 3 World Cups, 2 World Golf Championships and the 1997 Ryder Cup as the icing on the cake. In that historic event, the first played in a Continental Europe course, the European team captained by the great, late Seve Ballesteros obtained an epic win and millions of spectators around the world could enjoy the best Andalucía could offer in terms of tourism and golf.

This sport, key for the Andalusian community as a tourist destination, is an integral part of the Junta’s strategy and a priority product in its promotional efforts. This is reflected in the fifteen specific actions launched throughout 2020 (specialized golf fairs, fam-trips and press-trips, professional meetings, direct promotions, actions with tourist boards and tourism marketing exchanges) with an 1,5 million euros investment.

In addition, golf serves as an ideal vehicle to communicate the many attractions of this community, since Andalusia's offer is characterized precisely by the great variety of tourist products that invite you to expand the golfing experience during any stay. Gastronomy, high-quality accommodations, health and wellness centers, entertainment, almost a thousand kilometers of coastline, the community with a greater extension of protected areas, snow... The list of merits is almost infinite and adds up to a perfect climate for golfing throughout the year.

Besides leading in Continental Europe as a host of pro events, Andalucía is also at the forefront as golf destination for amateurs. With more than a hundred golf courses (more than 20% of the Spanish courses), the region welcomed 560,000 golf tourists in 2017, most of them from UK, Germany, the Nordic countries and Spain, and the potential growth for this number is marked by the 3,7 million of registered golfers in those European markets.

However, when thinking about golf the Junta de Andalucía is no only thinking about tourists (whether national or foreign). This community intends to bring golf closer to any Andalusian who may be interested in playing and the promotion of public schools helped the sport reach the 44,000 registered golfers, only surpassed by Madrid at the national level. Thanks to the many initiatives launched in order to promote this sport among young people, women and families, important steps are still being taken to bring golf to any audience.

A great example is Álvaro Mueller-Baumgart Lucena, a young amateur player coming from the Real Club de Golf de Guadalmina, one of the top Andalusian golfing hotbeds. Mueller-Baumgart will play the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters along with other two illustrious Andalusian golfers, Álvaro Quirós and Alejandro Cañizares from September 3-6. Once again, this tournament will show the outstanding Andalusian offer through its worldwide television broadcast to more than 400 million households.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, 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 the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, Exterior Plus, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Marca, Maui Jim, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Riversa, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.

35 years since its foundation and 25 individual events of the European Tour held on its pristine course. With this simple sentence we could summarize the history of the venue for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, the event that will take place from September 3-6, but numbers fall short when trying to convey the meaning of the Real Club Valderrama for Andalusian, Spanish and European golf.

Valderrama was founded in 1985 thanks to the efforts and vision of Jaime Ortiz Patiño, who hired top designer Robert Trent Jones Sr to renovate the old Las Aves course and the surrounding land with the intention of creating the best golf course in continental Europe. Valderrama debuted as a European Tour venue soon after that, since in 1988 it held the Volvo Masters, an elite field event that brought the curtain down on the European Tour season.

Taking a quick look at its winner list (from Sir Nick Faldo, its first champion, to world-class golfers such as Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, among others) it’s easy to understand its importance. On the fairways and greens of Valderrama, unforgettable moments such as Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie's draw in 2002, Miguel Ángel Jiménez's albatross in 1994 or the exciting playoffs between Ian Poulter and Sergio García in 2004 or Fredrik Jacobson with Carlos Rodiles the previous year. In total, 16 Volvo Masters in which the Real Club Valderrama acted as a fair but demanding judge.

After being elevated to a well-deserved glory and gaining international prominence thanks to the 1997 Ryder Cup in which Seve Ballesteros captained the European team to victory, the Sotogrande club hosted another key event on the international schedule, the WGC American Express Championship. The field, again, was outstanding. In 1999, the number one in the world, Tiger Woods, needed a playoff to beat a tough rival carried by the cheering locals, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, while in 2000 Mike Weir, a Masters winner, conquered the title.

The Andalucía Masters, currently sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Junta de Andalucía, followed up with the great tradition of elite tournaments at Valderrama and Graeme McDowell, who had won the 2010 US Open winner, beat the field that year. Golf fans had to wait until 2011 for the first Spanish victory at Real Club Valderrama when Sergio García managed to overcome the resistance of Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

In 2016 the Open de España took over and the field faced a course that, as always, made no concessions. This time, fan-favourite Andrew Johnston won the title but could not beat Valderrama because he finished over par, something that had not happened since Sandy Lyle won with +3 in the 1992 Volvo Masters.

In the following two years, Sergio García continued his love affair with Real Club Valderrama by winning two consecutive Andalucía Masters titles, becoming the first player to obtain three individual victories at Valderrama. The Borriol golfer accumulates 14 top ten in 15 appearances at Valderrama (2 in the WGC American Express Championship, 7 in the Volvo Masters and 5 in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters), an impressive record.

In 2019 the South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout broke Sergio García’s streak and managed to hold off the assault of the many Spanish players fighting for the title, since five Spaniards finished in the top 7 of the event.

The 2020 winner, therefore, will have the honor of being crowned in the 25th European Tour event played at Valderrama. Without a question, he will be a worthy heir to the tradition that so many illustrious international champions have written with their talent in one of the best courses in the world.

REAL CLUB VALDERRAMA PALMARÉS / PAST WINNERS

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, 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 the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, Exterior Plus, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Marca, Maui Jim, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Riversa, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.