Angel Hidalgo has set his sights on a second victory on home soil when he tees it up in the tenth edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande this week.

The Spaniard won the hearts of his nation just under a month ago when he held off two-time Major Champion Jon Rahm in a play-off to win the 2024 acciona Open de España presented by Madrid.

That win in the Spanish capital catapulted the 26-year-old to 22nd on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, and he is now chasing dual membership with the PGA TOUR on offer to the ten players not otherwise exempt on the season-long rankings with just four events remaining.

Hidalgo finished fourth at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in 2022 to earn his DP World Tour card for the following season and he will be hoping to use those memories as fuel for another strong showing in Andalucía.

Hidalgo joins home favourites Rahm, 2022 winner Adrian Otaegui, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Pablo Larrazábal, Jorge Campillo, Adri Arnaus, Nacho Elvira, Álvaro Quirós and David Puig as a star-studded field assembles in Sotogrande for the penultimate event of the DP World Tour’s Back 9.

Otaegui will bid to win the event for the second time following his triumph in 2022 and the five-time DP World Tour winner sits in 29th position on the Race to Dubai Rankings after a strong season, including victory at the Volvo China Open in May.

Joining them in the field this week are Rolex Series winners Victor Perez, Thorbjørn Olesen and Nicolai Højgaard, alongside his twin brother Rasmus. PGA TOUR winner Matt Wallace and Matteo Manassero, the youngest winner in DP World Tour history, will also tee it up in San Roque.

Estrella Damm, the premium lager brand of the Spanish brewing company S.A. Damm, will be the title sponsor for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters for the sixth time and the event will be played at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande for the second consecutive year.

Player Quotes

Angel Hidalgo: It feels good to be back in Spain and pretty close to home. I think we will have low scores this week because the greens are soft, especially over the first two days. I don’t know how the weather is looking for the weekend but the wind could make it tough. This is a course I know and that gives me confidence this week, especially over the tricky tee shots.

There is more pressure since I won in Madrid. There is more media attention, interviews and more is expected of me on the golf course. I am trying to stay calm and focus on hitting some good shots and hole my putts. Hopefully I can have another good week and celebrate on Sunday.

These events are great for Spanish golf and I’m sure the final round in Madrid has encouraged many young people to take up the game of golf. I’m very happy to be inspiring the next generation.

Jon Rahm: It’s always a different feeling being back in Spain. I think my emotions can be heightened when playing in front of the Spanish crowds. Obviously, I always want to do well but when I come home it’s something that makes me want to play a little bit better and is one of the reasons I have done so well in the past. I’m looking forward to the week and hopefully I can do well again.

Sotogrande is a beautiful golf course, a classic design and it’s well known all over Spain. We’ve had a lot of rain so the greens should be quite receptive, and you can be very aggressive with your approach play. If we don’t get the wind, I think you can expect to see some low scores out there.

These events on the DP World Tour always happen at the end of the year for me so it feels like it takes a little longer to re-charge. I’ve been home, the kids had a full break in the United States so to have all three of them at home all week was a lot of fun. It’s a lot of work but I don’t usually get the chance to be Dad for that long, so mentally it was a very nice break for me.

Adrian Otaegui: I’m very happy to be here. I’ve always said that the Sotogrande area for me feels like home because I used to practice here when I was an amateur to test myself in the windy conditions. Every time I come here it feels very special to me and I love this area. I love this golf course, and it is always in fantastic condition.

Last year we were here at Sotogrande Golf Club and the crowds were amazing. I also won this event in 2022, and everyone was very supportive, and cheering me on with big crowds. I’m looking forward to playing in front of the home fans again.

We have had some very important events in the last few weeks, and I’m really looking forward to finishing the season in style. I love the finale to the DP World Tour season and hopefully I can finish well.

Matteo Manassero: I love coming back to Spain because it's like a bit of a second home for me. I really feel that the crowd appreciates me and knows me and wants me to do well. That goes along with the culture which is very similar to Italy so I just like being here.

The Sotogrande area has a really good energy, a good vibe and I always like coming here. It's a long time since I was at Sotogrande Golf Club, so it brings back good memories. It's got something special about it: the surroundings, the trees, the way the grass is. It's a pleasure to play.

I know that I'm having a good season, I know that there is something at stake for the end of the year and golf is always like that. I want to play well this week and then move on but I want to really keep my focus to the immediate future and not too far ahead. The end of the season is close and we'll think about that after.

Venue: Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, San Roque, Andalucía, Spain

2023 Champion: Adrian Meronk

Prize Fund: US$ 3,250,000

Race to Dubai: Tournament 41 of 44

Back 9: Tournament 8 of 9

Race to Dubai Points: 5,000 (835)

Ryder Cup Points: 1,500

Player Field

Past Champions

Card of Course

KEY STORYLINES

Tournament

• This is the tenth edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, which is being hosted at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande for the second time
• Previous winners of the event include Adrian Meronk (2023), Adrián Otaegui (2022), Matt Fitzpatrick (2021), John Catlin (2020), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2019), Sergio García (2018, 2017, 2011), Graeme McDowell (2010)
• This is the second event held in Spain of the 2024 Race to Dubai, following last month’s acciona Open de Espana hosted by Madrid
• Real Club de Golf Sotogrande has a long history of hosting prestigious events, namely the European Nations Cup – Copa Sotogrande. Past champions include Major winners Pádraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, as well as a number of players who are in the field this week (Marcel Siem, Todd Clements, Adrien Saddier and Guido Migliozzi) and Tournament Director Jose Maria Zamora (1995).
• The Estrella Damn N.A. Andalucia Masters is the penultimate event of the Back 9 swing, with next week’s Genesis Championship marking the final regular event of the season, which is not only key for players hoping to retain their Tour cards, but will represent a final chance to reach the top 70 in the Race to Dubai Rankings and qualify for the DP World Tour Play-Offs

Players 

• Two-time Major Champion Rahm is one of several home players to head to Sotogrande as he aims to win the event for the first time.
• Angel Hidalgo will tee it up as the latest Spanish winner on the DP World Tour following his triumph at the acciona Open de España presented by Madrid. The 26-year-old defeated fellow Spaniard Rahm in a play-off to win his maiden title at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
• Other recent DP World Tour winners in the field include last week’s winner Dan Bradbury, Niklas Norgaard, who won the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, Matt Wallace, who claimed his fifth DP World Tour title at the Omega European Masters last month and Amgen Irish Open Champion Rasmus Højgaard.
• Adrian Otaegui – 2022 champion – is also in the stacked field alongside familiar names such as Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Pablo Larrazábal, Jorge Campillo, Adri Arnaus, Nacho Elvira, David Puig and seven-time DP World Tour winner Alvaro Quiros - among the 17 Spanish players teeing it up this week.
• Five of the top ten in the Race to Dubai in Partnership with Rolex Rankings will tee it up this week including Thriston Lawrence (2nd), Rasmus Højgaard (4th), Niklas Norgaard (6th), Matteo Manassero (8th), Jesper Svensson (9th) – and they are all in line to secure a PGA TOUR card for next season.
• There are currently four Spanish players inside the top 50 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex – Hidalgo, Elvira, Otaegui, Rahm

Estrella Damm

• Estrella Damm, the premium lager brand of the Spanish brewing company S.A. Damm, will continue as the title sponsor of the 2024 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.
• This is the sixth year of Estrella Damm’s sponsorship of the Andalucia Masters and the event continues to grow year on year.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Course

• In 1963, Robert Trent Jones was commissioned to design Real Club de Golf Sotogrande
• Madrid-based architect, Luis Gutierrez designed the iconic clubhouse which opened in 1964
• This was Sotogrande’s original golf course and the first course that Robert Trent Jones designed in Europe
• It was the wish of Sotogrande’s founder, Joseph McMicking that Trent Jones personally chose the land on which the golf course would be built within the enormous property
• The Club de Golf Sotogrande was granted a Royal charter in 1994, becoming Real Club de Golf Sotogrande
• Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, together with nearby San Roque Club, hosted the Qualifying School Final Stage for the DP World Tour many times. In 1996 cards were obtained by players including Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, and Nicholas Colsaerts
• In 2018 Real Club de Golf Sotogrande completed its regeneration and redesign
• Although Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is well-known for hosting prestigious amateur events, the professional names in its list of winners also stand out. In 1966, Argentinian Roberto de Vicenzo won the Spanish Open and in 1987 Seve Ballesteros won the Spanish Professional Championship

GOLF FOR GOOD

• ‘Golf for Good’ is the umbrella name for the European Tour group’s commitment to Driving Golf Further in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, ensuring we have a positive long-term impact on the courses, countries and the communities we visit.
• Through our competition brands, the DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, Legends Tour, G4D Tour and the Ryder Cup, we pledge to operate responsibly, collaborating with our host venues, partners, promoters, broadcasters and fans in the following areas:
• Environmental Responsibility: through our Green Drive initiative, we are working towards achieving climate neutrality when staging our tournaments around the world. We are signatories of the United Nations Sports for Climate Action, pledging to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and to be net zero carbon by 2040
• Social Inclusion: we support and promote diversity and inclusion, showcasing golf as a sport that can be played and enjoyed by everyone. This includes our financial and operational support of the G4D Tour (Golf for the Disabled) and our continued collaboration with the women’s game, by creating innovative, mixed tournaments.
• Charity and Community Legacy: We aim to leave a lasting legacy in the communities we visit through our charitable initiatives, and by educating new generations on the benefits of a working in and enjoying the game of golf through our Golf Futures programme.

Golf for Good at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters

Balls for Birdies

• DP World launched their Balls for Birdies initiative in March 2024, donating golf balls to grassroots golf initiatives around the world to promote the game and make it more accessible.
• They will deliver the total of balls to selected beneficiaries at the end of the 2024 Race to Dubai using their global logistics network.
• Balls will be donated as a direct result of DP World Tour members’ performances on the golf course, with one ball donated for each birdie, two balls for each eagle and 100 balls for an albatross.

Green Drive

• Players and spectators at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters will be able to calculate and offset their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when travelling to and from the tournaments – a first for professional golf.
• The new tool allows players to easily track, calculate and offset their travel-related greenhouse gas emissions across tournaments
• The initiative forms part of the Tour’s Green Drive initiative, with the commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040.
• Spectators can also use the tool this week and use their date to enter a prize draw to win a VIP package. They can also find tips and suggestions on how to best reduce their travel-related emissions. A number of high-quality certified carbon credits can be purchased to offset travel emissions that cannot be avoided or reduced.
• Real Club de Golf Sotogrande have also been praised for their environmental commitments this week, including the annual cleaning of the beach of Sotogrande, the birdlife census and the endorsement of its environmental commitment through the GEO (Golf Environment Organization) certification.

INCLUSIVITY: G4D Tour @ Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters

• The G4D Tour @ Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters was the eighth event of the G4D (Golf for the Disabled) Tour season

2024 RACE TO DUBAI 

• The 2024 Race to Dubai features three new and distinct phases; five innovative Global Swings from November 2023 to August 2024; an historic Back 9, from September 2024 to October 2024; and the DP World Tour Play-Offs in November 2024. 

• The Global Swings comprise of five individual ‘Swings’, the Opening Swing, International Swing, Asian Swing, European Swing and Closing Swing. 

• Each Swing will have its own identity and the top-performing player from each swing will earn US$200,000 from an overall $1,000,000 bonus pool. Swing Champions will also qualify for each event on the Back 9. 

• At the conclusion of the Global Swings, a further $1,000,000 bonus pool will then be shared amongst the leading ten players on the Race to Dubai (who have played a minimum of eight ‘regular’ events outside the Majors and Genesis Scottish Open. 

• The Swings also offer qualification into the first three Rolex Series events. The leading member (not otherwise exempt) from the Opening Swing qualified for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (Laurie Canter). The leading member (not otherwise exempt) from each of the International Swing, Asian Swing and European Swing will qualify for the Genesis Scottish Open. The leading member (not otherwise exempt) from the Closing Swing will qualify for the BMW PGA Championship. 

• The overall top performers from the Global Swings will be rewarded with qualification into Phase Two of the season, with ten spots in each of the Back 9 events for the highest-ranked members (not otherwise exempt) within the Top 110 on the Race to Dubai Rankings. 

DP WORLD TOUR PLAY-OFF ELIGIBILITY

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

• The leading available 70 members from the 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings at the conclusion of the Genesis Championship, to a floor of the cut-off for Category 10. A maximum of the leading available 15 players from the Non-Member Race to Dubai Points List who have earned at least the same number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points as the last member that qualifies from the above criteria.

DP World Tour Championship

• The leading available 50 members from the 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings at the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
• A maximum of the leading available ten players from the Non-Member Race to Dubai Points List who have earned at least the same number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points as the last member that qualifies from the above criteria.

THE 2025 RYDER CUP

Venue: Bethpage Black, Bethpage State Park, New York, United States of America

2023 Winners: Europe (16 ½ - 11 ½)

Qualification

• Qualification for The 2025 Ryder Cup began at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo and concludes on Sunday August 24, 2025.
• In a significant change from previous years – an alteration ratified by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee – there will be only one Ryder Cup Points List
• The team will comprise the top six qualified players from the Ryder Cup Points List and six Captain’s Picks.
• A new tournament banding structure has been implemented by Ryder Cup European in consultation with Captain Luke Donald:

• From the start of the qualifying campaign (August 29) through to the end of the 2024 calendar year, the only place to earn Ryder Cup points will be from events on the DP World Tour – ie: the Back 9, the DP World Tour Play-Offs and the Opening Swing events of the 2025 Race to Dubai.
• No points will be allocated to any events scheduled against Rolex Series events, other than in the ISCO Championship on the PGA TOUR, player opposite the Genesis Scottish Open.
• Points will be allocated to The Zurich Classic on the PGA TOUR, with 50% of each position allocated to each player in the team, but only if both players are European.

Current Standings

THE 2025 TEAM CUP

Venue: Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE

2023 Winners: Continental Europe (14 ½ - 10 ½)

Qualification

• The Team Cup returns for 2025 with Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose as Playing Captains for Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland respectively.
• Molinari and Continental Europe will defend the Team Cup they won in 2023, when they beat Tommy Fleetwood’s GB&I side 14½ - 10½.
• In addition to Molinari and Rose, the ten-player teams will comprise the leading four available Continental European and GB&I members from the final 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings, plus five players on each side selected by the respective Captains in consultation with European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald.
• As in 2023, the teams will compete in match play across one session of fourballs on the Friday, two sessions of foursomes on the Saturday and one session of singles on the Sunday, with every player taking part in all four of the sessions.
• Six participants in the 2023 Team Cup went on to represent Europe at Marco Simone in the Ryder Cup: Nicolai Højgaard and Sepp Straka (Continental Europe) and Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre (GB&I).

GLOBAL AMATEUR PATHWAY

The DP World Tour, The R&A and the PGA TOUR have launched the Global Amateur Pathway – powered by the World Amateur Golf Ranking® – to help the very best male amateur players take the next step in their careers.

The landmark initiative has created a pathway for non-collegiate amateur players on to the DP World Tour and partner Tours around the world. The Global Amateur Pathway complements PGA TOUR University – which awards membership on PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tours to the top Division-I college golfers at the end of the NCAA Championship – to ensure opportunities are available for elite players across the amateur ranks.

The first Global Amateur Pathway Ranking Period will conclude on 13 October 2024 and the first exemptions will be awarded for the 2025 season.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are already available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.

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 Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.

Jon Rahm leads the home bid this week at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. The two-time major winner is excited to perform for the Spanish fans and eager to settle his personal debt with a course where he missed out on the prestigious Copa Sotogrande in his amateur days.

At the age of 15, Rahm was on his way to his first big title, but it slipped away.

“On the 12^th tee, I was four or five under for the day and leading by four or five. I don’t really know if I got over confident or too nervous.

I missed left, made bogey or double on 13, birdied 14, bogeyed 15 and three-putted on 17. I still had a sixteen-footer for the win on the last and left it half an inch short dead centre ̶ I shall never forget that!

I then lost on the first playoff hole.”

“I won’t forget that Sunday for sure, but those bad moments make you learn and grow as a player. Great champions such as Mickelson or Tiger will tell you in full detail about shots they hit 35 years ago. They have reached the highest level because they learned a lot from their mistakes.”

In spite of that, Rahm keeps excellent memories of Sotogrande and Andalusia. “The hospitality here is incredible, and I have never heard anything negative about this golf course ̶ that means it’s very special.”

Jon dreams of putting on a good show for the Spanish fans and clinching a title that has eluded him in his three previous appearances at the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters. His best result was a tied second in 2019.

“It’s always a different feeling being back in Spain. I think my emotions can be heightened when playing in front of the Spanish crowds. Obviously, I always want to do well, but when I come home it’s something that makes me want to play a little bit better and is one of the reasons I have done so well in the past. I enjoyed great Sundays winning the 2018, 2019 y 2022 Spanish Opens.  Even the last Open was very exciting and emotional for Ángel Hidalgo.”

“These events on the DP World Tour always happen at the end of the year for me, so it feels like it takes a little longer to re-charge. I’ve been home; the kids had a full break in the United States so to have all three of them at home all week was a lot of fun. It’s a lot of work but I don’t usually get the chance to be Dad for that long, so mentally it was a very nice break for me.”

On the verge of turning 30, Rahm takes stock and does not feel that his eventful career has changed him much.

“You learn something new every day and get new experiences, but my essence as a person has not changed. Going to Madrid at the age of 15 from a Basque school in Bilbao was a big change. Switching to study in Spanish was very difficult, and then from there to the US. I think those changes were bigger that was has happened to me as a professional so far.”

Nevertheless, he is more cautious than the 17-year-old who, brimming with confidence, assured that he would win 19 Majors.

“I admit that I was arrogant, but my attitude is the same. If you don’t believe it yourself, nobody will; if I don’t have that goal and that dream, I will not get there. I know that if I don’t have a big enough goal I’m not going to give my maximum effort to reach it.”

“Now that I have two Majors, my goal is three, and then it will be four and so on. If I stay halfway to 19 and get to nine or ten, it will be an incredible career. Nowadays, going over five is very difficult.”

Although Rahm is the best ranked Spaniard (14^th), there are 16 other Spanish players hoping that the tenth edition of the tournament stays at home. They took the traditional family photo next to the clubhouse.

The Spanish options also include Pablo Larrazábal, Álvaro Quirós, Adrián Otaegui, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jorge Campillo, Nacho Elvira, Adri Arnaus, Ángel Hidalgo, Alfredo García Heredia, David Puig, Eugenio Chacarra, Santiago Tarrío, Alejandro del Rey, Manuel Elvira, Iván Cantero and. Sebastián García.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are already available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.

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 Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.

Steven Alderson was left fighting back tears after claiming an emotional victory at the G4D Tour @ Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters to become the first autistic winner in G4D Tour history.

The Australian entered day two at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande with a two-shot lead but ended it with a nine-shot victory after a round of 70 left him at seven under.

Affectionately known as Spud, Alderson arrived at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande full of confidence having won the South Australian All Abilities Championship by three shots over the field at Kooyonga in late September.

The 1.4 handicapper is no stranger to big wins, announcing himself to a wider golf audience with victory in the 2020 South Australian Mid Amateur Men's Championship, and last year winning the Webex Players Series South Australia.

It has not been an easy journey for the 44-year-old and he was fighting back tears after claiming victory as he recalled suffering years of bullying due to his autism.

"I'm so proud," he said. "Just growing up as a kid and being bullied all the time at school and even bullied at other golf clubs, it just means the world. I'm on top the world, it's just amazing.

"Getting the opportunity to play out of the country representing not only Australia but representing the people back home, it's just awesome."

Alderson will now have another chance to travel the world after earning his place at the season-ending G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, and he was quick to thank those who had helped him on his journey.

"I've got to thank mum and dad all the way," he said. "And my sponsors back in Willunga, Gully Winds Wine. A great couple Rob and Sarah, they're probably awake now, thank you.

"I've got to thank my caddie Trent (Blucher), without him this is not happening. And I've got to thank Willunga Golf Club as well back at home, just a great golf club to be a part of.

"It (Sotogrande) is a fantastic, fantastic golf course and the people here are just really friendly and inviting, it's a great country."

Alderson eagled the second and when he added three more birdies and a single bogey to get to nine under, he was romping home.

He needed a huge putt on the 15th to keep the damage to just a double-bogey and while he dropped a shot on the next, he birdied the 17th for an emphatic win.

"I've worked hard on my game the past couple of weeks and worked really hard in my practice round," he said. "We stuck to the game-plan even when we hit a couple of bad shots down the stretch.

"We just tried to get it back in play which didn't quite happen but one long putt helps. My caddie Trent has just been awesome all the way this week. Staying in the moment, especially when we had that double on that hole, Trent was really good because years ago I just would have blown up and probably broke a club or thrown my bag or something like that.

"It was really good to stay in the moment and stay positive and just try and get it out of the bunker and not rack up an eight or a nine. Holing that monster putt for double just makes it better.

"That was probably my most important putt in this tournament, it was more important than a birdie putt or my chip-in yesterday."

Italian Davide Fasci carded the round of the day with a 68 to share second with Frenchman Mathieu Lebon, who carded a 77.

The final event of the G4D Tour season will be the G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship, taking place in Dubai from November 11-13.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are already available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.

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 Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.