The first time Tiger Woods visited Spain, he encountered a country in a state of shock. It was one hot weekend in July of 1997. There were 75 days left to go for the Ryder Cup at Valderrama and American captain, Tom Kite, had decided to visit the Sotogrande course with several other golfers. He had to break it in and get familiar with it before the grand battle against Europe. 

The goal was to get mentally prepared for the big duel on Spanish grounds, and it happened to be the most appropriate dates for the Americans, seeing as how just a few days later was the Open Championship. There was no better way to take advantage of the trip to the Old Continent. Ryder and British all in one. Fate willed that they came to a country which was anxiously counting down the hours...

María Acacia López Bachiller, chief press officer of the European Tour in Spain for 45 years, remembers that weekend as if were yesterday. “Neither Kite nor the golfers knew what was happening. Every time they turned on the TV, they would see the same images; when they picked up the paper, the same covers. All of Spain was out on the streets and they asked us what was happening”. Tiger and company visited Spain just when a young Basque councilman, Miguel Ángel Blanco, was kidnapped and murdered. Almost every Spaniard knows what they were doing during those fateful hours. It's one of the most shocking moments in Spain's recent history, and both Woods and a majority of the American Ryder team were there to witness it firsthand. 

Tiger played at Valderrama for the first time on July 13th, 1997, just a few hours after the threat was carried out and Miguel Ángel Blanco was murdered by his captors. It was a Sunday. He wore a black ribbon as a sign of respect. He and all the Americans.

Tiger Woods was a young, beaming and open golfer. He stopped to greet everyone, he made jokes, and he had a special connection with Mark O’Meara and Fred Couples. He was already a rising star, but he was still accessible. This story told by María Acacia shines light on how that Tiger Woods was: “The day prior to the competition, the golfers went out in pairs to talk to accredited journalists. Woods did so at the press center together with his good friend and support, Mark O’Meara. Just before that, it was Fred Couples' turn, who gave me a folded piece of paper for Tiger Woods. When he opened it, out of the corner of my eye, I could make out the joke Couples wrote: ‘I'm the blonde who's been watching you all morning. I'll be waiting for you in one hour next to the driving range’. Tiger folded it back up and put it in his pocket, a big smile spread across his face”. 

One of the days during that Ryder Cup, Seve Ballesteros, the European captain, went a bit mad. Nothing to do with golf, nor the rain, and most definitely not with the course preparation, which taught the whole world a lesson that weekend. Seve's anger came from something much more trivial. The Americans had refused the invitation for the dinner they would be served in the hotel, and they decided to satisfy their appetites with pizza and hamburgers. The Spaniard from Cantabria could not fathom how they could do something like that with Spanish food. “They have no idea”, he said.

Things didn't go well for Woods in that Ryder. Seve's Europe won on an unforgettable Sunday at Valderrama, and one of the key points, precisely, was Constantino Rocca's win against Tiger. However, Tiger was able to make up for it two years later. He took home the victory in the WGC-American Express after winning in a playoff against Miguel Ángel Jiménez. But that Woods was very different from the Woods of 1997. “He wasn't accessible anymore. He had become an hieratical and inexpressive superstar...he didn't smile anymore. He showed up with six bodyguards, a coach, a psychologist and surrounded by assistants...He was 23 years old.”, said Maria Acacia. 

But life is funny and the tides are always turning, often unexpectedly and, without a doubt, the Tiger Woods of today is much more similar to the version from 97 than the one from 99: more accessible, more bounce in his step and much more friendly. Who knows if we'll be seeing him sometime in the near future at the Real Club Valderrama, venue of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

• • •

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai held at 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. This tournament is also supported by Diputación de Cádiz, Dubai Duty Free, Exterior Plus, La Reserva de Sotogrande, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Rolex, Santander Private Banking y Shell. Callaway, Enterprise, Gadira, Grupo Raga, Isdin, Korporate Technologies Group, Maui Jim, the Hospital QuirónSalud Campo de Gibraltar, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.

Estrella Damm, the iconic premium lager brand of the Spanish brewing company Damm, is today unveiled as the new title sponsor of the Andalucía Masters in a significant five-year deal.

Major champion Sergio Garcia heralded the new era for the event by confirming he will return to defend his title as well as host the event once again through his Foundation. He will be joined in the field by, amongst others, his 2018 Ryder Cup teammate and fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm.

As part of the new partnership, the prize fund for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation will rise to €3,000,000 - an increase of €1,000,000 from 2018.

The tournament, at Real Club Valderrama, is also supported by the Junta de Andalucía, and will take its place in a new summer date on the European Tour, from June 27-30, 2019. 

Jorge Villavecchia, Managing Director of Damm, said: “It is a real honour that one of the European Tour’s most important tournaments bears the name of Estrella Damm, our flagship brand. This will without doubt contribute to the internationalisation of the company, one of the pillars of our strategic plan. It is also a great privilege that the event is being held at the Real Club Valderrama, an unmatchable venue.

“Sport is in Damm’s DNA, which is why the sponsorship of the tournament not only highlights the company's commitment to golf, but also that of Damm to sport and society.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We pride ourselves in being associated with some of the best and most prestigious companies across the world and Estrella Damm fits into that category. We thank them for their support of the European Tour in addition to everyone at the Junta de Andalucía and, of course, everyone at Valderrama.

“To have a tournament on the European Tour secured at one of the great and iconic courses in the world, not just in Europe, for the next five years, is terrific.

“We also pay tribute to Sergio Garcia not just for his skill inside the ropes, which will see him return this year as defending champion, but also for his commitment to the tournament outside the ropes through his wonderful Foundation.

“Players like Sergio and Jon Rahm are, of course, products of the Spanish Golf Federation who have done a fantastic job over the years in promoting golf in their home country and helping nurture young Spanish talent and advance it to the very top of the game. With seven Spanish players currently in the top 60 of our Race to Dubai, we look forward to seeing this trend continuing.”

Manuel Muñoz, General Secretary of Tourism for the Junta de Andalucía, said: “Today, Andalucía once again plays a leading role as a golfing destination, a benchmark for this sport in the south of Europe. Andalucía is the preferred destination for golfers traveling to Spain and the Andalucía Masters, which we have supported since its inception, has been an important part of that.”

Visconde de Pereira Machado, President of Real Club Valderrama, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Estrella Damm to our event at Real Club Valderrama. We have been working very hard to make our tournament one of the best on the European Tour schedule and we have no doubt that this new partnership will allow us to upgrade it further, to a new level.

“I would like to thank Estrella Damm for their great commitment and the European Tour for sharing with all of us at Valderrama our passion to grow the tournament. Our deepest thanks to Andalucía for their valued and continued support and to our member Sergio Garcia for his involvement through his Foundation.

“We look forward to welcoming players and fans from all over the world to Valderrama in June. Our golf course will be set to the highest standards of condition and will be a true test for some of the best golfers in the world.”

**President of CSD quote**

First brewed in 1876, Estrella Damm is the Mediterranean lager of Barcelona. To this day, Estrella Damm is brewed using the original recipe and 100% local and natural Mediterranean ingredients: barley malt, rice and hops. The link between Estrella Damm and sport dates back to the company's beginnings. Since then, the brand has been closely connected to sport in many ways, partnering many national and international sports clubs, teams and events. At the end of the 1990s Damm decided to support golf, at first through amateur clubs all over Spain and then, in 2017, sponsoring the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open, a professional golf tournament on the Ladies European Tour, in which Europe’s leading women golfers compete.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation returned to the European Tour schedule in 2017 after a six-year gap, with Garcia supporting the event through his foundation, which was set up in 2002 for the purpose of contributing to the social inclusion of economically deprived children and youths through social assistance benefits and the practice of sport as a free-time activity. 

After becoming the first Spaniard to win a stroke play event at Real Club Valderrama with a battling triumph at the event in 2011, the 2017 Masters Tournament champion and Europe’s record points scorer in The Ryder Cup, continued his love affair with the venue by taking the title for a second time on its return to the European Tour International Schedule.

Garcia continued his remarkable record at Valderrama last year by successfully defending his title and lifting the trophy for a third time at the venue steeped in Spanish golfing history, where the legendary Seve Ballesteros famously led Europe to victory in the 1997 Ryder Cup.

Garcia said: “I’m very excited to return to Valderrama, and especially with Jon coming along too. It was a dream come true to win the title again last year and I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing week this year, especially for Spanish golf fans.

“With our Foundation being so involved it makes it even more special, and hopefully we can raise more funds for people who need it. With Jon coming along again, and some of the other guys in the field this year, along with the exciting announcements, the tournament is getting even bigger. It’s going to be an awesome week.”

He will be joined in the field by World Number Eleven Rahm, who made his first professional appearance on Spanish soil at the event in 2017, and despite missing the cut at Valderrama, he went on to delight home fans by claiming his third European Tour title at the Open de España the following year.

Rahm said: “I’m excited to be back, and going to Valderrama in summer too – it’s the most beautiful time to be in the south of Spain. It’s a great part of the country and a great part of the world, actually.

“Last time I was there I didn’t have my best performance by missing the cut, so hopefully I can give Sergio a run for the title this year.

“We’re lucky to have two European Tour events in Spain, and one of them with a lot of thanks to Sergio and his Foundation. I will give as much support as I can and hopefully we have a good week and put on a show for the Spanish fans.”

Tickets for the 2019 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation are on sale now, starting from just €7 for juniors and €18 for adults on pro-am day. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.andaluciavalderramamasters.com

The road to The 148th Open at Royal Portrush will for the first time in 2019 feature the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, while the South African Open hosted by The City of Joburg, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investment Scottish Open all return to the Qualifying Series.

A total of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the European Tour, the US PGA TOUR, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

Three places at each of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters - which replaces the Open de France - the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will be available, while the co-sanctioned South African Open also provides an opportunity for European Tour Members. The Andalucia Valderrama Masters will play host to the first Open Qualifying Series Spain. The event held at the famous Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande has been won by home star Sergio Garcia in back-to-back years. The golf course which lends itself to creating dramatic moments like the 1997 Ryder Cup is sure to host another memorable week as three players can qualify for The 148th Open at Royal Portrush.

The Emirates Australian Open offered recently the first opportunity for players to secure their place at Royal Portrush, which was the host venue of the 2012 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, next year.  Abraham Ancer, Dimitrios Papadatos and Jake McLeod booked their passage to Northern Ireland.

Three new events on the US PGA TOUR will also feature in the Series for the first time: the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the RBC Canadian Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “The race to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush has well and truly begun and we are eagerly anticipating an exciting series of events as golfers around the world aim to book their place at the Championship.

“We know that there is real excitement at the prospect of The Open returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 70 years and it will undoubtedly act as an extra incentive for those players who are hopeful of teeing it up at the famous Dunluce links in July.”

The South African Open hosted by The City of Joburg will replace the Joburg Open following a merger of the two events. It will be played at Randpark, Johannesburg from 6-9 December this year when three qualifying places will be on offer.

Four places in The Open will be available at both the SMBC Singapore Open, which is being played at Sentosa Golf Club, and The Mizuno Open taking place at The Royal Golf Club in Japan.

On the PGA TOUR, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and RBC Canadian Open will each have three qualifying places while two golfers will qualify from the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The last qualifying place will be confirmed at the John Deere Classic on the eve of The 148th Open.

Two places will also be available at the KOLON Korea Open in June.

Sergio Garcia successfully wrapped up his third Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation title with a four-shot victory, after weather delays took the tournament into a fifth day.

The 2017 Masters Tournament winner had been in possession of a three-shot lead when stormy conditions forced play to be suspended on Sunday night after a series of weather delays on the opening three days at Real Club Valderrama had already seen the tournament reduced to 54 holes.

The defending champion - who also won this event in 2011 - powered to victory when play resumed on Monday, carding three birdies and a single bogey in his last 11 holes to finish the week on 12 under par at a course he counts as one of his favourites.

Irishman Shane Lowry recorded his best finish of the season, taking second place at eight under par after a final round 66.

The 31 year old - whose last victory came at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational - had given Garcia a scare when he closed the gap to a single shot courtesy of three birdies in a row at the start of the back nine, but a double bogey at the short 15th hole halted his challenge.

Finland’s Mikko Korhonen finished two shots further back at six under par, one ahead of England’s Ashley Chesters. Lee Westwood and Maximillian Kieffer of Germany were then at four under par, alongside another local favourite, seven-time European Tour winner Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, who secured his European Tour card for 2019 with his share of fifth place.  

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay also kept his card after finishing in a share of 11th on two under par to jump up to 115th on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex, with England’s David Horsey clinching the final place.

Player quotes

Sergio Garcia: “To be able to win three times here in Valderrama is a dream come true. It’s so difficult, this golf course is so challenging. For me to be able to shoot three rounds under par with the positions we played all week, all the rain we had, and all the stop and going means a lot. I’m very proud of that.”

“I knew the guys would attack, they would be going after me. This is the kind of golf course that if you’re a little bit off you can struggle but if your game is on it gives you a lot of birdie opportunities. Obviously Shane was playing well, he got close to me, then unfortunately he doubled 15 and then I dug up an extra gap with my birdie on 14 and opened it to four.”

“Becoming a father changes your life for better and we’ve enjoyed every minute of it.  I am very happy to have Angela and Azalea by my side; it was nice to be able to win it for both of them.”

Shane Lowry: “I was going well yesterday but I came back out this morning on fire as well. Birdied ten, 11 and 12, flying, lipped out on 13 and 14 and then hit the worst shot I’ve hit all year on 15. Made double there, but the positive is that it’s probably the only bad shot I hit in that round.”

“A 66 around here and being in contention is pretty good. I’m just disappointed I didn’t put a bit of pressure on Sergio. I had it to within one at one stage and then I made double and he made birdie. That was it. But it’s my best week of the year, serious positives to take from it, and I’ve got a great four weeks coming up now to finish the season.”

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño: “I’m really, really happy and also quite proud of what I’ve done this week; when I needed to deliver I did, so I’m excited.”

“If I had to choose a tournament to keep my card it’s probably this one. It doesn’t particularly suit my game, but it’s a course I know very well, and also I knew the scoring would not be extremely low.”

“I’m very excited to be back with full status on the European Tour; it’s always been my home tour and will always be. I’ve been away for a few years trying the American dream, unfortunately it didn’t happen for me, but it’s good to be back. I believe I still have a few years ahead to win tournaments, and hopefully 2019 will be one of them.”

Richie Ramsay: “I didn’t sleep the best but I think I came out and proved a lot to myself, arguably under the most pressure I’ve ever felt coming down the stretch, but it’s a course I love which made it far easier to go out there and play.”

“I had some good looks at some great putts on 16 and 17 and then I rolled in a nice little tester at the end from about three feet. A three footer under normal circumstances is very easy, but not when your job is on the line.”