Among those following Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Robert Rock and eventual opening-round leader Matteo Manassero on the first day of competition was Málaga Football Club manager Manuel Pellegrini. (Photo: M. Álvarez)
“I said to him, ‘Come on, Tiger, come and play in the Open de Andalucía. Things are really tight and you can sort out the tournament for me. I can’t give you any money but a good hotel, yes, and fried fish… you’ll have a great time.’ He laughed.”
Held for a third time at Marbella’s Aloha (where Lee Westwood and Thomas Levet won in 2007 and 2008, respectively), the 2012 field features three other winners of major championships: 2003 US Masters champion Mike Weir, who also won the 2000 American Express World Golf Championship at Valderrama; 2002 US PGA Championship winner Rich Beem; and 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell. Dual Masters champion José María Olázabal had to withdraw at the last moment due to a foot injury and defending champion and 1999 British Open winner Paul Lawrie (winner at Parador de Málaga Golf last year) also pulled out with a lung infection.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Matteo Manassero (Photo: M. Álvarez)
The other past winners are: 1992 Vijay Singh (Parador de Málaga Golf), 1993 Andrew Oldcorn (Novo Sancti Petri), 1994 Carl Mason (Montecastillo), 1995 Alex Cejka (Islantilla), 1999 (Miguel Ángel Jiménez (Parador de Málaga Golf), 2009 Søren Kjeldsen (Real Sevilla) and 2010 Louise Oosthuizen (Parador de Málaga Golf).