3 Jun
When Pamplona-born Carlota Ciganda won the Spanish Women’s Professional Championship in April at Talayuela (Extremadura) she put the finishing touch to an unprecedented run of national amateur titles in every age group from 2000 to 2008, including the open category in 2006, 2007 and 2008. […]
16 May
Seve Ballesteros champion in 1991 (Photo by Stephen Munday Getty Images)
One year after his death, the memory of Seve Ballesteros is being kept alive at an event he won five times. For many of the players competing in the Volvo World Golf Championship at Finca Cortesín – especially the three Spaniards, Sergio García, Álvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello – Seve’s record when the tournament was held at Wentworth remains an inspiration. […]
10 May
Volvo World Match Play Championship 2012
Graeme McDowell squeezed past Spanish home favourite Rafael Cabrera-Bello with a last-hole victory in the semi-finals.
Nicolas Colsaerts, the “Belgian bomber” (biggest hitter on the European Tour), followed up a maiden European Tour title at the 2011 Volvo China Open, and a 19th hole loss in the semi-finals of the 2011 Volvo World Match Play, against eventual champion Ian Poulter, with a final hole victory against the ever-dogged Graeme McDowell in the 2012 edition.
Columbian Camilo Villegas lost 3&2 in his match against American Brandt Snedeker in their duel for a place in the final eight.
Thunderous rain forced a temporary suspension of play in the Sunday morning semi-finals but the weather remained more benign – albeit windy – for most of the afternoon.
Finca Cortesín (2009, 2011 and 2012) is the only course apart from Wentworth to host the World Match Play Championship, which dates to 1964.
28 Apr
Competing at the same venue where his father Seve made his professional debut, 21-year-old Javier Ballesteros finished a creditable 14th in his first appearance in a pro event. […]
15 Apr
After making derogatory remarks about Canberra on a US talk show, actor Guy Pearce responded to the outrage (at least by Canberrans) by penning a letter to the Canberra Times: “I stupidly ran with a joke which I took too far for no other reason than to get laughs and I know I’ve offended many Canberrans and Australians in general. I feel horrible about myself for doing this and I’m truly very sorry. In the few times I’ve been I’ve really enjoyed it and found it to be extremely beautiful, so I’m so sorry for being such a dickhead.” Imploring Canberrans to accept his apology, he added, “I give you permission to abuse me in the street and tell me my films are crap.” […]
18 Mar
Ranked 610th in the world coming into the event, and one of eight players gaining a place off the Spanish order of merit, Eduardo de la Riva led after the second and third rounds but eventually finished third behind Julien Quesne and Matteo Manassero, matching his best European Tour result in the 2011 Madrid Masters. The Spaniard has been to the Tour Qualifying School nine times but only passed the test once, a decade ago. (Photo: M. Álvarez)
Former manager of the England national football team Fabio Capello caught the action at Aloha. (Photo: M. Álvarez)
Javier Ballesteros, oldest son of Seve, was in the gallery following the first-day trio of Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Mateo Manassero and Robert Rock, accompanied by two other promising young Spanish amateurs who were also on the Costa del Sol competing in the Andalucía Cup at La Cañada. (Photo: M. Álvarez)
Tournament host Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who was seventh congratulates Eduardo de la Riva as the leading Spaniard and tournament winner Julien Quesne, who at 31 secured his first European Tour title with an outstanding closing eight-under 64 (matching the Aloha course record). (Photo: M. Álvarez)
15 Mar
Miguel Ángel Jiménez is not one to give up easily. As in previous years, when he caught up with Tiger Woods during the latest World Golf Championship event in the US, the Málaga-born star invited Woods to the Open de Andalucía event his promotional company Grupo MAJ has organised – and partly funded – the past six years. […]
1 Jan
Open de Andalucía: Aloha (Marbella) – 15-18 March
Open de España: Real Club de Golf de Sevilla – 3-6 May
Volvo World Match Play Championship: Finca Cortesín (Casares) – 17-20 May
Ladies European TourTenerife Open de España Femenino: Las Américas (Tenerife) – 20-23 September
Mallorca Senior Open: Pula Golf – 11-13 May
Benahavís Senior Masters: La Quinta – 1-3 June
Pictured: Greek-born Luxembourg player Liebelei Lawrence competing in the Spanish Women’s Open at La Quinta (Benahavís) last year.27 Oct
Spanish contingent in confident mood... (Photo: Fernando Herranz)
SEVE BALLESTROS went close in 1988. The late Spanish star finished second two shots behind Nick Faldo in the inaugural Volvo Masters at Valderrama.
Six years later, he was again second, a bogey on the last hole leaving him one short of Bernhard Langer’s winning score and level with Vijay Singh. Miguel Ángel Jiménez was fourth that same year, having opened with a six-under 65 that included the first albatross carded in competition on Valderrama’s notorious 17th hole. […]
18 Jul
ALWAYS REASSURING to discover that not all modern-day professional golfers are metronomic gym freaks with personality bypasses…
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