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Next week the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters will be held at Royal Sotogrande Golf Club, with the support of Estrella Damm and Andalucía as the main sponsors. The DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) event, which until now has been held at Royal Valderrama Club, moves just one kilometre away to the iconic course designed by Robert Trent Jones, his first project in Europe.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters comes at a crucial moment of the season and will be decisive in the Race to Dubai order of merit. Notable players teeing up include:

• Wyndham Clark, winner of the 2023 U.S. Open and a U.S. team member at the 2023 Ryder Cup held in Rome (his participation will be of special interest for fans, as an American who is not a regular player on the DP World Tour).
• Matt Kuchar, with four Ryder Cups to his credit and multiple U.S. PGA Tour victories.
• Ryan Fox, winner of the recent BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
• Francesco Molinari, winner of the 2018 Open Championship.
• Spaniards Adrián Otaegui (reigning champion of the tournament), Pablo Larrazábal, Jorge Campillo and Rafa Cabrera Bello, all of them international champions.

During the official press presentation Royal Sotogrande Club director Kostka Horno highlighted the club’s experience in organising major events, especially in the amateur sphere, in addition to the significance of once again hosting a professional tournament at this renowned course. “Royal Sotogrande Club is an exceptional and comfortable venue for spectators attending the tournament. The club has a long history of hosting golf events, both amateur and professional, and is an ideal place to enjoy the sport.”

Estrella Damm’s financial contribution has not been revealed, but for the new two-year agreement the Junta de Andalucía (regional government) has increased its previous contribution by almost 45 per cent to €2 million. The tournament’s prizemoney pool is increased by €500,000 to €3.75 million, although the amount for the winner has not yet been confirmed. This suggests the overall budget for the tournament is in the vicinity of €6.5 million. The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters thus joins Valderrama’s LIV Golf event and the Finca Cortesín Solheim Cup in what is possibly an unrepeatable year in terms of investment for the promotion of international golf events (with the Ladies European Tour’s Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España still to come at Royal Las Brisas from 23 to 26 November).

It is also extremely positive to see another Spanish course taking over from Royal Valderrama Club as a host of top international events, reducing our hitherto almost exclusive dependence on Valderrama for the main global promotion of Spain as a premier golf destination. An excellent decision, showcasing what many of us consider to be one of the best golf courses in Spain.

You can watch the press conference here, broadcast by ochodirecto.

We are certain this event will be hugely entertaining to enjoy live, and we encourage you to come to Royal Sotogrande from October 19 to 22.

If you are keen to visit on a getaway, ask us about accommodation and golf options in the area.