{"id":7252,"date":"2011-10-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-26T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beta.golfinspain.es.local\/b\/2011\/10\/27\/spains-elusive-holy-grail\/"},"modified":"2019-11-07T10:58:35","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T09:58:35","slug":"spains-elusive-holy-grail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/2011\/10\/spains-elusive-holy-grail\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain\u2019s elusive holy grail"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unfinished business at Valderrama<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Spanish contingent in confident mood... (Photo: Fernando Herranz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SEVE BALLESTROS went close in 1988. The late Spanish star finished second two shots behind Nick Faldo in the inaugural Volvo Masters at Valderrama.<\/p>\n

Six years later, he was again second, a bogey on the last hole leaving him one short of Bernhard Langer\u2019s winning score and level with Vijay Singh. Miguel \u00c1ngel Jim\u00e9nez was fourth that same year, having opened with a six-under 65 that included the first albatross carded in competition on Valderrama\u2019s notorious 17th hole.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Olaz\u00e1bal finished third in 1989, five behind winner Ronan Rafferty. A decade later, Jim\u00e9nez became the only Spaniard to win the Volvo Masters, but it had been moved to Montecastillo in Jerez, as Valderrama focused on more important matters (1997 Ryder Cup and 1999 and 2000 American Express World Golf Championship).<\/p>\n

Back at Valderrama one week later he was level with Tiger Woods after the 72 regulation holes of the 1999 WGC even but succumbed on the first extra hole of sudden-death.<\/p>\n

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Hapless Carlos Rodiles loses aim on Tour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2003, Carlos Rodiles was just as close, losing on the first hole of a play-off against Fredrik Jacobsen for the Volvo Masters title at Valderrama. He has never really recovered from that setback. This year he has played in only four European Tour events (three missed cuts and 16th in the Bankia Madrid Masters), failed to make the cut in three out of four Challenge Tour starts, and has slumped to a world ranking of 975. His chance to redeem himself at Valderrama will have to wait at least another year.<\/p>\n

Then it was Sergio Garc\u00eda\u2019s turn to suffer Valderrama angst: he lost a play-off against Paul Casey for the 2004 Volvo Masters title, was second by two shots behind Paul McGinley in 2005, and was joint runner-up with Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington in 2006, one shot adrift of Jeev Mikha Singh.<\/p>\n

Olaz\u00e1bal and Ignacio Garrido were members and Jim\u00e9nez non-playing vice captain of the European team that captain Ballesteros led to victory in the 1997 Ryder Cup \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t really count. The bottom line is that no Spanish player has won an individual strokeplay title at Valderrama since its European Tour coming out in 1988.<\/p>\n

Last year, in the inaugural Andaluc\u00eda Valderrama Masters (the 21st and final Volvo Masters \u2013 16 at Valderrama and five at Montecastillo \u2013 was held in 2008), the best-placed Spaniard was Jim\u00e9nez (joint seventh), while Garc\u00eda and Olaz\u00e1bal shared 10th place.<\/p>\n

Now, in the 20th European Tour event held at the celebrated course, this season simply the Andaluc\u00eda Masters, 14 Spaniards in a field of 96 will be attempting to overcome the Valderrama hoodoo.<\/p>\n

\u201cValderrama is an unforgiving course and you need to hit great shots with all the clubs in the bag,\u201d said Jim\u00e9nez on the eve of the tournament. \u201cI\u2019m striking the ball great, but not scoring my best. I haven\u2019t had a win yet this season so it\u2019s high time to start.\u201d His last Tour win was the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September 2010.<\/p>\n

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Castell\u00f3 Masters triumph for Sergio Garc\u00eda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Buoyed by his 11-stroke victory in last week\u2019s Castell\u00f3 Masters, Sergio Garc\u00eda is favourite to break his duck at Valderrama. \u201cI\u2019m delighted with my win at Castell\u00f3n,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a great boost to my confidence. I love Valderrama. I\u2019ve been three times runner-up on this course, and that really spurs me to try harder. I would love to win an event like the Andaluc\u00eda Masters. I\u2019m happy with my ball striking, although there\u2019s always room for improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also returning to form in Castell\u00f3n after months of injury problems was Gonzalo Fernandez-Casta\u00f1o, whose last Tour win was in the 2008 Insurance British Masters. \u201cI feel pretty confident before this tournament, particularly because I did well last week,\u201d he said. \u201cPlaying well at Castell\u00f3n lifted a load off my shoulders. I needed to prove myself, and now I feel that I am really back on track. Having spent six months injured, it was great to finish second last week. We Spanish pros are like a big family with a great atmosphere. We enjoy travelling together. Every year we take this group photo at Valderrama and I keep them all as a nice souvenir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00c1lvaro Quir\u00f3s, from the nearby village of Guadiaro and winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February, will have plenty of local support. \u201cWhen you play so close to home it\u2019s very special,\u201d he said. \u201cMy family and a big bunch of friends will come to watch and support me, and I would hate to disappoint them. Hopefully things will turn out better this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Olazabal not too serious about chances (Photo: Fernando Herranz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ryder Cup captain Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Olaz\u00e1bal has not won since the 2005 Mallorca Classic and admitted his form would need to improve if he were to get into contention this week. \u201cIt\u2019s always very special to come Valderrama, but I expect a tough tournament and I\u2019m not playing well,\u201d he said. \u201cThis course is very challenging and we have a strong field with (defending champion Graeme) McDowell, Sergio, and all the rest. Sergio\u2019s win was sensational with such a fantastic score \u2013 it will mean a great step forward for him. Obviously Valderrama is an added motivation because of all the great tournaments played here. I shall never forget the \u201897 Ryder Cup under Seve. It was a very, very special week and I will treasure those moments forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other Spaniards in the field are 2011 BMW International Open champion Pablo Larraz\u00e1bal (he beat Garc\u00eda in a six-hole play-off in Germany), Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Santiago Luna, Carlos del Moral, Alejandro Ca\u00f1izares, Ignacio Garrido, Manuel Quir\u00f3s, Carl Suneson, \u00c1lvaro Velasco.<\/p>\n

The field has been weakened slightly by the absence of several top players competing in the 30-man Shanghai Masters, where the winner will receive a cheque for $2 million out of the total $5 million purse, though no world ranking points as the event is not sanctioned by any of the official tours. They include Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Padraig Harrington, and 2011 Volvo World Match Play champion (at Finca Cortes\u00edn) Ian Poulter.<\/p>\n

There are, however, several 2011 European Tour champions in the field: Martin Kaymer, the highest world-ranked player (seventh) teeing up at Valderrama (winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January); three-time 2011 winner Thomas Bjorn (Commercialbank Qatar Masters, Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and Omega European Masters); dual winner Alexander Noren (Saab Wales Open and Nordea Masters); Rapha\u00ebl Jacquelin (Sicilian Open), David Horsey (Troph\u00e9e Hassan II in Morocco), Nicolas Colsaerts (Volvo China Open), Mateo Manassero (Maybank Malaysian Open), Thomas Aiken (Open de Espa\u00f1a in Barcelona), Robert Rock (BMW Italian Open), Thomas Levet (Alstom Open de France), Kenneth Ferrie (Austrian GolfOpen).<\/p>\n

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Defending champion Graeme McDowell seeking to rediscover 2010 US Open winning form<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Graeme McDowell will be attempting to win his first title since last year\u2019s Andaluc\u00eda Valderrama Masters; while also hoping to end their 2011 drought are brothers Francesco and Eduardo Molinari, Peter Hanson (winner of the 2005 Open de Espa\u00f1a at nearby San Roque) and Ross Fisher (2010 Volvo World Match Play champion at Finca Cortes\u00edn).<\/p>\n

Former Volvo Masters champions (at Valderrama) in the field are Paul McGinley (2005), Justin Rose (2007) and S\u00f8ren Kjeldsen (68th) (2008).<\/p>\n

RACE TO DUBAI<\/h6>\n

The Andaluc\u00eda Masters is the last opportunity in Europe for players to improve their positions in the Race to Dubai before the Tour moves to Asia, South Africa and the Middle East. Only the top 60 on the order of merit will gain a place in the season grand finale, the $7.5 million Dubai World Championship in December.<\/p>\n

Current Race to Dubai positions of selected players in the Valderrama field:-<\/address>\n
Spaniards: Sergio Garc\u00eda (11th), Pablo Larraz\u00e1bal (12th), \u00c1lvaro Quir\u00f3s (14th), Miguel \u00c1ngel Jim\u00e9nez (16th), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (26th), Gonzalo Fern\u00e1ndez-Casta\u00f1o (89th), Ignacio Garrido (90th), Carlos del Moral (109th), Alejandro Ca\u00f1izares (115th), \u00c1lvaro Velasco (129th), Manuel Quir\u00f3s (164th), Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Olaz\u00e1bal (172nd), Carl Suneson (236th), Santiago Luna (267th).<\/address>\n
Australians: Richard Green (53rd), Marcus Fraser (69th), Brett Rumford (113th), 2011 Saint-Omer Open winner (in France in June) Matthew Zions (123rd), Scott Strange (130th), Andrew Dodt (163rd).<\/address>\n
Others: Martin Kaymer (4th), Thomas Bjorn (7th), Alexander Noren (10th), Peter Hanson (18th), Francesco Molinari (21st), Mateo Manassero (22nd), Graeme McDowell (24th), Ross Fisher (45th), Thomas Levet (33rd), Eduardo Molinari (50th), S\u00f8ren Kjeldsen (68th), Justin Rose (74th), Paul McGinley (147th).<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
Reproduced courtesy of ozinspain.com<\/a><\/address>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unfinished business at Valderrama 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\u2019s winning score and level with Vijay Singh. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1230,573],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-andalucia-valderrama-masters-2","category-european-tour"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7252\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}