Andalucia Masters 2024, Sotogrande

Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters 2024, Sotogrande

Julien Guerrier is champion of the 2024 Andalucia Masters

Julien Guerrier of is champion of the 2024 Andalucia Masters held at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Sotogrande from the 17th to 20th October 2024 after a mamouth 9-hole play off.

Julien Guerrier from France and Jorge Campillo from Extremadura, Spain started the final day as co-leaders, were 21 under par at the end of the eighteen-hole round and returned to play the par-four 18th as a play-off, but were level on four. So they played the 18th again, and then the 17th, and then the 18th, but were still tied, and so on until one of them won the hole.

Julien Guerrier ended his long wait for a maiden DP World Tour title in the record-equalling nine-hole play off.

The Frenchman came out on top at the ninth extra hole, nervelessly holing from eight feet to enter the winner's circle for the first time on his 230th start. Campillo holed a vital putt at the first play-off hole as he knocked in from range for par to keep the competition alive, before both players parred the second extra hole. Campillo had a seven-foot birdie putt to win at the third play-off hole but sent it just wide. The fourth, fifth and sixth extra holes were halved in pars, before Guerrier's chip from the rough lipped out on the seventh extra hole. The contest was finally settled on extra hole number nine as Guerrier slotted in his par putt to secure the trophy.

Julien Guerrier said afterwards, "I'm feeling great and I can't believe I made it because it's been a really long time I've been waiting for it. We work really hard every week for that but we have to stay patient. I know Jorge Campillo is a great player but today it goes my way so I'm very happy. My game wasn’t in the best shape but my putting was very good and I fought to do my best." "Over the last putt I was thinking of my kids and they gave me the strength to get over the line. It’s been a long wait and I’m very emotional right now. I have to thank them for supporting me throughout my career", he continued. "French golf is very good right now and seeing the other guys win out here gave me so much belief that my time would come, and I could win. It still hasn’t sunk in, and I will go back home and spend some time with my family to celebrate.

Englishman Daniel Brown finished the week in third position on 19 under par, while countryman Jordan Smith and Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard were a shot further back in fourth.

Two-time Major champion Jon Rahm carded a five under par final round of 67 to climb into solo sixth on 17 under par. Jon was the big attraction of the tournament, immediately after walking off the course and recording his score, he spoke to the media for ten minutes and then began signing hundreds of autographs for the excited children. Only when he was finished did he retire to the clubhouse café.

"I have not been completely comfortable this week, quite far from my best golf. It's a bit annoying to be up there but not to win, that's what it is,"" Rahm summed up afterwards.

"The holes that seem a little easier, when you're trying to win, become more difficult, you hesitate more and it happens on a course that is easy to make birdies. You tense up a little bit and someone comes from behind and makes a few. I was far away, minus 10 today was complicated, but I tried’ he continued.

Campillo and Guerrier share lead at Sotogrande - Staurday Round 3

Rahm, tied for sixth at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Julien Guerrier posted a course record nine under par round of 63 to join home favourite Jorge Campillo at the top of the Andalucía Masters leaderboard after the Saturday third round. The Frenchman had already made five birdies in his first ten holes before firing two eagles in the space of three holes at the 12th and 14th to move to 19 under par alongside Campillo at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Campillo, 38 from Caceres, Extramadura, Spain entered the third round with a four-shot lead, made birdies at the second, fourth and seventh to make the turn in 33 and extend his lead at the top in San Roque. The three-time DP World Tour winner made another gain at the 12th before parring his way home to sign for a 68 and make it 54 holes without a blemish on his card, and the 38-year-old has now set his sights on a first victory on home soil ahead of Sundays's final round.

Daniel Brown, 30 from Northalerton, England sits in third position on 16 under par, with countryman Jordan Smith a shot behind in fourth, and the duo carded matching rounds of 67.

Five-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard, 23 from Billund, Denmark sits on 13 under par in fifth place, while two-time Major champion Jon Rahm posted a four under par 68 to move alongside Englishman Andy Sullivan on 12 under in a share of sixth.

Player Quotes:

Julien Guerrier: The key is the short game because it's where I made my score. I hit two great shots on the par fives and a little bit of luck as well. I was not playing exactly to that spot, but it finished well. It can be a rollercoaster out there and a tournament is not a sprint it's a marathon, so I just try to enjoy every moment.

I love playing in Spain and I will just try to play my game and stay focused focussed tomorrow. I’m looking forward to playing with Jorge (Campillo) tomorrow and the atmosphere is going to be fantastic. It will be a good day and hopefully the weather is great.

Jorge Campillo: I played quite solid apart from nine I hit all the other greens, so it was stress free. I hit some great shots coming in, but I didn't make the putts. I felt I was hitting great putts so hopefully tomorrow I can make some more of the putts.

I was feeling good all day. I was pretty calm all day. I hit the ball well so that helped and tomorrow I will try to do the same thing.

It's always great to win in your home country. The weather is great this year and this golf course is beautiful, so I'll try to win. I want to try not to think about the score and just play my own game.

Jon Rahm: It wasn’t quite enough today. I felt like I was good off the tee but still made too many mistakes. I missed a short putt on four and three putted on 14, two mistakes which were avoidable out there. I definitely left a few out there today.

I can’t be thinking of winning tomorrow but it’s a green light to go at everything and hopefully make lots of birdies and some eagles. I’m going to need a crazy low round and hope the leaders slip up a little bit tomorrow but hopefully I can get close and give them something to think about down the stretch.

Campillo climbs into pole position at Sotogranda - Friday Round 2

Jorge Campillo delighted the home crowd as he moved into a four-shot lead after posting a bogey-free seven under par round of 65 on day two of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

The three-time DP World Tour winner built on his opening 64 with another low round as he moved to 15 under par at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, four shots ahead of Englishman Daniel Brown in second.

The Spaniard, starting from the tenth, managed to get up and down for a valuable par save at his first hole before holing out for a magnificent eagle on the 11th to reach the top of the leaderboard. A tap-in birdie at the par-five 14th followed before Campillo saved par from 12 feet on the short 17th to keep his card clean.

After taking advantage of the long par-five second hole to get to 12 under, Campillo holed a putt from 56 feet at the par-three fourth for another gain, receiving huge roars from the home crowd. The 38-year-old picked up his fourth birdie of the day on the sixth before a nine-foot putt at the last saw him sign for a sparkling 65 and make it 36 holes without a blemish.

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson carded a six under 66 to move into third position alongside Englishman Jordan Smith and Julien Guerrier of France on ten under par.

Two-time Major Champion Jon Rahm also climbed the leaderboard after he posted a round of 66 to move into sixth place with fellow Spaniard Angel Hidalgo, eight-time DP World Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger, South African Jayden Schaper and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay on eight under.

Jorge Campillo: I made a good putt on ten to save par and then the eagle on 11 was a great way to set the tone. It was a tough pitch shot but that’s the best part of my game. I hit it perfectly and it went in the hole which was nice.

I’m feeling good and although I have played a lot of events, I feel like I am playing better recently, and I just love playing golf. I don’t feel too tired and shooting 15 under over 36 holes doesn’t feel tiring for me.

I’ve been putting the ball in play off the tee, hitting my irons great and then making the short putts. Last year at the KLM I was in this position after 36 holes and ended up finishing 29th, so I know there is a lot of golf left to play, and I don’t know what’s going to happen over the weekend.

Daniel Brown: It was good today considering how windy it was out there. I wasn’t expecting it to be this windy and it was certainly tricky out there. I knew the pins were going to be a lot tougher today and I think the scores have reflected that. It was just a case of being patient today and although I dropped a couple of shots coming in, I’m pleased overall.

You have to assess where the good misses are, and you don’t want to short side yourself with a tricky chip downwind or downhill into a tucked pin. It’s important to play smart and I feel really good ahead of the weekend. My game is comfortable and I’m swinging it nicely out there.

Jon Rahm: It was a really good round of golf. I was solid off the tee and gave myself a lot of chances and my iron game was great. I hit two approaches to tap-ins and my ball striking was good which is what you need in windy conditions. I rolled in a couple of nice putts and it was a shame to drop a shot on the last hole.

I need to keep making birdies tomorrow and you have to go low here whether it’s windy or not. Hopefully I can repeat today’s round and maybe go even lower.
 

Scott Jamieson: The front nine was very kind to me today and I took advantage of the fresh greens which were beautiful this morning and thankfully I managed to roll in some nice putts. I putted well all day, and I gave myself lots of chances on the front nine with my approach shots. I wasn’t quite as good on the back nine tee to green, but I holed some important putts to save par.

The goal is to break into that top 70. I had a really strong start to the season so to not make it into the playoffs would be a real shame, I’m going to give it a big push over the next couple of days to make sure I’m there. There is still so much to play for because if I have an exceptional week here and another exceptional week in Korea, all of a sudden the goals can change and you can find yourself heading towards the top of the Rankings.

Julien Guerrier in first round lead at Sotogrande - Thursday Round 1.

The Frenchman reeled off five consecutive birdies from the second before picking up further gains at the eighth and ninth to make the turn in 29. He kept the momentum going on the back nine with birdies at the tenth, 11th and 15th to move into the outright lead.

Julien Guerrier, 39-year-old battled gusty conditions as he parred his way in to remain in pole position on ten under, one ahead of Englishman Daniel Brown in second place.

Brown had set the target earlier in the day after he carded a bogey-free nine under par 63, which included two eagles and five birdies.

Home favourite Jorge Campillo sits in third position after his bogey-free 64, while American Johannes Veerman is a shot further back in fourth.

Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard and Frenchman Romain Langasque share fifth place on six under after they posted rounds of 66 in Andalucía.

Frenchman Ugo Coussaud made a brilliant hole-in-one at the par-three eighth, holing out from 175 yards using a six iron, on his way to signing for an opening two under par round of 70.

Julien Guerrier said afterwards "I had the feeling I was playing the PlayStation on the front nine. It was very nice but we know golf, we know we have to stay in the present. Of course, it was really nice but I try to stay focused because we know with this wind that anything can happen."

"When you're playing like that and everything goes your way, you feel like you can make everything, and it was a great feeling. The front nine was not easy because the wind was blowing and it's tighter. It was so nice to play this kind of game."

"It looks easy from the outside but it's very tough to stay in the present because you are enjoying yourself out there. Sometimes the emotion is too high, and you need to calm yourself down a little bit."

Daniel Brown said "I actually started a bit slow today but then managed to make an eagle on hole six. The back nine, especially the last seven holes the putter was hot and I even had a chip-in on 16. It was a good day and it was great to see the putts rolling in."

"On the front nine I was getting used to the speed of the greens so the first five holes were a little bit timid. As soon as you start to see the putts dropping, you think you can hole everything."

"The course is soft but on the front nine you can’t feel the wind that much. The back nine is a lot more exposed and you realise how windy it is. It was definitely two different nines out there for me"

Jon Rahm said: "It feels great to be here. The atmosphere is brilliant and playing with Angel Hidalgo again is a lot of fun. We’ve had a few laughs out there but I haven’t been at my sharpest. I hit it good off the tee I hit it good off the tee but made too many mistakes with my irons. When you’re not striking it solidly in this wind you can pay the price and that’s what happened today. I didn’t hole as many putts as I needed too but I am happy with my finish today. I played some good golf over the last five holes and posted a score which I can hopefully build on."

"I don’t feel pressure out there, but I have to control my willingness and hunger on home soil. It means a lot to be home and I think over the weekend I will have to concentrate. It was pretty early on in my round that I realised that I wasn’t swinging it great and it was going to be a battle today. On a day like today, the home crowd is always going to be helpful and pull me back. I was glad I was able to finish strong."

Jon Rahm speaks ahead of the tenth edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2024.

Jon Rahm returns to Real Club de Golf Sotogrande eager to settle his particular debt with the course, where he just missed the Sotogrande Cup 2012 when he was an amateur.

The Basque golfer, with two Majors and 10 DP World Tour victories to his name, suffered a painful defeat in the 2012 Sotogrande Cup; The European Nations Cup – Copa Sotogrande is an annual amateur golf tournament held at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. It was the first time he had a shot at a major tournament and it slipped away.

‘On the 12th tee I was four or five under on the day and leading by four or five. I don't really remember if I relaxed or got too nervous. I sent it left, double bogey or bogey on 13, birdie on 14, bogey on 15 and three putts on 17, I think for another bogey. On the 18th, I still had a five-metre putt to birdie and win, and I'll never forget it in my life because I left it short of the centre half a centimetre from the hole. Then I lost the play-off on hole one.

‘I will never forget that Sunday, but bad moments are necessary to learn and develop as a player. Great champions like Mickelson or Tiger are capable of telling you about shots they made 35 years ago in detail, they have reached the level they have reached because they learnt a lot from their mistakes’.

Despite everything, Rahm has excellent memories of Sotogrande

‘The hospitality here is incredible and I've never heard anything negative about the course, that means it's very special.

The Basque player dreams of putting on a good show for the Spanish fans, and winning a title that has eluded him on the three occasions he has played the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters. His best result was a tied second place in the 2019 edition.

‘Playing in Spain is special and fun, maybe harder mentally because you have more desire to do well, but that tension has made me live very good Sundays like the victories in the 2018, 2019 and 2022 Spanish Opens and even the last Open, although I didn't win, it was very emotional for Ángel Hidalgo.’

After a week's rest, he arrives at RCG Sotogrande with his batteries recharged.

‘The children had holidays so I've been more of a father than anything else and I've had a lot of fun. Mentally I've had a lot of rest and I'm really looking forward to this last tournament of the year in Spain.

On the verge of turning 30, Jon Rahm takes stock and does not believe that all the events he has experienced in golf have changed him much.

‘Every day you learn something new and have new experiences, but my essence as a person has not changed me. I think that going at the age of 15 from an ikastola in Euskadi, in Bilbao, to study in Madrid was a big change for me. Simply, the change of studying in Spanish was very difficult. Then from there to the United States. I think those two changes were bigger than what has happened to me as a professional so far’.

Despite recognising that, in essence, he is still the same, he is more cautious than the 17-year-old who, brimming with confidence, assured that he would win 19 Majors.

‘I understand that I was arrogant, but my attitude is the same; if you don't believe it yourself, no one else will; if I don't have that goal and that dream, I won't get to where I am. I know that if I don't have a big enough goal, I'm not going to do my best to reach it.

‘Now that I have two Majors my goal is to get to three, if one day I have three, it will be to get to four, if I stay halfway to 19 and get to nine or ten, it will be an incredible career. Nowadays, going over five is very difficult’.

Jon Rahm returns to the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters

It will be the Spaniard’s fourth appearance in the Andalucía Masters, an event in which he came close to victory in 2019, when he finished tied for second place behind South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout. To date, the Basque golfer has 10 victories in 75 appearances on the DP World Tour and has the second best winning percentage on Tour only behind Tiger Woods.

Rahm knows what it takes to face the demanding test of Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. In 2012, as an amateur, he proved his talent by finishing second in the European Nations Cup - Sotogrande Cup.

Earlier this year Rahm represented his country at the Olympic Games in Paris where he finished tied fifth, and the player from Barrika will arrive at the San Roque course to play his second DP World Tour event on Spanish soil this season after a brilliant performance at the Acciona Open de España, where he fought for his fourth title in the tournament and finished second.

A potential victory at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande would add Rahm to the illustrious list of champions who have won tournaments at the course, which includes Severiano Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy, José María Olazábal, Padraig Harrington, Roberto de Vicenzo, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari and Sergio García.

Rahm joins a star-studded field in Andalucia which includes Spanish and international stars such as Victor Perez, Thorbjørn Olesen, Matt Wallace, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Pablo Larrazábal.

Victor Perez, Thorbjørn Olesen, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Matt Wallace new stars at the Andalucía Masters

Rolex Series winners Victor Perez, Thorbjørn Olesen and Rafa Cabrera Bello will join PGA TOUR winner Matt Wallace at this year’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters,

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, which returns to the picturesque Real Club de Golf Sotogrande after a successful first staging in 2023, will be the penultimate event of the DP World Tour’s ‘Back 9’ as players hope to secure their spot in the DP World Tour Play-Offs. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

Perez, who claimed his maiden Rolex Series title at the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, is looking forward to returning to Sotogrande having finished in a tie for ninth last year on his way to earning dual membership with the PGA TOUR for 2024 after finishing inside the top ten on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

“There are some great events at the back end of the Race to Dubai and the Andalucía Masters is one of them,” said Perez.

“I had a good finish here last year and the course was in fantastic condition. I’m looking forward to heading to Sotogrande in October at an important time of the season.”

Wallace, who ended a six-year wait for his fifth DP World Tour title at the Omega European Masters earlier this month, is hoping to continue his strong recent form after qualifying for the DP World Tour Play-Offs, which concludes with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

“I always enjoy competing in Spain and I'm excited to tee it up at the Andalucía Masters next month,” said Wallace.

“It was great to win at the Omega European Masters recently and I’m looking forward to competing for another title on this fantastic Tour. Sotogrande is a brilliant course and I've no doubt it'll be a fun week.”

Olesen claimed his eighth DP World Tour win earlier this year at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and the 2018 Ryder Cup winner is now targeting a strong finish to the Race to Dubai season.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to Spain,” he said. “It’s a country I love playing in and the fans are always incredible. 

“Sotogrande boasts a great history, and I know the atmosphere will be pretty special this year. Hopefully I can put in another strong performance at a crucial time in the Race to Dubai season.”

Former Ryder Cup player Cabrera Bello, whose last DP World Tour victory came at the ACCIONA Open de España in 2021, is relishing the prospect of playing in front of Spanish crowds again as he targets more success on home soil.

“I’m excited to have the chance to play on home soil in front of big crowds,” he said. “The fans are really supportive of us during the event, and there is always a great atmosphere during the week.

“Winning in Madrid was an unbelievable feeling, and I would love to win again in front of my home fans. 

“Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is a special golf course and a test that we are all looking forward to taking on. It’s going to be another memorable week and I’m very excited to get there in October.”

Facts and figures about the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters tournament

This is the tenth Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a tournament whose first edition was played in 2010 and is held for the second time at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. Here are some facts and figures about the tornament which consider it a different tournament form the Andaluciamasters and Volvo masters that preceeded it.

List of winners: Adrian Meronk (2023), Adrián Otaegui (2022), Matt Fitzpatrick (2021), John Catlin (2020), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2019), Sergio García (2011, 2017 y 2018) and Graeme McDowell (2010).

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters brings together 126 players and offers $ 3,250,000 in prize money, 5000 Race to Dubai points (835 for the winner) and 1500 points for the European Ryder Cup team.

Players are coming from 24 different nations: 100 from Europe, 9 from Africa, 7 from Asia, 2 from Oceania and 8 from America.

The most represented country is Great Britain with 32 players (23 from England, 7 from Scotland, 1 Welsh and 1 Northern Irish), followed by Spain with 17, France with 11, Germany with 10 and South Africa with 9.

Leading the Spanish golfers is Jon Rahm, two-time Major winner, 2019 Race to Dubai champion and the best Spanish player in the OWGR (he is currently 13th in the world ranking). With ten victories in 75 tournaments played on the DP World Tour, Rahm is the second player with the best winning percentage on the Tour behind Tiger Woods.

These are the other 16 Spaniards playing in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters (in brackets their DP World Tour titles): Pablo Larrazábal (9), Álvaro Quirós (7), Adrián Otaegui (5), Rafa Cabrera Bello (4), Jorge Campillo (3), Nacho Elvira (2), Adri Arnaus (1), Ángel Hidalgo (1), Alfredo García Heredia, David Puig, Eugenio Chacarra, Santiago Tarrío, Alejandro del Rey, Manuel Elvira, Iván Cantero and Sebastián García.

Ten players who defended the European team in the Ryder Cup will be at Sotogrande: Jon Rahm, Nicolai Højgaard, Thornbjørn Olesen, Soren Kjeldsen, Bernd Wiesberger, Ross Fisher, Edoardo Molinari, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Andy Sullivan and Oliver Wilson.

The Real Club de Golf Sotogrande brings together 18 winners of the 2024 DP World Tour season: Thornbjørn Olesen (Ras Al Khaimah Championship), Rikuya Hoshino (Commercial Bank Qatar Masters), Darius van Driel (Magical Kenya Open), Jordan Gumberg (SDC Championship), Matteo Manassero (Jonsson Workwear Open), Jesper Svensson (Porsche Singapore Open), Adrián Otaegui (Volvo China Open), Nacho Elvira (Soudal Open), Laurie Canter (European Open), Marcel Siem (Italian Open), Ewen Ferguson (Porsche European Open), David Ravetto (D+D REAL Czech Masters), Frederic Lacroix (Danish Golf Championship), Niklas Nørgaard (Betfred British Masters), Matt Wallace (Omega European Masters), Rasmus Højgaard (Amgen Irish Open), Ángel Hidalgo (acciona Open de España) and Dan Bradbury (FedEx Open de France).

If one of the Spanish players wins, it will be Spain's 209th title in the history of the DP World Tour.

Only two players have scored a hole-in-one in the history of the tournament: Oliver Wilson (2011) and Lorenzo Gagli (2020). Both did it on Real Club Valderrama’s 12th hole.

In the nine editions held to date only two albatrosses have been recorded. Joost Luiten did it in 2017 on the 11th hole and Haydn Porteous on the 17th hole during the 2019 edition, both at Real Club Valderrama.

Four winners of the Sotogrande Cup will be at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, the signature amateur competition that has been hosted by Real Club de Golf Sotogrande since 1970: Marcel Siem, Adrien Saddier, Todd Clements and José María Zamora, the Tournament Director. In addition, four other players were runners-up in the Sotogrande Cup: Jon Rahm, Romain Langasque, Lukas Nemecz and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.

It is the 66th DP World Tour tournament to be held in Andalucía, counting the 1997 Ryder Cup.

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is a 6,493 metres par 72 course.

In the 2023 edition, the most difficult hole was the hole 4, a 202 metres par 3, with a 3.26 stroke average. Only 19 birdies were scored on this hole throughout the week, compared with 106 bogeys and 6 double bogeys. In second place, the hole 13, a 189 metres par 3 (with a 3.24 stroke average) and third, the hole 9, a 385 metres par 4 (with a 4.17 stroke average).

On the other hand, the easiest holes were the 14th, a 483 metres par 5 with a 4.44 stroke average, the 17th, a 484 metres par 5 (4.6 stroke average), and the 2nd, a 514 metres par 5 (4.66 stroke average).

04-September-2024 Call for Volunteers as Andalucia Masters return to Sotogrande in 2024

The Andalucia Masters returns to Real Club de Golf Sotogrande from the 17th to 20th October 2024. As in previous years, the tournament organisers have called for volunteers to help with the Andalucía Masters, which will be held at the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande from 17-20 October 2024.

The opportunity to experience a DP World Tour tournament first-hand as part of the organisation is one of the reasons why many golf fans volunteer each year. Three days is the minimum requirement, but those who volunteer for four to five days will have the chance to play in the Volunteers' Tournament or enjoy a free green fee. More information and volunteer registration here. About the Andalucia Masters 2023

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande carries out a bird census in 2024.

The Real Club de Golf Sotogrande decided to carry out a bird census in 2024. 45 nest boxes were installed in cork oaks in the autumn of 2023 to encourage nesting. The census project will be led by Sergio Tirado, director of Golfandbirds and a biologist specialising in ornithology with more than 20 years' experience in environmental management. In the first half of 2024, he has counted nearly 2,000 specimens of 54 different species belonging to 30 families.

"There is an abundance of birds from the passerine order (warblers, tits, wagtails, finches, sparrows, chickadees, goldfinches), the hirundinidae family (various species of planes and swallows) and, around the lakes, waterfowl. We have also noted the presence of less common but very striking species such as the kestrel, the booted eagle, the pied flycatcher and the common flycatcher," explains Sergio.

The privileged location of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande makes it an ideal refuge for both resident and migratory birds, located as it is in a passageway very close to the Strait of Gibraltar. The perfect integration of the course into the landscape and its location next to the Guadalquitón estate, the last cork oak grove to reach the sea, favours the presence of the birds that frequent the Los Alcornocales Nature Reserve," explains Sergio, "in addition, the proximity of the Guadiaro estuary means that the area enjoys special protection, which is reflected in the diversity of the fauna present.

Spanish quartet set for Sotogrande homecoming - Andalucía Masters 2024

Spanish quartet Adri Arnaus, Jorge Campillo, Nacho Elvira and Pablo Larrazábal will return to their home country for the tenth edition of the Andalucía Masters at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande from 17 to 20 October 2024.

The tournament, which returns to the picturesque Real Club de Golf Sotogrande after a successful first staging in 2023, will be the penultimate event of the DP World Tour’s ‘Back 9’ as players hope to secure their spot in the DP World Tour Play-Offs.

Nine-time DP World Tour winner Pablo Larrazábal has made a strong start to the season, including a top five finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and he is looking to add to his impressive back catalogue in Andalucía.

The 2008 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year winner is targeting success on home soil for the second time in his career having triumphed at the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain in 2022.

“I’m fortunate enough to have won on home soil in the past, but to win in Andalucía in front of the home crowds would be very special.”said Larrazábal

Three-time DP World Tour winner Jorge Campillo, who won last year at the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa en route to earning dual membership with the PGA TOUR last year, is excited to return to Spain at a pivotal time on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.

“It’s going to be amazing to return home and play the Andalucía Masters at such an important time in the season for us,” said Campillo.  “The course looks fantastic so I can’t wait to tee it up in Sotogrande and hopefully I can improve on my top 20 finish from last year. I have never won in Spain and that has always been a goal of mine.”

Nacho Elvira has enjoyed a consistent campaign, missing just one cut in nine starts on the DP World Tour this season, with his best finish being a tie for second at the Magical Kenya Open.

The 37-year-old secured his maiden DP World Tour victory at the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale in 2021 and he will attempt to double his tally later this year at Sotogrande.

“I’m very excited to play in the Andalucía Masters again,” he said. “It’s always special to play in Spain and I’m really looking forward to it.  This event gives us the opportunity to play on one of the best courses in Spain and it is going to be a great week.”

Adri Arnaus earned his DP World Tour playing privileges after securing victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final to finish second on the Rankings in 2018, and he has not looked back since.   The 29-year-old went on to claim a maiden DP World Tour title on home soil at the Catalunya Championship, and he is relishing the prospect of playing in front of home crowds once again in San Roque.

“I’m excited to have the chance to play at home in front of some big crowds. I had a great experience at Sotogrande last year and I finished in the top 20,” he said  “I won my first DP World Tour title in Spain at the Catalunya Championship, and it was one of the best moments in my career. It is going to be another memorable week and I’m very excited to get there in October.”

Andalucia Masters return to Sotogrande in 2024

Dates for the diary. LIV Golf and Andalucia Masters return to Sotogrande in 2024. The LIV Golf returns to Valderrama Golf Club from the 12th to 14th July 2024. The Andalucia Masters returns to Real Club de Golf Sotogrande from the 17th to 20th October 2024. About the LIV Golf Valdreama 2023 and the Andalucia Masters 2023

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