Four Spanish winners, including the champions of the last two editions played; Jon Rahm and Rafael Cabrera-Bello – and a significant history, so far comprising ten tournaments hosted, are the foundations of the strong bond between the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid and the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, one of Spanish golf’s iconic venues.
The course widely regarded as the jewel in Javier Arana’s crown, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, has been a part of this sport’s history since 1957, the first year it hosted this great event which attracts a plethora of golf’s biggest names every year.
Born in Getxo in 1905, Javier Arana is considered one of the most prestigious golf course designers in the history of Spain. Arana was also the mastermind behind courses such as El Saler, the old RCG El Prat and RCG Guadalmina, which after so many years, still meet the brief that Arana himself would describe so beautifully: “The fundamental thing for a hole is that it must be either more difficult than it looks or look more difficult than it really is”. This axiom also perdures in the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid, a tournament that forms part of the DP World Tour and is attended by a large part of the best golfers in the continent of Europe.
The sensational victories of Jon Rahm in 2019 and Rafael Cabrera-Bello in 2021 are still fresh memories of this great event. The first of these came when the Basque player produced a record-equalling 22-under-par total, equalling the lowest score in the 92 editions of the Open de España that had then been played. In the latter, the Canary Islander had to dig deep to hold off Adri Arnaus in a spectacular playoff.
The history of Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and its relationship with the Open de España begins back in 1952, when nine holes were opened, seven of which were designed by Javier Arana. Four years later, the complete 18-hole layout would arrive, when Arana himself managed to fashion a further nine holes after remodelling the already-existing nine.
In the 60s, Javier Arana built another nine holes and the layout changed slightly, with the 15th and 18th holes becoming today’s 7 and 9, before Severiano Ballesteros completed the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid with another nine holes that would finalise the current black and yellow courses.
Ten Opens de España, ten different winners
The relationship between the Open de España and the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid so far includes ten thrilling tournaments, starting in 1957 with Max Faulkner’s triumph. Three years later Sebastián Miguel became the first of three Spanish champions of an Open de España hosted by the Madrid venue. Miguel, one of the pioneers of Spanish golf, went lower than the rest in 1960 before the tournament took a long break from its fairways and greens.
It was not until 1982, the year when Sam Torrance lifted the trophy to the sky, that the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid would host another Open de España, an event that would feed into a much closer relationship in the 90s when the tournament was held at the iconic course five times.
Rodger Davis (1990), Eduardo Romero (1991), Colin Montgomerie (1994), Severiano Ballesteros (1995) and Padraig Harrington (1996) were that decade’s champions, with a special mention going to the genius from Pedreña, as it would prove to be his last professional win.
It wasn’t until 23 years later that the Open de España and the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid would cross paths again, this time more recently in 2019 when Rahm took the spoils – his second title at the event in as many years and with a record score. His victory was all the more noteworthy when taken into account that it was ten strokes less than the number posted by Harrington in 1996, which was at the time, the second-best winning score at an Open de España on this beautiful Javier Arana track.
After the pandemic, came the spectacular triumph of Rafael Cabrera-Bello in 2021, the latest at the CC Villa de Madrid. The winning score was 265, leapfrogging Padraig Harrington for the second lowest score on record and producing Spain’s fourth Open de España champion in ten tournaments at the emblematic course.
OPEN DE ESPAÑA WINNERS AT THE CC VILLA DE MADRID
1957 Max Faulkner (283)
1960 Sebastián Miguel (286)
1982 Sam Torrance (273)
1990 Rodger Davis (277)
1991 Eduardo Romero (275)
1994 Colin Montgomerie (277)
1995 Severiano Ballesteros (274)
1996 Padraig Harrington (272)
2019 Jon Rahm (262)
2021 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (265)
