The driving range at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid (CCVM) was the stage chosen for a fun clinic with Adrián Otaegui and Borja Virto. The pro golfers brought smiles to the faces of over 100 children from the CCVM school and the Municipal School that the Madrid City Council runs at the Olivar de la Hinojosa Golf Club.
Both professionals were able to show off the shotmaking skills they employ week after week as they bid to reach the top of the leaderboard. But in addition to their normal shots, they delighted their audience with some spectacular trick shots that are still but a dream for the children.
The two Spaniards spoke at the clinic about what their daily work on the golf course involves, particularly focusing on the hours leading up to their tee time. The warmup routine on the driving range was the first lesson for the children, something not all of them were familiar with.
After that, they hit their first shots, where Otaegui was keen to highlight “the importance of setting goals, not just hitting balls for the sake of it”. Álvaro, just 3 years of age, was the first child brave enough to put the advice into practice, and boy did he do that, what a swing! The future of Spanish golf is in safe hands. He was followed by Mariana, Borja and two children with a slight advantage over the others, Martín and Álvaro, the children of Andalusian pro Álvaro Quirós, who put on an impressive display despite being just 6 and 7 years old, respectively.
To close out the clinic, Otaegui took it upon himself to give an exhibition of how to hit a fade and a draw, while Virto did likewise with high and low shots, giving simple advice that the 120 spectators will surely put into practice as soon as they get the chance.
Finally, there was the traditional signing of autographs, from which all the kids were able to take home a memento of a day that, without a doubt, they will not forget.
For the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid, it is a good first point of contact between the Spanish public and the players who, while they were already well-loved by the fans in Madrid, will now be even more so because the young golfers were simply spellbound by their show.
