“
The presentation of the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid took place this afternoon on the VIP terrace at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, seeing in the 96th edition of one of the most prestigious tournaments on the DP World Tour.
Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood spoke about the significance of the event. “It’s a pleasure and an honour to come to one of the best cities in Europe to play in one of the most important events on Tour”. Both players highlighted Madrid’s role as a European torch-bearer, the quality of the course and ACCIONA’s commitment to sustainability, which was key to the presence of the two players in the competition as of Thursday.
The first to take the microphone was defending champion Matthieu Pavon. It was already an open secret, but he was quick to confess: “Winning here last year changed my life”. After 186 attempts, the Frenchman finally found the winning formula. His victory at Torrey Pines in February was nothing more than confirmation of his arrival in the big time.
The fourth player at the presentation was Josele Ballester, the recent US Amateur champion. The Castellon native, somewhat shyly, announced his excitement at the opportunity to show off his prowess to the Spanish fans. He arrives in the Spanish capital having just won his first university tournament at Olympia Fields and the expectation around him is significant.
Gerard Tsobanian, CEO of Madrid Trophy Promotion, and Joaquín Mollinedo, Director of Institutional Relationships at ACCIONA, were very clear about where the tournament’s priorities lie: “Sustainability is not a fad”, emphasised Tsobanian, aware of the immense efforts that have been made to reduce the tournament’s environmental impact. Mollinedo, for his part, pointed to the fact that the event’s impact had been reduced by 40% in one year.
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the mayor of Madrid, was also at the presentation, and he had a heartfelt message for Fleetwood. The Englishman first visited the Spanish capital two years ago and played with Almeida in the Pro-Am. The mayor was keen to mention that Fleetwood, three weeks after playing in the tournament, wrote to him to thank him for the enjoyable morning they spent together and promising to return for future editions. A man true to his word.
Gonzaga Escauriaza, president of the Federación Española de Golf, underlined golf’s crucial role in the Spanish economy, mentioning that almost one and half million tourists come to Spain every year exclusively to play the game. In addition, he pointed out that many of those tourists buy properties on golf courses. The presence of global stars in Madrid ensures that this number will continue to grow.
Everything is ready for the starting pistol to fire at the strongest edition of the Open de España in Madrid. Jon Rahm will be bidding to make history by surpassing Seve Ballesteros with a fourth trophy at the event. The challenge will be even tougher than in previous years, though, with 7 top-50 players in the field, along with four major champions and 23 Spaniards who have the added motivation of playing at home. Can he do it? On Sunday we will have the answer at the most special Open de España in recent memory.
