Nacho and Manuel Elvira both come into this year’s Open de España presented by Madrid after an outstanding season. Could 2026 be the Elviras’ year? They’re not getting carried away. “It’s very difficult to make predictions in golf”, says Manuel. Nacho smiles: “If only. Every week we both go out to do as well as possible. Hopefully it’s Manuel’s year”.
Nacho notched up his third DP World Tour win early in the season, it was a victory that took him one step closer to his PGA Tour card. “Winning always gives you a bit more confidence and motivation to keep practising and improving”, he explains. However, he is not getting carried away with the possibility: “I’m lucky to be trying to get my PGA Tour card, but if it doesn’t happen it won’t change anything for me. I’ve been here for too many years to get nervous about it”.
Manuel, for his part, came agonisingly close to his first win at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth a few weeks ago but he seems to be bearing no scars: “Five minutes after I just said nobody can take the positives away from me. I’m proud to have got up there and to have proved to myself that I can compete with the best. Of course it stung at first, but nobody died!”.
The PGA Tour is also a possibility for the younger brother. “It’s a goal we can all set for ourselves at the start of the year”, Manuel acknowledges. “I like America, I was there for five years and I’d like to try the American experience, but we’re also taking it day by day”.
Being on the tour together means they can support each other when things start to go awry. “Having someone there with you for the bad times always helps. That became clear at Wentworth”, says Nacho. “Sometimes we talk about what went wrong or what happened, but the less you dwell on the bad days and the more you focus on the positives, the better”.
For Manuel, starting out on a tour where his older brother was already an established player has been particularly valuable: “Ever since I arrived, I’ve always had him looking out for me. I haven’t felt like a rookie at any point. He’s been a source of unconditional support and I’m so lucky to have that”.
This week the brothers are playing on home turf. Literally, in Nacho’s case: “I live five minutes from here. It’s practically a matter of stepping off my terrace and onto the course”. For Manuel, “seeing everyone cheering you on, even when things aren’t going well, gives you that extra bit of motivation. It’s a special week”.
What’s the key to Real Club de Campo? Both agree it all starts from the tee. “It’s an old-school course, very technical, with fairways that are tricky to hit and small greens,” explains Nacho. Manuel adds that with wet rough “being in position from the tee is going to be one of the keys”.
Both of the Elviras are in agreement on what it would mean to be in contention together in round four. “Playing together on Sunday with a shot at the title would be a dream,” says Nacho. Manuel concludes: “The final round, both of us at the Open de España playing for the title… I can’t imagine a better scenario”.
