For almost 35 years, the European Tour and Real Club Valderrama have set up one of those successful pairings that empower and reinforce each other, and this association has yielded a notable list of champions. Jon Rahm will tee it up at the Estrella Damm N. A. Andalucía Masters from October 14-17 looking to add his name to the roll-call of major champions who have also won at Valderrama.

All along this time, Real Club Valderrama has played host to 25 European Tour events  ̶  16 Volvo Masters, two American Express Championships, one Open de España and six Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters  ̶  to which must be added the 1997 Ryder Cup where the great late Seve Ballesteros efficiently and enthusiastically led Europe to victory against a powerful U.S. team including Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer ever.

With its challenging fairways and pristine greens, Valderrama is well known as a fair and demanding judge, and this can easily be confirmed with just a quick look at the big names that make up its winner’s list. Major champions having lifted the Volvo Masters trophy include Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Justin Rose…, while Tiger Woods and Mike Weir prevailed at the American Express Championship. Later on, the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters was won by Graeme McDowell and Sergio García, also crowned at the highest level of world golf after claiming the U.S. Open and the Masters respectively.

Jon Rahm, the first Spanish winner of the U.S. Open, will take on Real Club Valderrama for the third time next month, having played two previous editions of the event with marked progress. After missing the cut in 2017 at his first professional appearance on Spanish soil, he performed well in 2019, as he fought for the title right up to the last hole to finish tied second alongside countrymen Adri Arnaus, Álvaro Quirós and Eduardo de la Riva and France’s Michael Lorenzo-Vera, behind winner Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

The current world number one will aim to go one better at the 2021 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters and join the stellar list of Valderrama winners.

Since his debut in 2017, Rahm declared himself a big fan of the prestigious venue:

“Valderrama is one of the best layouts I have ever played. It is visually attractive and wonderfully maintained. Golf courses don’t need to measure 10,000 yards to be challenging. I find Valderrama very exciting and a good test. You really have to think your way through and play all kinds of shots. Mistakes can be costly, so it keeps you on your toes.”

Tickets are now available for this year’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, with options for purchasing individual tickets for each day, four-day passes or weekend passes, with preferential rates for children under 14, federated golfers or people with reduced mobility.

Tickets can be purchased from the Tickets menú on the tournament website, at edamgolf.es or at Fever.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local of the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, La Reserva Club Sotogrande, Exterior Plus and Santander Private Banking. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Marca, Kyocera and the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf are official suppliers.

World Number One and U.S. Open Champion Jon Rahm will return to the world-famous Real Club Valderrama this October after confirming his participation in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

Two of the 26-year-old’s seven European Tour victories have come on Spanish soil, and Rahm now has his sights on capturing another home title on one of Europe’s most-renowned golf courses in the seventh edition of the tournament, from October 14-17.

In his last appearance at Valderrama in 2019, which became the first course on Continental Europe to host the Ryder Cup in 1997, Rahm finished runner-up to Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“I have some unfinished business at Valderrama, that’s for sure,” said Rahm, referencing his runner-up finish two years ago. “As a Spaniard, it’s a golf course where we all want to win.

“As soon as you arrive you get a real sense of the history of the venue and the great moments that have taken place there over the last 30 years. To be a part of that would really be an honour.

“I’ve had nothing but great experiences of playing in front of home crowds. Spanish golf fans are truly special, and I can’t wait to see them lining the fairways again.”

Since turning professional in 2017, Rahm has amassed 13 victories across the European Tour and PGA TOUR, also adding a Major title – in June’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines – to his four Rolex Series victories.

In 2019, Rahm won the Race to Dubai, becoming the first Spaniard since Seve Ballesteros in 1991 to finish the year as European Tour Number One.

Tickets are now available for this year’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, with options for purchasing individual tickets for each day, four-day passes or weekend passes, with preferential rates for children under 14, federated golfers or people with reduced mobility.

Tickets can be purchased from the Tickets menú on the tournament website, at edamgolf.es or at Fever.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local of the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, La Reserva Club Sotogrande, Exterior Plus and Santander Private Banking. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Marca, Kyocera and the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf are official suppliers.

Tickets are now on sale for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, a golf event that will gather the best European Tour players at Real Club Valderrama from October 14-17. The Sotogrande gem, the best course in Spain according to the most prestigious golf publications, will once again serve as an impeccable venue and will host the seventh edition of the Spanish tournament with the highest prize money on the European Tour this season.

The stellar line-up, the unbeatable setting of Real Club Valderrama (which has already hosted twenty-five European Tour events and was the first course in continental Europe to receive the Ryder Cup in 1997) and the spectacular weather in the area are assets that, once again, will guarantee a unique and ideal spectacle for all audiences.

The flexibility of the ticketing offer allows choosing between individual tickets for each day, four-day passes or weekend passes, with preferential rates for children under 14 years of age, federated golfers or people with reduced mobility. In addition, theses tickets are offered at special prices which might be modified later as the championship approaches.

In addition, a VIP experience has been created to enjoy this European Tour tournament to the fullest in a privileged environment. This ticket gives access, among other exclusive spaces, to the course and the Masters Suite, where attendees will enjoy an excellent culinary proposal and experience the best golf at first hand. The Masters Suite has a private terrace overlooking the putting green and a buffet with a prime selection of fine Mediterranean cuisine, as well as including a VIP parking space next to the exclusive access to the course.

Tickets can be purchased from the Tickets menú on the tournament website, at edamgolf.es or at Fever.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local of the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, La Reserva Club Sotogrande, Exterior Plus and Santander Private Banking. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Marca, Kyocera and the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf are official suppliers.

The European Tour’s Golf for Good initiative has raised €100,000 for four local charities at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, with money pledged for every birdie and eagle made on the iconic 17th hole at Real Club Valderrama.

Launched at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood at Close House in July, the #GolfForGood initiative will continue to underpin the 2020 Race to Dubai season. More than €800,000 has now been shared amongst local, national, and international charitable causes in the first seven weeks of the rescheduled season.

For every birdie at the famous 17th there was a pledge of €500 for the charitable fund, and an additional €1,500 for every eagle. In total there were 130 birdies and 16 eagles made with home favourite Nacho Elvira and American Johannes Veerman both carding two eagles and a birdie across the four tournament days.

With a total of €89,000 raised as a result of the birdies and eagles on the 17^th, the European Tour, Estrella Damm, the Junta de Andalucía and Real Club Valderrama rounded up the charitable contribution to €100,000.

The four charities receiving a share of the €100,000 are:

• FEGADI, which funds 36 different entities with a focus on quality of life, participation and achievement through health, culture, youth, sports and education.
• Academia Andaluza de Gastronomía y Turismo, which promotes the region of Andalucía.
• Fundación Aljaraque, which promotes and develops programs in the hospitality industry for training and empowerment of vulnerable people.
• Por Una Sonrisa, which works with children and adolescents suffering from cancer.

Peter Adams, Championship Director of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, said: “Golf for Good is underpinning the entire 2020 Race to Dubai season and we are delighted to have continued the success of the initiative from the UK Swing in continental Europe at Real Club Valderrama.

“The players’ excellent form on the 17^th hole helped raise vital funds for these four charities which will go towards supporting many people in the region of Andalucía.”

In addition to the funds raised at Real Club Valderrama, range balls from the Iberian Swing will be donated by Alvaro Quiros to Club de Golf La Cañada, located near Real Club Valderrama, the course he learned to play golf at as a junior.

The ‘Golf for Good’ initiative aims to give back in three key areas:

▪ Supporting the Communities where the European Tour plays.

▪ Rewarding the true heroes, such as the front line workers.

▪ Promoting the many health benefits that golf offers.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club Valderrama, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Consejería de Turismo, Regeneración, Justicia y Administración Local of the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU, declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Rolex, Exterior Plus, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, Kyocera, Marca, Maui Jim, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Riversa, Varma and Volvo are official suppliers.