The faint cry of the emotional outburst can still be heard among the cork trees at Valderrama, venue of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters that will be held from June 27th to June 30th. It was a one-of-a-kind moment deserving of a one-of-a-kind celebration. “I got goosebumps all over”, a still emotional Miguel Ángel Jiménez reminisces. We’re talking, of course, about the albatross the golfer from Malaga made in the second round of the Volvo Masters in 1994. One of the most famous shots in the history of the European Tour. The 17th-hole magic at Real Club Valderrama in all its splendor, an icon which years earlier had managed to exasperate Tiger Woods.

Jiménez wasn’t exactly coming off a good moment in the round. He made a double bogey on the 13th hole and a bogey on the 16th. In fact, in a nutshell, he went from being in the lead in the grand finale of the European Tour to getting lost in the leaderboard. However, maestros don’t need a lot to be awakened and to call on their God-given talent. He hit a solid drive off the tee on the 17th hole, and left the ball 191 meters from the flag, the perfect distance for a 3 iron.

Any other golfer would have doubted the situation. He hadn’t played well the previous holes and it was a high-risk shot to a green perfectly defended by a lake in the middle, a stream to the left and various bunkers. Glory or chaos. Risk and reward, or tragedy. Only the perfect shot would avoid ending up in ruins. And Miguel made the shot, indeed...

“The ball soared through the air and ended up carrying the right distance, bounced on the green, solid, five meters away from the flag and started to roll until it eventually went in”, Miguel recalls. Goosebumps all over his body. Majestic shot. The crowd went mad. An emotional outburst of happiness and excitement flooded the stands in Sotogrande. Everyone knew in that moment that they had witnessed something special that would go down in history. Jimenez was grateful for the significant changes that had been made to that hole for the 1997 Ryder Cup under Seve Ballesteros' supervision.

Jimenez fought for the win in that Volvo Masters to the very last breath, although in the end Bernhard Langer took home the victory. That Friday, October 28th, Langer starred in another grandiose moment at Valderrama. The German golfer handed in a 62 card, a score which, 25 years later and to this day, is still the course record. However, there is nothing more memorable than Jimenez's albatross.

The M for Miguel isn't the only one that's worked its magic on the 17th hole. Thirteen years later, in the same tournament, the Volvo Masters, Graeme McDowell made the second albatross on that very course, on that same corner of the map, on those very grounds, previously known as Las Aves. It happened in the last round while the Northern Irish golfer was fighting for the win.

Gmac hit a 7 iron in his second shot on a day when the ferocious wind at Valderrama helped. Another magical moment. “It was incredible. I had never felt anything like that on a golf course. I know that it will be something I'll never forget and will treasure it forever. Every time I think of it, it makes me smile”, McDowell recalls with a big smile spread across his face.

It's the silver wedding anniversary of Miguel's albatross, and it's been 12 years since McDowell's. In any event, both are eternal, and they've both been commemorated by plaques that mark their place in history at Valderrama. Within just a few days from now, another 144 golfers, those who will compete in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, will have the opportunity to earn their spot in history next to Jimenez and McDowell in another silver wedding anniversary, seeing as how it will be the twenty-fifth time the European Tour has passed through the impeccable course in Sotogrande.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2019 hosted by the Sergio García Foundation are on sale now at the event website, starting from just €7 for juniors and €18 for adults (free entry for children aged under 12 when accompanied by an adult). For more information, see the event website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, 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 EU and declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by Diputación de Cádiz, Dubai Duty Free, Rolex, Exterior Plus, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, ISDIN, Korporate Technologies Group, Marca, Maui Jim, the Hospital QuirónSalud Campo de Gibraltar, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf and Volvo are official suppliers. 5J, Gadira, Grupo Joly and Varma collaborate in the event as well.

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The strong commitment of Estrella Damm as title sponsor for a five-year term, together with the full institutional support of the Junta de Andalucía mean an important boost for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation. This European Tour event will be held at Real Club Valderrama from June 27-30 featuring a strong field and a prize fund of €3 million–50 percent higher than the 2018 edition. This will be the 61^st European Tour event played on Andalusian soil, which establishes this area as the Spanish powerhouse of international golf.

Real Club Valderrama is the flagship of golf in this area, having staged 25 of those events. The relevance of Andalusia as a leading golf destination and a major force in sports and tourism has been highlighted by the authorities gathered at Real Club Valderrama on Monday, June 10^th, headed by Juan Marín, Vice President and Councillor for Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration of the Junta de Andalucía. He was joined at the presentation table by Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, Mayor of San Roque and Vice President of the Diputación de Cádiz; Nuno de Brito e Cunha, President of Real Club Valderrama; Pablo Mansilla García, President of the Royal Andalusia Golf Federation; Peter Adams, European Tour Head of Championship Manager; and Javier Reviriego Bóveda, General Manager of Real Club Valderrama.

Juan Marín, Vice President of the Junta de Andalucía: “On behalf of the Government of Andalusia, I wish to acknowledge and thank the sponsorship of Estrella Damm. The contribution of private companies, as well as the institutions, is key to the success of this event. I am convinced that this will be a long-standing partnership, because anybody that comes to Andalusia will not want to leave–they are very welcome here.

“In a few days’ time we will have the best golfers competing, and, once again, Valderrama will showcase Andalusia to 400 million spectators. Golf plays a major role in Andalusia’s tourism industry–when golf does well, tourism does well–so much so that we are breaking all records. Last year we had 104 golf courses–70 percent of them in Málaga and Cádiz–and 600,000 tourists came only for golf; this year we are already 6 percent over that figure, This type of tourist stays longer, spends more and generates more benefit.

“I wish to reaffirm our commitment to the tournament for the coming years because golf is a priority sector in the action plan of the Junta de Andalucía and will remain so in 2020. Andalusia is reaching historical levels and will continue to do so, providing we keep striving for quality and excellence such as exemplified by Real Club Valderrama.”

Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, Mayor of San Roque: “Not even eight months after the last edition of this event, we are growing stronger. We have the longstanding support of Sergio García, who is part of the family, and now Joh Rahm has joined our team. The big challenge is to promote this tournament into the Rolex Series, and we can do it by working together.

“I want to give a very special thank you to Estrella Damm, and I would like to encourage other companies to join this tournament which has been declared of exceptional public interest and provides tax benefits. Golf generates economic activity and wealth that stays in the area. If anybody still harbours prejudices against golf, they should think again. Golf is an accessible sport, as proved every day at San Roque where we have a municipal golf school with over 300 students. Top players such as Álvaro Quirós and María Parra came out of this school.

“I invite every golf fan to come enjoy the action, and if they have any energy left after following the players, we have scheduled the Guadiaro fair for the same week.”

Nuno Brito e Cunha, President of Real Club Valderrama: “Valderrama has a brilliant competitive history of world-class tournaments–Ryder Cup, American Express, Volvo Masters–although we had a gap of several years without them. This club always had in mind hosting big tournaments again, and thanks to the Junta de Andalucía–our major friend and associate–we managed to take the first steps towards renewed competition at Valderrama. The 2016 Open de España was a good start, and we kept progressing from there.

“This year we are taking the second step. With the support of the Junta de Andalucía and our new sponsor, Estrella Damm, we have built a bigger and richer tournament with more international weight. But this club doesn’t want to stop here; it’s no secret that we plan to go one step more. I Suggest that we all work together in order to have a Rolex Series event within the next few years. It’s a high call, but I believe that it’s worth the effort for Spain and for Andalusia.”

Pablo Mansilla García, President of the Royal Andalusia Golf Federation: “It is a privilege to have Real Club Valderrama and we must be thankful, because such a jewel would be impossible without the constant efforts of the club and its members. We also thank the Junta de Andalucía for their support. We all know that golf is not only a sport, but a big industry in Andalusia–the main golf destination in Europe and the number one destination of international golf tourism in the world.”

Peter Adams, Head of Championship Management of the European Tour:  “El European Tour está en deuda con la Junta de Andalucía, que ha apoyado muchos de los torneos albergados por Valderrama y que ha desempeñado un papel trascendental a la hora de promoverlos. Somos plenamente conscientes de la importancia que tiene el turismo de golf para Andalucía y haremos todo lo posible para promocionar la marca Andalucía en todo el mundo.

"The Estrella Damm N.A, Andalucía Masters has a bright future ahead and we are very much looking forward to working with the Consejero, Mr. Juan Marín, in developing and growing this event for the coming years. This event will have a very positive effect on the promotion of golf in Spain and more specifically in Andalucía.”

Javier Reviriego Bóveda, General Manager of Real Club Valderrama: “Up to now this tournament was normally held in autumn, so this year the new dates will mean different weather conditions. This will change considerably the course set-up compared to October, as the fairways will be harder, the greens will be firmer and the rough will be slightly thicker.

“At the end of the day we must protect ourselves from the huge distances that these players hit the ball, because our course is not long for modern standards. We must set the course up in order to reward skill and strategy more than distance. It has always been our policy to maintain the essence of our course, and to provide a tough test for the players and a good show for the public.”

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation returned to the European Tour schedule in 2017 after a six-year gap, with the Junta de Andalucía and Sergio Garcia supporting the event through his foundation, and a new era for the event was heralded this year when Estrella Damm, the iconic premium lager brand of the Spanish brewing company Damm, became the new title sponsor in a significant five-year deal.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2019 hosted by the Sergio García Foundation are on sale now at the event website, starting from just €7 for juniors and €18 for adults (free entry for children aged under 12 when accompanied by an adult). For more information, see the event website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, 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 EU and declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by the Diputación de Cádiz, Dubai Duty Free, Rolex, Exterior Plus, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, ISDIN, Korporate Technologies Group, Marca, Maui Jim, el Hospital QuirónSalud Campo de Gibraltar, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf and Volvo are official suppliers. 5J, Gadira, Grupo Joly and Varma collaborate in the event as well.

Spain’s latest European Tour winner Jorge Campillo, who currently sits fourth in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex, will be amongst an international field of 74 champions at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation. Campillo, who secured his maiden European Tour title at the Trophée Hassan II in April, is one of ten players to have won so far on the 2019 Race to Dubai set to join Major winner and defending champion Sergio Garcia and World Number 13 Jon Rahm at Real Club Valderrama on June 27-30.

Jorge Campillo said: “It will be exciting.  It was a great event last year and it’s going to be great again – we have all of the Spanish players coming to play and many other great players.

“The golf course is going to be in good shape and the venue is obviously great. Hopefully the weather will be better than last year, it will be good this time around and I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s a tight, tricky golf course and the greens are small and fast. You have to keep the ball in play and be solid with your irons. If you miss a green you have really hard up and downs and the greens are fast. It’s a real test and it might a little windy at that time of the year, so it will be tough, which I like.”

The three most recent European Tour winners will tee it up in Andalucia – Thailand’s most successful player, Thongchai Jaidee, claimed the GolfSixes title as part of Team Thailand on Saturday, and he is joined by rising Italian star Guido Migliozzi, who secured the second of two wins in his rookie season at the Belgian Knockout, and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who battled back from seven months out of the game through injury to lift his fifth European Tour trophy at Made in Denmark presented by FREJA

England’s Aaron Rai (Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi), Scot David Law (ISPS Handa Vic Open) and Swede Marcus Kinhult (Betfred British Masters) all secured their first titles this season while American Kurt Kitayama has matched Migliozzi’s feat by winning twice in his debut season on tour – at the Afrasia Bank Mauritius Open at Anahita and Oman Open.

Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher of Scotland (Hero Indian Open) and Australian Scott Hend (Maybank Championship) both returned to the winner’s circle earlier this year, while Finn Mikko Korhonen added the Volvo China Open title to his maiden victory at the 2018 ShotClock Masters.
Also adding to the global field of winners are victorious 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn and former European Number One Robert Karlsson of Sweden.

They are joined by five-time European Tour winner Matt Fitzpatrick and his fellow Englishman and 2016 Ryder Cup team mate Chris Wood, who has three European Tour titles to his name.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation returned to the European Tour schedule in 2017 after a six-year gap, with Garcia supporting the event through his foundation which was set up in 2002 for the purpose of contributing to the social inclusion of economically deprived children and youths through social assistance benefits and the practice of sport as a free-time activity.

The 2017 Masters Tournament winner has won the last three editions of the event at his favourite course, the famous Real Club Valderrama.

A new era for the event was heralded this year when Estrella Damm, the iconic premium lager brand of the Spanish brewing company Damm, became the new title sponsor in a significant five-year deal, which will also see the prize fund rise to €3,000,000 - an increase of €1,000,000 from 2018.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2019 hosted by the Sergio García Foundation are on sale now at the event website, starting from just €7 for juniors and €18 for adults (free entry for children aged under 12 when accompanied by an adult). For more information, see the event website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, 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 EU and declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Spanish Government. This tournament is also supported by the Diputación de Cádiz, Dubai Duty Free, Rolex, Exterior Plus, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, ISDIN, Korporate Technologies Group, Marca, Maui Jim, el Hospital QuirónSalud Campo de Gibraltar, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf and Volvo are official suppliers. 5J, Gadira, Grupo Joly and Varma collaborate in the event as well.

He was 70 years old and could still burn rubber like there was no tomorrow. It was Sir Henry Cotton’s signature move when he was trying to impress friends and strangers alike in his day, as the first professional at Real Club Valderrama, venue of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, which still was named ‘Las Aves’ at the time.

The true veterans still remember the image crystal clear, ingrained in their minds. Cotton would place a tire out on the Valderrama driving range and started hitting it with a golf club. It was his way of showing that his wrists and hands were still strong and solid. Because Cotton (the European Tour Rookie of the Year Award was named after him), was a real character, and through his life lessons, stories and peculiarities, he managed to live on through Valderrama forever.

He arrived to Sotogrande in his mid-70s. Just like so many other British people, he decided to spend the latter years of his life in the southern European sunshine. He settled down in Algarve, Portugal, but he left abruptly after the Carnation Revolution. His next stop was Sotogrande. That’s where he brought his knowledge, and a past full of interesting stories and unexpected events and experiences.

Cotton was a great cricket player when he was 16 years old, and inspired by his older brother, Leslie, he bet everything on golf. It was his second sport, but he thought it would be a more favorable way to earn a living. He hadn’t even turned 18 when he was working as an assistant on different courses in the UK. He was a living legacy, which lead down the path to Valderrama in last years.

It was the perfect fit. Pedigree. Luxury. Dandyism. The high life. Cotton won the British Open three times (1934, 1937 and 1948), participated in four Ryder Cups (in the 1947 edition as playing captain and in 1953, as non-playing captain) and he took home the victory in more than thirty European tournaments. But above all, he was a very unique individual, a rebel with a cause. He didn’t understand the bad perception professional golfers had and fought to the dire end so that it would be become recognized by society. He was the British equivalent of Walter Hagen. For example, when the clubs did not allow professionals to enter in the clubhouse nor, of course, to use the dressing rooms, the British golfer would pull up to the parking lot in a flashy Rolls-Royce, and he would change in the car. Afterward, he would lay a checkered tablecloth out on the floor, picnic style, and would eat right there in front of everyone. He liked to wear expensive, tailored clothes, he was a bon vivant, he would drink champagne and eat caviar every chance he got. It was a big effort and huge accomplishment for him to reach his status. He didn’t exactly have an easy childhood.

Not only did he leave a golf legacy, he also wrote more than ten books and designed many golf courses around the world. He donated to charities, to the point that he became one of the main benefactors of Red Cross by playing exhibition matches and events. He was a part of the Royal Air Force in World War II, thanks to his training as a pilot, and he received the The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medal. He was even deemed a Knight Bachelor, the most important distinction someone can receive who is not royalty.

His influence in the world of golf is infinite. For example, in the Open Championship he won in 1934 at Royal St. George’s, he went into the last round with a ten-shot advantage after shooting a spectacular 65 in the second round. His score was so astounding that a well-known brand of golf balls came out with a new model with the number 65. In 1980, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Cotton is truly a unique figure in the history of golf, and his tracks can be traced all the way back to Valderrama... on one old tire, or another.

• • •

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2019 hosted by the Sergio García Foundation are on sale now at the event website, starting from just €7 for juniors and €18 for adults (free entry for children aged under 12 when accompanied by an adult). For more information, see the event website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, 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 EU. This tournament is also supported by Diputación de Cádiz, Dubai Duty Free, Rolex, Exterior Plus, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Santander Private Banking and Shell. Callaway, Coca-Cola, Enterprise, Grupo Raga, ISDIN, Korporate Technologies Group, Marca, Maui Jim, the Hospital QuirónSalud Campo de Gibraltar, the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf and Volvo are official suppliers. 5J, Gadira, Grupo Joly and Varma collaborate in the event as well.