Thanks to the excellent conditions, the support of public bodies and the initiative of private enterprise, Andalusia is a worldwide watchword for the sport of golf. A fact demonstrated not only by its position as home to more golf courses than any other region of Spain (99), but also by their quality and the prestigious tournaments which are held there.
One such example is the Volvo Masters, based in Valderrama, one of the leading international tournaments which every autumn brings together the very cream of European golf.
20 YEARS ON THE COSTA DEL GOLF
This is one of the longest-running championships in the modern era of the European Circuit. First played in 1988, the Volvo Masters of 2007 is the twentieth edition in this long and prestigious history, and the fifteenth to be played at the Valderrama Golf Club, now viewed as the spiritual home of the tournament.
The curtain call to the European Circuit offers the chance to see the best 60 players on the continent (ranked purely in accordance with the Order of Merit) competing shoulder to shoulder over four days.
The Volvo Masters was launched in 1988, with the Valderrama Golf Club being the home of the European Circuit’s most lucrative competition up until 1996, when preparations began to host Europe’s historic victory in the Ryder Cup of 1997.
Montecastillo took over the baton for 5 years, between 1997 and 2001, before the championship returned to Valderrama in 2002. Such is the high standard demanded in the Volvo Masters that no player has succeeded in winning back-to-back trophies, and only two, Bernhard Langer, Ryder Cup captain and the team’s talisman on the course, and Colin Montgomerie, have won this prestigious tournament twice.
IN ANDALUSIA
UNTIL 2010
The Volvo Masters, the grand final of the European Circuit, will be played between 1 and 4 November at the Valderrama Golf Club in San Roque, in the province of Cadiz. To mark this twentieth edition, it was announced that the tournament will be remaining in Andalusia for the next three years.
For Mel Pyatt, Chairman and CEO of Volvo Event Management, the success of the Volvo Masters over the past two decades “is based on two essential foundations: one, the constant quest for quality in terms of players, the course and the playing conditions, and the presentation through which we aim to transmit the message and image of Volvo on and off the course, in brand presence, communication actions, facilities for spectators and services in general. The other foundation on which the tournament is based is the relationship we have always had between Volvo, Valderrama, the European Tour and the Andalusian Tourist Board. it has been a successful partnership in terms of golf, something which, in my opinion, has developed into a working relationship among equals and personal friends, with each party understanding the needs and aims of the others, and being prepared to deliver the ultimate end product together”.
According to Pyatt, “thanks to the decision of the Andalusian Tourist Board to carry on as our main partner, the Volvo Masters will continue to be held here at Valderrama for the next three years, up until 2010, as the grand final bringing the European Tour to a close”.
Meanwhile Sergio Moreno, Andalusia’s Regional Minister for Tourism, Trade and Sport, celebrates “two decades during which our land has, without any doubt, presented itself as the perfect destination for playing a game, golf, which is hugely attractive in both tourist and sporting terms. Two decades during which we have been the epitome of organisational skills, of a job well done”.
Moreno continues to stress that the event’s track record “has helped position Andalusia as a worldwide watchword in golfing circles, attracting large numbers of tourists from around the globe every year. And they come here not only for the magnificent facilities and bountiful climate, but also for the hospitality of a region which captivates all who discover it. There can be no doubt that this partnership has borne fruit”.
INTERVIEW
How was the Volvo Masters born?
In early 1987 I was Managing Director of Atalaya Golf, and Carlerec Haggstrom, Volvo’s worldwide head of marketing, came to the hotel. We played golf, he invited me to dinner, and he told me that Volvo was thinking of setting up a major tournament to be played in Spain. He told us that he thought I was the right person to head the project. After I had thought about it for four months, Carlerec finally convinced me and I accepted.
Was it difficult to choose the venue?
Volvo wanted the tournament to be held in Spain, in late October or early November, and to be the decider for the Order of Merit. Carlerec asked me if I knew of a good course to host it. I suggested Valderrama. He said it was a very private club and didn’t need the publicity. I met Jaime Ortiz-Patiño and told him it was something really special. He felt it was too soon, but I told him that if it wasn’t played at Valderrama the following year the tournament would go elsewhere and would never come back. I was quite straight with him: “I have a list of courses and Valderrama’s not on it, but I’ve persuaded the top brass at Volvo that it can only be played at a great course like this”.
It would be fair to say also that it is a competition with close ties to Andalusia...
The Volvo Masters has had plenty of suitors and some have tried at any cost to lure it away from Andalusia, above all Portugal and countries in Asia, but I have always maintained that it must remain here.
After so many years, this edition will be very special for you.
Of course. And I must thank the players who have brought the colour and excitement to the tournament, although to be honest I have always been so busy behind the scenes that I have scarcely been able to see them in action. There have been very exciting years when the Volvo Masters and the Order of Merit have been decided by the final putt. That is what has made it great.
LIST OF WINNERS
They shared the tittle after two play-off holes as darkness fell in Valderrama |
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MEL PYATT
El presidente y consejero delegado de Volvo Event Management, ha decidido retirarse este año dejando tras de sí un legado deportivo insuperable.
VOLVO MASTERS 2007
Dates:
1 al 4 de november 2007.
29 and 30 october: practice.
31 october: ProAm.
Format:
72 holes, stroke-play; no cut.
Trophy / Prices:
4 million euros in prize money. Trophy and cheque for 660.000 euros to the winner..
More information:
www.volvomasters.com
www.andalucia.org
Tickects:
www.golfinspain.com
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