Andalucia Open all set to tee off from today – European Tour update
A European Tour event returns to home soil as the Andalucian Open tees off today at the par-70, Parador de Malaga Golf course in Spain. This tournament has already turned out to be exciting for many as the prize money sanctioned by the sponsors is lucrative.
The main sponsor of the tournament is Turkish Airlines and the total prize money is €1,000,000.
Spain’s local hero, Miguel Angel Jimenez, has worked very hard and is also a member of the tournament committee. Jimenez has always acted as an ambassador of the sport and promoted it throughout his country. The 47-year old veteran is very excited by the
current tournament, which is being held in his home country.
It will be a field of Europe’s best as the event commences, including former Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomorie and major winner Michael Campbell of New Zealand who will probably make the highlight reels of the tournament.
Jimenez has already won eighteen European Tour wins in his career and is hoping to add another one on home soil. Last year turned out to be fruitful for him as he won three tournaments. His last victory came in the Omega European Masters where he won by
a margin of three strokes over Edoardo Molinari.
The defending champion, Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, had to pull out this year because of his health. He has an eye infection and his doctor advised him to rest for a couple of days. Oosthuizen won a major tournament of The Open last year and ended
up improving his rankings.
Local hero, Alvaro Quiros, is enjoying his status as the highest ranked player in the four day championship. He is coming off a great victory in last month’s Dubai Desert Classic and was looking confident in his practice round. Quiros has matured over the
years and is hoping to win his second European title this year.
The 28-year-old Quiros won the Dubai Desert Classic by a margin of one stroke over Anders Hansen and James Kingston. He was also tied for the eleventh spot in last year’s The Open Championship. Alvaro, who is a long hitter, is hoping to take on the challenge
of the course and lift the trophy.
Jimenez has really made a strong effort and convinced the European Tour officials to sanctions a match in Spain. The veteran has also worked hard with the course in charge and is hoping that the players will enjoy the condition of the greens.
The Indian duo of Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia and Jeev Milka Singh will also be among the competitors. These two have really excelled over the years and their hard work has certainly paid off well. Chowrasia, who won the Avantha Masters, is hoping to improve
his overseas record by taking home the cup.
The tournament commences today and much is expected from the top ranked players. It will be a battlefield where the players will show their skills against each other with their clubs, with the local golfers eyeing a home course advantage.
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