This Thursday marks the start of the twenty-sixth edition of the Challenge de España at Fontanals Golf Club. It’s a good time to review how the Armada has fared in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the history of the HotelPlanner Tour.
The most recent memory is excellent. Joel Moscatel claimed victory twelve months ago in the 25th edition of the tournament held at the Real Club Sevilla Golf. He became the fifth Spaniard in history to win the event. Carl Suneson opened the door by winning the first year of the Challenge de España in 1999.
Five victories in twenty-five editions is not a bad record, however, if we look more deeply into the results of the Armada in the Challenge de España, we find an (almost) perfect relationship with the tournament podium. On twenty occasions, a Spaniard has finished among the top three in the tournament. To the five victories, we must add six second places and nine third places. It’s not a bad track record, to say the least.
The interesting thing about the statistics is that these numbers are mostly spread across different editions. In 18 of the 25 editions, a Spaniard finished among the top three in the tournament. Except in 2009, when Pedro Oriol and Luis Claverie finished third, and in 2012 when Eduardo de la Riva won and Claverie finished third again, the rest of the podium visits have been in different years.
Here is the chronological order of each podium visit:
- 1999: Carl Suneson (victory)
- 2000: Carlos Rodiles (second)
- 2001: Jesus Maria Arruti (second)
- 2003: Carriles (second)
- 2006: Vicente Blazquez (third)
- 2008: Alfredo García Heredia (second)
- 2009: Pedro Oriol and Luis Claverie (third)
- 2010: Álvaro Velasco (victory)
- 2012: Eduardo De la Riva (victory)
- 2012: Luis Claverie (third)
- 2013: Luis Claverie (third)
- 2014: Luis Claverie (third)
- 2015: Juan Sarasti (third)
- 2016: Carlos del Moral (third)
- 2019: Sebas García (second)
- 2020: Pedro Oriol (third)
- 2021: Santi Tarrio (victory)
- 2022: Víctor Pastor (second)
- 2024: Moscatel (victory)
This week, a total of 22 Spaniards led by Quim Vidal, Álvaro Quirós, and Alejandro Cañizares will seek to extend and further enhance the national love affair with the Challenge de España podium.
Interestingly, Fontanals is hosting this distinguished event for the first time on the newly named HotelPlanner Tour. It is the thirteenth different course to host this competition. Tecina Golf Club, on eight consecutive occasions, is the course where the tournament has been played the most, followed by Izki Golf in Vitoria with five.
