Thirteen Spanish players are already on the launch ramp of the British Masters, a classic on the calendar that kicks off tomorrow at The Belfry, a classic venue on the DP World Tour. Each will seek the best for their interests, as is natural, but we elevate the analysis to a more general level, as a whole and with some unease, because the Spanish Armada is not exactly in a position to set off fireworks this summer on the European circuit. Pay close attention: in the last seven tournaments only one top ten is counted, that of Jon Rahm in the Open at Royal Troon (7th). And before that record, in the summer season, only two more top tens are counted, a tenth place from Otaegui at the KLM and a fifth from Arnaus at the Italian Open. A very scarce harvest compared to other years, as we will now see.
When we talk about summer we do so literally, referring to the period from 21 June to 23 September. And in this sense, the summer of 2024 is currently among the worst records of the Spanish Armada in the entire history of the European circuit, since 1972.
The reference is logically the most outstanding results, which we circumscribe to the top ten, and we have to go back to the 2007 season to find such a poor summer. That year only three top tens were also counted, although one of them was of enormous quality, Sergio’s second place in the Open after losing that play off with Harrington. There is another similar year, very scarce, but we have to go back to 1974. That summer only three top tens were also added, which we reproduce for the most curious or nostalgic: José María Cañizares was second in the Scandinavian, Manuel Piñero was sixth in the same tournament and Francisco Abreu was tenth in Crans, Switzerland. This summer of 2024, at least, the boys of the Armada still have up to four opportunities to surpass the poor records of 1974 and 2007. The sooner they start to add, the better. For example, this very week at The Belfry.
The truth is that last summer, that of 2023, was also one of the worst of our lives, if the hyperbole is allowed, since only four top tens were added, although some of them were of undoubted level. To wit: Nacho Elvira was second in Denmark after losing a tie for the title; Rahm was second in the Open; Otaegui, fourth in Northern Ireland; and Rahm, again, fourth in Wentworth.
And what was, in this sense, the best summer of our lives? Well, by weight, it was probably that of 1986. That year, between 21 June and 23 September, 25 top tens were added, with five victories included (four from Seve and one from Olazábal, of course). Never, in summer, has Spanish golf added more than five wins, it is an outstanding record that only occurred in the aforementioned year 86 and also in 88.
Depending on how you look at it, therefore, that summer of 88 was not bad at all, in which five victories were achieved (one from Pepín Rivero and four from Seve, of course), one of them in a Major, Severiano’s Open, although the number of top tens was 19.
There is another summer, that of 1996, which also deserves to be highlighted. That year there was not a single victory in the summer season, but up to twenty top tens were added and they were achieved by up to twelve different players, a record in this sense. To wit: Paco Cea, Nacho Garrido, Miguel Ángel Martín, Diego Borrego, Santi Luna, Carl Suneson, Juan Carlos Piñero, Txomin Hospital, Fernando Roca, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Seve and Pedro Linhart. Variety is also the spice of life.
To go to the most recent precedents, we should certainly highlight the summer of 2019, with a total of 18 top tens, two victories (Rahm in Ireland and Sergio at the KLM) and up to seven second places, although five of them occurred in the same tournament, that famous jam that occurred in Valderrama with Arnaus, De la Riva, Quirós, Rahm and Sergio tied in second position, an absolutely absurd fact that will hardly be repeated.
Almost needless to say who is the King of the summer, if we talk about the history of the Armada. Of course, Severiano Ballesteros, who achieved 24 victories in this season of the year, almost half of the total he would add at the end of his career on the European circuit. In total, Spanish golf has added 61 victories in summer. We are still in time to add the sixty-second and, in passing, to get rid of one of the worst summers of our lives.
