The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship kicks off this Thursday at the Real Club de Golf El Prat with a strong Spanish contingent led by Pablo Larrazábal. A Barcelona native and club member since childhood, he is serving this week as the perfect host for a tournament in which he hopes to regain his best form.
In the museum of the Real Club de Golf El Prat, which houses numerous artifacts from its 112-year history, there is a special section dedicated to Pablo Larrazábal’s nine DP World Tour titles. Adding to that collection this coming Sunday would be more than a dream.
“What better place? I’ve been a member for 38 years, I’ve always felt a great deal of pride in representing the Club wherever I go, and it would be historic to win here as an honorary member,” he explained at a press conference.
Pablo is delighted to host the Tour at El Prat. “It’s the third time in 480 tournaments and 18 years that I’ve been able to sleep at home during a tournament,” and he believes it’s the perfect time to turn the season around. “I feel at home, with my wife, who is my psychologist, and my rock, my son. They help me put things into perspective. I’ve had a good career with nine victories, and I’ve always said that if Real Madrid has 15 Champions League titles, I want to surpass them in wins.”
The death of Seve Ballesteros 15 years ago coincided with the 2011 Spanish Open, which was being held at El Prat, where Pablo Larrazábal was fighting for the win. “It was very hard,” he recalled. “I spent many summers in Pedreña; I knew him very well, and he left us too soon. Seve was the captain of our ship; I can’t carry on his legacy because that’s for a select few, but it’s our mission to always remember him and for him to remain our captain.”
Speaking about the course at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, Pablo highlighted the challenge of the Rosa course. “It’s very technical, not very long, but if you attack it, it’ll set the record straight sooner or later. If the wind blows this weekend and the course firms up, the result could be between 14 and 16 under par.”
Joining Pablo Larrazábal were the Deputy Mayor of Terrassa, Joan Salvador Fabregat, and the Club President, Francisco “Pancho” Schröder. The mayor highlighted the city’s sporting tradition, particularly in hockey, and emphasized the collaboration between public and private entities to organize a major event like this, “which also puts us at the forefront of golf.”
“If there is one word that characterizes golf, it is handicap—which is not about where we come from but where we are going. Terrassa is a welcoming city, and we are very grateful for the trust placed in us. These days we are celebrating our traditional Modernist Fair, to which everyone is invited.”
Club President Francisco “Pancho” Schröder emphasized that tradition and change coexist naturally in the Club’s history. “We have organized more than 20 international tournaments; we have the privilege and the obligation to host tournaments because we believe that sport elevates people’s values.”
Ángel Hidalgo also stopped by the press room, confident that he will return to his best form this week. “It’s very motivating that Seve, Olazábal, and Tom Watson have won at this Club; everyone would like to join them on the list, and if it can be this Sunday, all the better.”
Regarding the tribute the tournament will pay to Severiano Ballesteros, Hidalgo emphasized that he was the greatest Spanish player of all time. “Although he was a bit too far ahead of me in age, it means a lot not just to me, but to all of European golf. I was lucky that his son was a teammate of mine for a long time on the Alps Tour and later my manager. In the two victories I achieved on the Alps and the Challenge Tours, I wore navy blue and white in his honor.”
“El Prat is a great course; you have to hit it very well off the tee. It’s a fair course, and whoever wins on Sunday will be the best because it doesn’t forgive mistakes—you have to stay very focused.”
This week, Hidalgo has an advantage. “Playing in Spain is a bonus; we know we have the crowd’s support, and whether or not many people show up, you know where you stand and you know that if you’re in the lead on Sunday, they’ll come out to support you. I know what it’s like to win in Spain, in Madrid—I’d love to pull off a double in Barcelona.”
Group Photo
As is tradition, the Spanish players posed for a group photo on the 1st tee next to a picture of Seve, all of them showing great camaraderie and eager for the public to enjoy the first DP World Tour event in Europe this season. Javier Ballesteros, Seve Ballesteros’s eldest son, was also invited to join the photo.
The 24 Spaniards who will be at El Prat this week are Pablo Larrazábal, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Ángel Ayora, Eugenio Chacarra, Adrián Otaegui, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jorge Campillo, Nacho Elvira, Adri Arnaus, Ángel Hidalgo, Alejandro del Rey, Albert Boneta, Alfredo García-Heredia, Iván Cantero, Joel Moscatel, José María Serra, Manuel Elvira, Pablo Ereño, Quim Vidal, Rocco Repetto Taylor, Santiago Tarrío, Sebastián García, Vicente Mestre Carceller, and Víctor Pastor.
Catalan Golf Federation Clinic
One of the initiatives held as part of the lead-up to the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship was a clinic organized by the Catalan Golf Federation and the DP World Tour for a group of promising young players who won’t soon forget the day.
Gonzalo Fernández Castaño welcomed them and addressed the group, and then Rafa Cabrera Bello and Joel Moscatel offered their guidance to the future stars of Catalan golf.
Tickets (with a 25% discount for federation members, 50% off for young people aged 13 to 17, and free entry for children under 13) can be purchased here or at El Prat ticket office throughout the tournament.
The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, a DP World Tour tournament included in the Race to Dubai as the first event of the European Swing, is held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club de Golf El Prat. It is sponsored by Estrella Damm and will kick off the Road to 2031 Ryder Cup, a journey that will end at the 2031 Ryder Cup to be held at Camiral.
