Acabó el DP World Tour 2023-2024. The Dubai Finale has concluded this Sunday, marking the end of a season in which Spanish golf has achieved three victories from three different players: Adrián Otaegui (Volvo China Open), Nacho Elvira (Soudal Open) and Ángel Hidalgo (Acciona Open de España). The balance there is not bad, although lower than last year, with four wins from three different golfers, or the previous season, with six victories from four different players.
Where things certainly haven’t gone well for the Armada is in the Race to Dubai. In fact, this season could be described as historically negative. The highest-ranked Spaniard in the European Tour ranking was Jorge Campillo, in 27th place. It is not usual to have to go so far down the ranking to find the best Spaniard each year. In fact, only on two occasions since 1971, the year of the European Tour’s creation, has the best Spaniard finished the year worse ranked.
Specifically, the worst year in this regard was 2015. Miguel Ángel Jiménez, shortly before moving to the senior tour, was the best of ours in the Race to Dubai, finishing in 30th place. The other time worse than 2024 was many years ago, in the early days of the Tour, in 1972. Then, it was Antonio Garrido who was the best Spaniard in 28th place. Thus, it is the third worst mark in more than five decades.
The reality is that Spanish golf has been very successful in the Race to Dubai. The data is there to prove it. No less than seven times (six Seve Ballesteros and one Jon Rahm) has it finished at the top of the ranking. The last time was in 2019 with the player from Barrika, and the first was Seve in 1976. Additionally, Spaniards have finished in second place four more times (twice Seve and twice Olazábal) and have occupied the third podium place eleven times (four times Rahm, three times Seve, twice Olazábal, once Sergio García, and once Antonio Garrido).
The best Spaniard has finished among the top ten in the Race to Dubai 37 times between 1971 and 2024. The most recent time this did not happen, beyond this year, was in 2018, when Rahm was the best of the Armada in 22nd place. Finally, regarding the number of Spanish players who have ever finished among the top ten in the European Tour ranking, the number is thirteen: Antonio Garrido, Seve Ballesteros, Manuel Piñero, José María Cañizares, José María Olazábal, Pepín Rivero, Nacho Garrido, Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, Álvaro Quirós, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Sergio García and Jon Rahm.
