Pablo Larrazábal defends his title this week at the KLM Open, although he will do so on a different course. Last year, in May, he won at Bernardus Golf (Cromvoirt, Netherlands), but this week the tournament is held at The International, located in Amsterdam, a few hundred meters from Amsterdam-Schiphol international airport, one of the busiest in Europe and the world.
The victory of the Barcelona native took place in a very special context. First, because he went out to play on Sunday in the star match alongside another Spaniard, Adrián Otaegui (the third in the match was Rasmus Hojgaard). And secondly, because both, Pablo and Adrián, reached the end as clear and main candidates. What happened that Sunday at hole 17 of Bernardus Golf is probably destined to be lost in memory, even in that of the protagonists. However, it is worth remembering and reveling in it. Pablo, by the way, arrived at the 17th tee as leader with only one stroke advantage over Otaegui and other players. On that rather short par 3, very well defended frontally by water, with a last round flag, very cornered, prohibitive, Otaegui hit first and left the ball two and a half meters away, with a shot full of commitment, very brave and accurate. A great shot to which Larrazábal responded with a crazy 9 iron to practically give himself the birdie…
Just a little before, Pablo had made an anthological birdie at hole 15, the hardest of the day, and Adrián had done it at 16, the third most difficult hole of the day. Then, what happened at 17… As if such a day does not deserve to be especially remembered in the annals of Spanish golf.
There is something between the Armada and the Dutch Open, as is well known. Up to six Spanish players have added eight victories in the country of tulips, with special mention for Severiano, of course, who won it three times. Olazábal, Jiménez, Fernández Castaño, Sergio and Larrazábal also won it. And we are going to stick with Sergio’s in 2019 for a very simple reason: it was the only time this tournament was played precisely on the course where it is held this week, the aforementioned The International.
Only a lustrum has passed, but it is striking how golf turns. Pay attention to the data:
– Sergio achieved at The International what is so far his last victory in the DP World Tour.
– The Castellón native won by a single stroke over Nicolai Hojgaard, one of the two Danish twins, who was only 18 years old at the time, although he had already turned professional several months before. That second place was his introduction to the world on the front line of elite golf.
– In that Dutch Open of 2019, which was played in September, up to seven LIV Golf players participated: Sergio, Reed, Pieters, Kaymer, Westwood, Horsfield… And Eugenio López Chacarra, who played as an amateur.
– At that event, a certain Matthieu Pavon did not manage to make the cut… It would still be four years before the Frenchman won for the first time on the DP World Tour. In addition to Pavon, at The International there were also six other Europeans who today enjoy playing rights on the PGA Tour: Nicolai Hojgaard, Wallace, Detry, Victor Perez, Valimaki and Campillo. A list that should be added to by American Kurt Kitayama, who would also make the jump.
– In that tournament, Matteo Manassero was running out of options to keep his card, before definitively entering that dark tunnel that kept him four years away from the top level… Tomorrow the Italian will go out to play as number 16 in the Race to Dubai and just after playing a US Open.
– Trevor Immelman and Michael Campbell also played, two Major winners who were giving themselves their last chances.
There, at The International, next to the airport, however, Pablo Larrazábal was not present, who from tomorrow defends his title, in search of his tenth victory in the DP World Tour and the ninth of Spanish golf in Dutch lands. With this aim, to follow in the footsteps of Seve, Chema, Miguel, Gonzalo, Sergio and Pablo himself, we also have another twelve Spanish players, starting with Adrián Otaegui and continuing with Adri Arnaus, Iván Cantero, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, Manu Elvira, Alfredo García Heredia, Sebas García, Santi Tarrio, Ángel Hidalgo, Alejandro del Rey and Ángel Ayora, the youngest of this Armada, present at the event thanks to an invitation.
