– When Jacobo Pastor hears the word guru, he bursts into laughter. The professional from Madrid, champion of the year of the PGA of Spain in 2023 and always considered a great putter among his peers, is at the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters as part of Alfredo García Heredia‘s team. He gives himself just the right amount of importance, or even less, and you could almost say he ended up there by chance. It was by no means a preconceived plan.
“Everything started by chance,” Jacobo tells Ten Golf shortly before leaving the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande after a long day of work and Pro Am. “Alfredo is a good friend, and one day while reviewing DP World Tour statistics, although they are not the best or most reliable, I saw that his putting numbers were not good, and I talked to him. I had no intention, just trying to help a friend, if I could…”
They started working just before the BMW International Open in Munich. Two months later, Alfredo had gone from fighting to keep his card to getting into Abu Dhabi, even eyeing the Dubai Final. The Asturian golfer himself attributes a good dose of responsibility for this change to his improvement in putting. Without a doubt, Pastor has helped him.
Basically, the work has been to establish simple training routines on the putting green, easy to follow, seeking the largest possible volume of data to draw conclusions and help Alfredo better understand how he putts. It’s not so much about correcting a technical issue as it is about making the golfer as comfortable as possible. “There’s no magic wand here. Anyone looking for that is mistaken. You have to give changes time. I don’t understand changing the putter every week; consistency and continuity are needed,” he states.
Everything influences Alfredo’s improvement on the greens. Jacobo shies away from taking credit. “Many things influence here, but above all, it’s him, Alfredo, also the change of putter, and I suppose me a little, but that’s it,” he explains. By the way, the appearance of the famous green goblin in García Heredia’s bag (a green Lab putter) was a coincidence. “That week, I was expecting to receive an arm lock putter, but it got stuck in customs, didn’t arrive, and that’s why he started using the green Lab putter.”
Pastor doesn’t see himself as a guru, although you never know how these things end. For now, he’s helping a friend and learning in weeks like this while setting up his own indoor academy in Madrid for amateurs. Simplification and consistency are the key words in his approach to putting.
– Jon Rahm played nine holes of Pro Am this Wednesday. He scored five under. Easy. Birdies on holes 10, 14, and 16 and a phenomenal eagle on 12. His team won the Pro Am. The first of the week has already fallen. Beyond the pure result, the truth is he played very well. He only missed two greens, didn’t make any bogeys, and looked loose and powerful from the tee. Setting the tone from the start.
– Álvaro Quirós also felt comfortable in the Pro Am. A score of three under. The Guadiaro native is playing well. He takes the week as a bonus, considering he is playing with an invitation from the DP World Tour, the first he has received from sponsors since losing his card. He wants to do his best, but he doesn’t forget that the main goal is the European Tour School.
– Speaking of the School, another objective at stake this week is to avoid the second stage and go directly to the Final at Infinitum. To do this, you have to be among the top 145 in the Race to Dubai after Korea. There is no Spaniard in this situation. Right now, the 145th place is held by American Gunner Wiebe.
– It’s the tenth edition of the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters. Only five players have been present at all of them: Soren Kjeldsen, Edoardo Molinari, Álvaro Quirós, Pablo Larrazábal, and Joost Luiten. Of all of them, Luiten is, after Sergio García, the golfer with the most top 5 finishes in the tournament. Of the players who have signed at least ten rounds in this tournament, Sergio is the only one who averages under 70 strokes, beyond having won it three times, always at Valderrama. Of those in Sotogrande this week, the best stroke average is by Jordan Smith.
