The European Legends Cup by José María Olazábal kicks off this Friday at the Real Nuevo Club de Golf de San Sebastián, Basozábal with the unmistakable mark of its host. Olazábal, in addition to continuing to compete at the highest level and pouring all his experience and heart into “his” tournament, maintains a firm commitment to the future of Basque and Spanish golf through his work with young talents.
The two-time Masters champion leads the Basque Team de golf, which has its training base at Basozábal, the same course he designed and which today becomes the epicentre of senior European golf, the Legends Tour. From there, Euskadi, he accompanies and guides the new generations, imparting the values, technique, and passion that have marked his 40-year career as a professional.
Just yesterday, Olazábal took to the course with Teresa Yrizar, the junior champion of Bizkaia, the Basque Country, and ranked number 1 by the Basque Federation, in a gesture that reflects his ongoing involvement with grassroots golf and his desire to inspire those beginning to forge their path in this sport.
Olazábal assures that “there is talent, no doubt. Here in Basozábal, we have a lot of boys, girls, young people of different ages. Juan (Sarasti, director of the School) is doing a very good job preparing them to compete. In general, I think Spanish golf is doing very well. We have players who show great potential, and I hope that, in not too long, they will stand out and be up there at the top.
It’s difficult to get there, we’re not going to discover anything new. Nowadays, there are many more people who see golf as a possible sport to dedicate themselves to, both boys and girls, and that makes it possible for more people to try, and the differences are much smaller than they used to be. The level is very high, and it’s hard to get there. The path is tough, you have to start from the bottom unless you’re a phenomenon like Sergio, or like Jon. You have to start with the lower categories, like the Alps Tour, then reach the Challenge and try to climb to the DP World Tour, but it’s a long and tough road.
I always tell them all that you have to have a lot of patience, that it’s more of a marathon than a hundred-meter race. You’re going to stumble and fall many times, and the important thing is not to lose hope or faith, to get back up and keep working. There’s no other way. The one who endures the most will be the one who reaches the end.
We all knew that many players with potential were coming, who are in different circuits, Ayora, Ballester… There is potential, we’ll see how events unfold in the circuits, but we have high-quality players for a long time.”
Continuing to compete fills me with excitement, but equally important is accompanying the young ones, seeing how they grow and being able to contribute something from my experience. That motivates me as much as any victory,” says Olazábal.
With this dual role of host, competitor, and mentor, Olazábal turns the European Legends Cup by José María Olazábal into a sporting and human event that transcends beyond the competition, and which begins tomorrow Friday from 9.00 am at Basozábal.
Today, the European Legends Cup by José María Olazábal was inaugurated with a ProAm in which 29 teams consisting of one professional and three amateurs participated, with the team led by professional Peter Baker with amateurs Luken Mujika, Javier Erviti, and Michael Bradley emerging victorious.
