The Fred Olsen Challenge de España will return to Tecina Golf in La Gomera for the fourth consecutive year in a new date of May 31-June 3, when the Challenge Tour players will hope to copy in the example set by the previous three champions.
Last year’s winner Matthew Baldwin, of England, followed in the footsteps of 2009 winner Rhys Davies and 2010 champion Alvaro Velasco by graduating on to The European Tour and that will also be the aim for the 2012 field.
Officials from the Challenge Tour, Fred Olsen, Real Federación Española de Golf and MatchGolf met at the venue ahead of the 13th edition of the event, which is the first of two Challenge Tour events in Spain in 2012.
Tournament Director Miguel Vidaor said: “On behalf of the European Challenge Tour I’d like to thank Fred Olsen and the Real Federación Española de Golf for their great effort each year in making the the Challenge de España a success.
“It is a pleasure for everyone to come back to La Gomera. It is a great course, the place is magnificent and players love to come here. They feel very good and that is reflected in their game. We have found the course in good conditions, but we are going to work hard in order to make it ever better this year”.
Pablo Bernárdez, Director of the Technic Professional Commitee at Real Federación Española de Golf, said: “We are delighted to come back to Tecina Golf again, where we have had three thrilling editions of the Fred Olsen Challenge de España, especially the last two with the Spanish victory of Alvaro Velasco in 2010, and the play-off last year for Matthew Baldwin with a few Spanish players on the fight. We hope to have another Spanish victory to join the group of Spanish players on The European Tour, which is our main goal.”
Primos Pusnik, Director at Tecina Golf: “Again, we are working hard to present the course in its best conditions. We have reached a high level and we have to better it every year. There is still a lot to do but working along with the Challenge Tour, RFEG and the maintenance people, the course will be ready for the new dates of the event. For us the Fred Olsen Challenge of Spain is very important because Tecina Golf will be the window of the Canary Island and La Gomera in the world of golf, and we are very proud of it.”
Manuel Benjumea, Tournament Director at MatchGolf: “For us, as promoters, it is a pleasure to come back to Tecina Golf for the Fred Olsen Challenge of Spain, an important event with a great record of the three past winners making the European Tour. Last year’s winner Matthew Baldwin already has a top 10 at the African Open. It is really important that Fred Olsen, RFEG and the Government of Canarias continue their support of golf. ”
