The DP World Tour remains in Spain this week for the Catalunya Championship at PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness, in Girona. Here are your Five Things to Know…
Tour’s return to Girona
The inaugural Catalunya Championship marks a return for the DP World Tour to the historical city of Girona – scene of the Tour’s first official event in 1972.
Just over 50 years ago, Antonio Garrido made history with victory on home soil at Club Golf de Pals following a play-off against fellow Spaniard Valentin Barrios. Ahead of the scheduled first round on Thursday, Garrido will hit the ceremonial opening tee shot as the European Tour group continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022.
This week also serves as the first DP World Tour event to be held at PGA Catalunya since the 2014 Open de España, won by home favourite Miguel Ángel Jiménez – a victory which saw him break his own record as the Tour’s oldest winner, aged 50 years and 133 days.
Sustainability at the heart of PGA Catalunya changes
The field for the Catalunya Championship will be among the first to play on the Stadium Course at the 540-hectare site of PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness, a European Tour Destination, since the layout’s sustainability-focused €1million upgrade.
The changes to the world-renowned 7,333-yard, par 72 Stadium Course – modelled on Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass – include the sixth hole, where the tee has been repositioned and the fairway moved to the left along with the addition of a fairway bunker to put strategy at the forefront of players’ focus. Players will also be tested off the tee at the par four tenth which now features a right-to-left dogleg.
As part of the investment, the Stadium Course now benefits from a new irrigation system which requires 25% less watering and uses recycled water, fulfilling the resort’s commitments to restore and uphold the area’s eco-diversity.
Among the other changes at the newly upgraded venue include the five-hectare driving range and practice area, where course conditions have been meticulously replicated for the best possible warm-up experience – even including a replica of the par three 11th green.
Second event of Spanish double header
The Catalunya Championship is the second of back-to-back events in Spain on the 2022 DP World Tour schedule, following the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain.
The events are part of four to be played in Spain this year, with the Open de España and Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters still to come in October, again over back-to-back weeks.
Last season, three events were played in a row in Spain from October 2021.
Originally intended to be a Formula One circuit, PGA Catalunya continued its reign as Spain’s best golf resort in 2021.
Pablo to continue stellar 2022 with another title?
Pablo Larrazábal celebrated his second DP World Tour title in as many months with victory at the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain.
The Spaniard, who also won the MyGolfLifeOpen hosted by Pecanwood, is in a rich vein of form which also includes two top-five finishes this season, at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and Ras al Khaimah Classic. His run of good results has seen him rise to fourth in the DP World Tour Rankings and 68th in the Official World Golf Ranking – his highest position since September 2014.
Prior to his two titles this season, Larrazábal’s previous victory came at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2019, and he admitted his recent success has made his persistence in recent years even more rewarding.
“It's been tough, the last three years, the last maybe five, six years - I know I had a win three years ago,” the seven-time DP World Tour winner said after the final round.
“But when your golf is not there and then injuries, and then these 20-year-old kids are coming in and they're flying the ball 50, 60 yards over yours and you're not putting well, you're not chipping well. There are a lot of things coming into my mind.
“I thought a lot about not playing any more. And sometimes if you believe and you keep working hard, life gives you back and it's been a long road. For the trust and for the work I did, and for the patience, I think I really deserve it.”
Previous events held at PGA Catalunya
The Stadium Course is one of two 18-hole championship layouts at PGA Catalunya alongside the Tour Course. Previous events hosted include the Open de Espana (in 2000, 2009 and 2014) and the DP World Tour Qualifying School Final Stages from 2008-16.
Two-time DP World Tour champion Mikko Korhonen is the only winner from that time in the field this week, although entrants Richard Bland, Renato Paratore and Otaegui are among several players to have either claimed or regained their Tour card at this week’s venue.
