Ahead of the Real Club Valderrama Open de España, Hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation, we take a look at the key groupings in the opening rounds.
Tournament host Garcia, who has only finished outside of the top ten once in 11 appearances at Valderrama, will play alongside Chris Wood and two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer. The trio were all in action at the Masters last week and will be certain to attract a large following when they tee off at 9.25 local time on Thursday.
Thomas Bjørn, winner of the 1998 Open de España, will start at 9.15 with fellow Dane Thorbjørn Olesen and Tommy Fleetwood. Bjørn also made his Ryder Cup debut at Valderrama in 1997, under the guidance of captain Seve Ballesteros.
Home favourite Rafa Cabrera Bello will be looking for his first European Tour win on home soil and has been grouped with Andy Sullivan and defending champion James Morrison in a 14:10 tee time. The latter won last year’s tournament at Royal Club de Golf El Prat by four shots from Miguel Angel Jiménez.
One of the other groups likely to draw attention comprises Thomas Pieters, Pablo Larrazábal and Joost Luiten and they will tee off at 14:20 on Thursday. All three players will be hoping for their first wins of 2016 having each secured at least one top ten this season.
Following a tied seventh finish at Augusta National, Søren Kjeldsen will return to a course where he’s had previous success. The World Number 41, who won the 2008 Volvo Masters here, will play the first two days alongside Spain’s Alvaro Quiros and South Africa’s Jaco Van Zyl, with their opening round starting at 9:35.
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