Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño gave himself the perfect fillip for this week’s Valle Romano Open de Andalucia at Aloha Golf Club by claiming his third European Tour title with a sensational victory in last week’s Telecom Italia Open.
Fernandez-Castaño beat Austrian Markus Brier at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off at Castello di Tolscinasco, but before backers rush to put their hard earned cash on the affable 26 year old completing a notable back-to-back success, he had words of caution for his many supporters.
“Every time I have won a tournament, the following week I have played terribly so I would keep your money in your pocket,” joked the Spaniard who added the Italian title to that of the 2005 KLM Open and the 2006 BMW Asian Open.
“Seriously though, it is a tremendous boost for me going into what will be a big week for myself and my family both on and off the course. I have been working hard on my swing with my coaches over the winter and in recent months and I am delighted it has all come to fruition.”
Fernandez-Castaño’s run into form could not have come at a better time because, together with compatriot Miguel Angel Jiménez, he is heavily involved in the promotion and organisation of the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia.
Fernandez-Castaño’s company – GFC Golf and Business – along with Jiménez’s company – Golf Acción – have helped bring the inaugural staging of the tournament to Andalucia and he is naturally keen for the event to be a success. However, to succeed on the course, the Spaniard believes all competitors will need to exert a great deal of precision and patience.
“It is a beautiful place and I hope everyone enjoys their time there and the tournament itself,” he said. “As for the golf course, we know it is not one of the longest on Tour but the fairways will be narrow and the rough quite demanding so you will have to be accurate if you are going to succeed.
“There are also water hazards encroaching on several holes so players will have to be patient too as scoring might not be that easy especially if the wind gets up.
"My relationship with Aloha is a very special one, I started playing there on the par threes at the age of seven. I attended Diego Morito's lessons for a group of children, and he put a golf club in my hand for the first time. Summer after summer I have been playing Aloha and they have always treated me very well."
Jiménez has enjoyed success on four occasions in Spain amongst his 13 European Tour titles including two in his native Andalucía in 1999 – the Turespaña Masters Open Andalucia at Parador Malaga del Golf and the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo – and is excited about the prospect of a tournament in his own back yard.
“This is my first tournament as a promoter and I’m thrilled to play in the event as well,” he said. “Andalucia has sponsored me for many years and I have had the opportunity to play all around the world. This is a way of giving back for all the support they have given me.”
Aloha Golf Club was designed by the renowned Spanish golf course architect, the late Javier Arana, for whom the course proved to be his last project as he died nine months before its official opening in October 1975.
A strong field has assembled in Andalucia to test their respective games against the course’s 6881 yards (6293 metres) including nine players with European Ryder Cup experience, five winners from The 2007 European Tour International Schedule including Fernandez-Castaño, and the 1996 US Open champion Steve Jones from the United States who is continuing his European odyssey after competing in last week’s Telecom Italia Open.
The Valle Romano Open de Andalucia is one of five events in Spain on The 2007 European Tour International Schedule, joining the Open de España, the Open de Madrid, the Mallorca Classic and the Volvo Masters. The last time Spain hosted five tournaments in a year was in 2004 while the one season record for the country came in 1993 when it played host to eight events.
