Player Blog: Angel Hidalgo

In a Player Blog ahead of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, recent first-time DP World Tour winner Angel Hidalgo talks about making dreams a reality, creating a bond with fans, a special message of congratulations and his immediate goals.

If you told me in 2018, when I turned professional, that I would become a winner on the DP World Tour by 2024 I would have backed myself. But if you’d told me in 2021, when I was playing on the Alps Tour, then I’d have said there was no chance.

When I left the amateur ranks, having won the Spanish Amateur twice, I believed I would win easily on the Alps Tour, progress to the Challenge Tour quickly and become one of the top professionals. But my first three years on the Alps Tour were tough. After just six or seven events, I realised the level was higher than people on the outside imagine. I felt like I was hitting a wall every week because I was not even close to making cuts. It was stressful; life as professional is completely different to being an amateur.

But then in my third year on the Alps Tour, I won twice and received a few invites onto the Challenge Tour and went on to win in Germany. So, while I was only playing on the Challenge Tour for a year or so, it was an experience I really enjoyed. It was around then that my mentality started to change.

So, to win my first DP World Tour title at my national open was beyond even my best dreams as a kid growing up. Since my win in Madrid, I have told friends that I don’t think the feeling of another victory on the DP World Tour will come close to matching that high. Only a Major Championship or a Ryder Cup could better it. To play the final round with two other Spaniards and beat Jon Rahm in a play-off was like the perfect movie script. Now, the expectations are pretty high!

It was a special feeling for so many reasons. My entire family was there along with a lot of friends and then to win against one of the best, if not the best player from the last 30-40 years from your country made it so emotional. Of course, it makes me proud that I was able to play so well and beat Jon. When it became clear that it was essentially between me and him, I knew everyone would expect Jon to win so I told myself I just had to try even harder.

The excitement in the final round at Club de Campo was just incredible - something I’d never experienced before. I love to feel and hear the crowd when I play. When you play in your home country, you have extra support, and if you make use of their energy, you gain extra motivation, extra power. The help they can give you is an extra resource. That was a big reason why I wanted to interact with the crowd. When I heard the crowds cheering, ‘Hidalgo, Hidalgo’ to me that only encouraged me to move my hands even more as I walked by the 18th green ahead of the play-off with Jon. I realised this was my moment.

• Angel Hidalgo emerges as new Spanish star with opportunities abound after first DP World Tour win

I was among those crowds just a few years ago supporting Jon. I know what the crowd want, and I know what I want so it was a perfect mix. Some players need to be really focused, not looking to the sides, but I only need to be focused when I am over the ball about to hit a shot. For the rest of the time out on the course, I just try to enjoy the moment. That was the mindset I had all week. You never know if you will have that moment again in your life. It was an unreal experience, so good.

I have received many messages congratulating me, including from fellow players, but there was one from Rafael Nadal that meant a lot to me and something I wasn’t expecting. For a Spaniard, he is probably the best sportsman of my generation. Just knowing that he saw my win, and took the time to message me, made me so happy.

But even now, two weeks on, I still believe my performance at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters towards the end of the 2022 season is equal to my win, if not a better. Many have asked me why. While I was playing for a victory in Madrid, I knew my DP World Tour card was secure for another year already and I knew I’d have another chance to win. At Valderrama, I was playing to accomplish my first dream of having full playing rights on the DP World Tour. I remember being so nervous in the final round. I didn’t make a single birdie on the Sunday because I was just hitting the middle of the green every time because I just wanted to finish in the top four. It’s for that reason I believe it was the best round of my career.

It’s still too soon after my win to feel any different as a golfer out on the course. After such a long week in Madrid, I lost a lot of energy and inevitably my motivation wasn’t quite there for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and I missed the cut. But now, being back in Spain this week, my confidence is still high. I am hitting the ball well and I am excited to see how I can perform at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. While I know the course well, it is not my ideal course as it is a wide and long course.

One of the keys to my improvement this year is that I have added around 15 yards in length off the tee with my driver and my fairway percentage is higher. Adding speed and being straighter is a good combination!

It has also been helpful and important for me to know players from my amateur days and forge closer friendships with them. I won the gold medal with Spain at the Amateur Team Championship, playing with Adri Arnaus and Alejandro del Rey. Then there is France’s Frederic Lacroix, who I played foursomes with as amateurs. So, to see players now win on the DP World Tour is inspiring. It only emphasises that the talent in the amateur game have what it takes to find their way to this level.

Another big moment this year for me was qualifying for my first Major Championship at The Open. I holed a pitch shot from around 110 yards on the final hole at Dundonald Links in Final Qualifying which was incredible. But my experience at Royal Troon wasn’t the best. I had played the week before on the DP World Tour at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky because I wanted to try and win some Race to Dubai points and I liked the course, having played it last year. I played well, finishing in the top 20, but my flight on the Sunday was cancelled, so I didn’t arrive in Scotland until Tuesday afternoon so was not able to prepare for the switch to links golf as I’d hoped. But at the time, my first thought was to ensure I gave myself the best chance of keeping my card.

Looking ahead, if I was to play well enough between now and Dubai at the end of the season and earn dual membership status, I would of course take my card on the PGA TOUR. Jorge Campillo told me the level is high and it is a tough adjustment, but I want to try and see it for myself and how hard I would need to work to further my progress. After all, you never know what can happen. Matthieu Pavon won his first title at the Open de España last year, took confidence with him over to America, and then won on the PGA TOUR. But there is still work to be done to get there.