Spain’s Best by Dakota Diaz

Open de Barcelona by Pablo Larrazábal: PGA Tour opens at Real Club de Golf de El Prat

From April 5th to 9th, the “Spain Golf Tour 50th Anniversary PGA” Tour starts in Barcelona, in a great club with a lot of significance for Spanish professionals, which also has the support of one of the greatests of Spanish golf: Pablo Larrazabal

BARCELONA, SPAIN - Real Club de Golf de El Prat, one of the most historical clubs in Spain, will host of a new tournament of the PGA National Tour that this year bears the name of “Spain Golf 50th Anniversary Tour”, in honour to those 50 years of service to Spanish golf professionals.

Open Barcelona by Pablo Larrazábal will take place from April 5th to April 9th at the Barcelona’s golf under the presence of one of the greatest national icons, the European Tour professional Pablo Larrazábal and member of the Catalan club. Along with Pablo, other great profesional golfers such as Álvaro Velasco will be playing this tournament, which will kick off one more year – and there are now seven editions – of the PCA España Tour. The tournament will consist of 3 days of individual stroke play, from the 6th to 8th of April, with a cut on the second day. Of the maximum number of players established at 144, only 40 and ties will be able to play the final day. In addition, international players members of any PGA can play and amateurs with a handicap of 4.4 or less are also given the opportunity to participate in the tournament, and be able to compete with professionals of the highest level.

April 5th is the official practice day for the RCG El Prat Pink Course, considered the most challenging course of the Barcelona club and designed by the Australian “White Shark” Greg Norman. To finish the tournament, some of the professionals will play a Pro-Am on the 9th with members and friends of Real Club de Golf El Prat.

Real Club de Golf de El Prat

Pablo Larrazábal, icon of the tournament, comments that “this tournament makes me very happy. Álvaro Velasco asked me to collaborate with the tournament and here we are at home, playing and hosting this Tour on this 50th Anniversary where I started and helped me get where I am today”.

An example of the importance of organizing tournaments at home is that, in addition to helping the most experienced professionals to complete their schedule, it also gives the youngest players the opportunity to gain the necessary experience they need while playing and learning from great players.

RCG El Prat welcomes this tournament with enthusiasm and encourages all professionals to play and support golf at the Open de Barcelona by Pablo Larrazábal, in a high-level course where the Club’s staff has worked to have it in excellent condition at the characteristic style of Real Club de Golf El Prat. A course That has hosted many big tournaments as the Spanish Open of the European Tour.

For more information and registration visit www.pgaspain.es

Among the large number of tournaments organized at El Prat there are competitions such as the Audi Tournament, Audemars Piguet Tournament, or internationally amateur championships such as the Barcelona Championship or the Kings’s Cup that can only be played in high-level courses as the Real Club de Golf El Prat.

Dating back to 1912, Real Club de Golf El Prat is one of the most renowned clubs in Spain and was granted ‘Real’ or royal status, by King Alfonso XIII after his visit. The renowned club has hosted the Spanish Open on 10 occasions: 1956, 1959, 1963, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1998, 1999, 2011 and 2015. The current 45 holes were designed by Greg Norman over an exciting mix of three highly acclaimed courses: the Pink – highly positioned in the most trusted and authoritative international rankings – Yellow and Green.

It is listed Top20 by Golf World magazine’s coveted ‘Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe’ rankings and also by National Club Golfer’s ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe’.

The multi-award-winning El Prat was recently named as one of the 125 Platinum Clubs of the World – Five Star Private Club, as well as being granted the Golden Plaque of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit.

It has played host to more than 250 top-level national and international championships, including European Tour events, with top stars of the calibre of Sergio Garcia, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, José María Olazábal and Tommy Fleetwood taking part.

The club has hosted some of the biggest names in golf, with Spanish legends Severiano Ballesteros and José Maria Olazábal, eighttime Major winner Tom Watson and European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn among its roll call of previous winners, while Masters champion Sergio Garcia and Pablo Larrazábal are both members.

For more information, please contact Gemma Fuster on +34 937 28 10 00, 689028385 or email gemma@rcgep.com