LIV: The Saudi golf league will land next year in Spain with a tournament at the historic Valderrama course | Sports

The Saudi golf league, LIV, doesn’t just sign players. Also fields. and after closing the series of eight tournaments with which he has revolutionized the sport this year, has incorporated the historic Valderrama route, in Cádiz, into its collection to host one of the 14 events that will make up its second season in 2023. It will be the premiere, from June 30 to July 2, of the million-dollar Saudi league in Spain, and it will be big, tying the jewel in the crown with a contract for five editions to be celebrated in the next seven years. Valderrama is an iconic field, headquarters of the unforgettable edition of the Ryder Cup in 1997, and is considered one of the best golf courses in the world.

Valderrama ended his relationship with the European circuit this year after a contract for three courses that was extended by one more due to the pandemic. In mid October, the Basque Adrian Otaegui conquered the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters with a record of 19 under par, curiously after having previously enlisted in three Saudi league tournaments. It was the closure of an era in which the stupendous route of the 2,000 cork oaks (with 360 different species of flora and 167 of fauna, including 105 birds) has hosted 27 European Tour tournaments, two world championships and that Ryder of 97 under the influence of Severiano Ballesteros. After that marriage, Valderrama had three options on the table: join LIV Golf, renew his link with the European circuit, which celebrates his 50th anniversary this year, or stay for a season without hosting any test. “In truth, we had decided a long time ago not to continue on the European circuit. The participation they offered was not up to the standard of Valderrama”, explains Javier Reviriego, general director of the club. “With LIV we guarantee world-class golfers who have never come and a commitment for five years. Among our 450 members there were hardly any doubts. It has not been an economic question ”, he adds. Although the financial balloon is large: about 20 million dollars for the Spanish club.

“It is the best course in Europe. Playing there is amazing. It has a tremendous story. Valderrama deserves a field [listado de participantes] like the one that will have these years with LIV. Seeing the quality of the players says everything. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed… The European circuit promised them that good players would go and in the end no one went. It’s a shame. Valderrama deserves much more than that”, comments Sergio García, triple winner on the Andalusian track: 2011, 2017 and 2018. “The tour Europe has not been able to take advantage of Valderrama and we will take advantage of it. They have promised things for many years that they have not been given and Valderrama sees a different option in which he has assured players who will contribute a lot and that is something that the European circuit could never do. I was there and so was Jon [Rahm] from time to time. There were only two or three high-level ones. Valderrama, with the history that he has in the world of golf, deserves much more”, added the man from Castellón. At 42 years old, Garcia has just broken out of the top 100 players in the world for the first time in 23 years, as LIV tournaments do not count towards that ranking. Al Niño will remain united in his team, the Fireballs, Eugenio López-Chacarra, winner this course in Bangkok.

LIV Golf will land on a course included among the best in the world -according to the publication Golf Digest, in position 38 in its last listing; for the web Top 100 Golf Courses, the first in Spain and the fourth in Europe. Valderrama was born named Las Aves, designed in 1974 by Robert Trent Jones, and renovated by himself when Jaime Ortiz-Patiño acquired the property 10 years later. Since then, this par 71 of 6,990 yards (6,392 meters) has been bolted to the elite and is noted by golfers as one of the most complex. Jon Rahm, after missing the cut in the 2021 edition, the last one he played, He stated: “I am going to do everything on my part so that the American and European circuits have a tournament together here. Valderrama deserves it. In addition to being a great course, it would be a change from the scenarios in the United States. There everything consists of hitting a good driveIt’s very repetitive. For those who believe that distance is everything, you have to come here to play golf”. But the destination for a museum layout will not be that, but the competition.

The Saudi league has been played in 2022 in eight venues, only one of them European, London in the inaugural tournament. He then traveled to Portland, Bedminster, Boston, Chicago, Bangkok, Jeddah, and Miami. Looking ahead to the next course, Valderrama will be released, in addition to Mayakoba (Mexico), Sentosa (Singapore) and Adelaida (Australia). LIV will arrive in Spain in June 2023 in the middle of a war that has divided golf in two and that continues to raise its temperature. This Monday, Tiger Woods shot directly at Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf. “First of all, Greg Norman has to go. There is an opportunity if both organizations [LIV y PGA Tour] they suspend their litigation, but I think Greg has to go, first of all, and then if both sides stop legal proceedings, then we could talk. We can’t compete dollar for dollar, but we can compete about how important it is to have a legacy,” said the 46-year-old American, winner of 15 grands, about possible negotiations between the two sides to sign peace. El Tigre accused of “contempt and disrespect” the players who have gone to the Saudi league, leaving the American circuit behind. Among them, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Sergio Garcia. The man from Castellón responded this Wednesday to Woods’ darts: “And Monahan, should he stay or go?” He asked, referring to the PGA Tour commissioner. “It is very easy to talk about those on the other side having to go. And what about yours? They have also done things wrong and it seems that only what they say is valid ”. The conflict continues, now also with Valderrama as the battlefield.

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