Present in four LIV Golf events in 2022, including the first in London in June, Adrian Otaegui has decided to stay on the DP World Tour this week while all his “colleagues” from the dissident League supported with millions of dollars by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia are at the same time at Saudi International, the first leg of the Asian Tour 2023.
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It is undoubtedly a strong choice. Adrian Otaegui is departing this Thursday from Ras Al Khaimah Championshipthe third stage of DP World Tour in 2023 in the United Arab Emirates after theAbu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Hero Dubaï Desert Classic. The Spaniard, who will play his first two rounds with his compatriot Jorge Campillo and French Romain Langasquecould have joined his “colleagues” from the LIFE Golf, present in large numbers au PIF Saudi Internationalthe first very richly endowed tournament (5 million dollars) of the 2023 season on theAsian Tour.
By remaining on the European Tour, Otaegui is sending a very strong message here to the authorities of the DP World Tour. As he told us when we met him last November at the Race final au Jumeirah Golf Estatesthe Basque wants to play the Ryder Cup next September in Rome (Italy). The one who is trained by the French Olivier Leglise is thus in the leading pack of contenders for selection in the European team led by the English captain, Luke Donald.
Otaegui thus occupies 6th place in the European points classificationat 262.84 points Victor Perez, third in this ranking and for the moment “qualified”. At world points rankinghe has 41.77 points, i.e. 7th place, very close to the Irishman Shane Lowry (45.18 pts), the last direct qualifier for the moment.
Absent in the Continental Hero Cup team
Winner of l’Andalucia Masters at Valderrama (Spain) on October 16, Adrian Otaegui opposed the DP World Tour when it tried to ban European Tour members who had joined LIV Golf from taking part in the Genesis Scottish Open in July. A hearing with a court of justice located in London must also render its verdict in the week of February 6 to 10. We will then know if the “exiles”, persona non grata on the PGA Tourwill be authorized or not to continue their job on the DP World Tour…
A clearly uncomfortable position for the Spaniard who took part in four LIV Golf events in 2022, including the inaugural tournament in London in June and the final in Doral (Florida) at the end of October. A presence that certainly weighed and which cost him not to be retained in the continental team during the last Hero Cup disputed from January 13 to 15 in Abu Dhabi and won by the Continentals.
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