The Ryder Cup, the biggest golf event in the world and one of most-viewed in all of sport, and the Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid have much more in common than the fact that they are both autumn events and that Jon Rahm graces both with his presence. In fact, they go back many years.
A number of Open de España winners have been members of Ryder Cup teams, mainly Europeans, and a few have also been Ryder Cup captains, a privilege accessible to very few.
We’ll start with the latter group, and we’ll do so with Padraig Harrington, Europe’s captain a few days ago in the US and winner of the 1996 Open de España, at the same venue as this year’s event, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. At just 25 years of age, he cannot have imagined he would be leading out team Europe 25 years later in the epic team event.
Before Harrington, in 2018, the man leading the Europeans to a stunning victory in Paris was Thomas Bjorn, whose trophy cabinet is also adorned by an Open de España title having won at Catalonian course Real Club de Golf del Prat in 1998.
Now we skip back to the 2010 Ryder Cup, where McDowell delighted the Europeans with a putt that is still etched into the memories of the fans, and the captain was Scottish player Colin Montgomerie, whose Open de España victory in 1994 also came at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
In 2008, one of Europe’s heaviest defeats came under the captaincy of Sir Nick Faldo, one of the greatest European players of all time and 1987 Open de España champion at Real Club de Golf de Las Brisas, Marbella.
In the 2004 Ryder Cup, Europe produced one of its greatest victories on US soil, in no small part thanks to the captaincy of legendary player Bernhard Langer, a great of European and world golf. The German celebrated victory at the Spanish tournament on two occasions. Both of his triumphs came at El Saler in Valencia, in 1984 and 1989, and if there is one thing he is remembered for it is his final round at the former, where he set a course record 62 to overturn a huge deficit on the last day.
2002 saw another European victory with a man at the helm who has an Open de España title to his name. Sam Torrance also won in Madrid in 1982, although the event was played at Real Sociedad Hípica Española that year.
Another European player who, like Langer, has two Open de España titles under his belt is Ryder Cup captain Mark James, who won at Madrid club La Moraleja II (1997) and in Pedreña (1988). However, he was unable to steer Europe to victory in 1999.
And so we reach the 1997 Ryder Cup, a very special one for Spain for several reasons; it was played at Valderrama and Seve Ballesteros was the captain that masterminded the victory. If one man has a Ryder Cup – Open de España connection, it is the genius from Pedreña, whose exemplary CV includes three Opens de España; 1981 at Real Club de Golf de El Prat, 1985 at Vallromanes and 1995 at Club de Campo de Madrid, the latter being his final professional victory.
Unlike Ballesteros, the next man on the list has just one Open de España title, but he has captained Europe three times in the Ryder Cup (1991, ‘93 and ‘95). Bernard Gallacher claimed his win in 1977 at Murcia club La Manga, the second venue to host Spain’s national open in the modern era.
As for Ryder Cup players, the 2021 Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid will enjoy the presence of two members of this year’s team, Jon Rahm and Bernd Wiesberger, as well as Luke Donald, who was a vice captain. But the list of players who have played in previous editions of the event is much longer:
Jon Rahm – 2018-2021
Bernd Wiesberger – 2021
Luke Donald – 2004, 06, 08, 2010
Rafa Cabrera Bello – 2016
Thorbjorn Olesen – 2018
Chris Wood – 2016
Edoardo Molinari – 2010
Ross Fisher – 2010
Victor Dubuisson – 2014
David Howell – 2004, 2006
Finally, there are also a number of players who have won an Open de España and also know what it is to compete in the Ryder Cup:
Antonio Garrido – Winner in 1972
Neil Coles – Winner in 1973
Arnold Palmer – Winner in 1975
Eddie Polland – Winner in 1976 and 1980
Brian Barnes – Winner in 1978
Dale Hayes – Winner in 1979
Eamonn Darcy – Winner in 1983
Howard Clark – Winner in 1986
Joakim Haeggman – Winner in 1993
Jarmo Sandelin – Winner in 1999
Robert Karlsson – Winner in 2001
Peter Hanson – Winner in 2005
Niclas Fasth – Winner in 2006
Thomas Levet – Winner in 2009
Francesco Molinari – Winner in 2012
Miguel Ángel Jiménez – Winner in 2014
