In the spectacular surroundings of the Madrid City Hall, Jon Rahm, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Tommy Fleetwood all shared the honour of inaugurating the 2022 ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid. At the official tournament presentation, the three players all spoke of how excited they are to contribute to the success of such a historical event.
Because of their history with the Ryder Cup, the trio are drawing the lion’s share of the media attention and generating the most expectation among the fans. They made no efforts to hide their desire to add their name to the winners’ circle at a century-old event (inaugurated in 1912), an honour that Jon Rahm has already twice enjoyed (2018 and 2019) and Rafa Cabrera, the defending champion (2021), once.
As you would expect, the three golfers provided plenty of good copy when they spoke to the world’s press.
JON RAHM: “I really want to get my name on the Open de España trophy for the third time because, among other things, when you call on the Spanish fans, they always turn up”.
“I’m playing well, I really want to get my name on the Open de España trophy for the third time. Sunday at Wentworth was another sign of how good I’ve been feeling all year, hitting the shots I needed when I needed to. That’s given me confidence, but at the same time, I can’t remember a year where I’ve had so many putts lip out”.
The importance of the legacy
“For me, the legacy you leave is very important. I’ve won cups like this Open de España one at amateur level, and that will always be there. With the tournament’s ties with the RFEG, being able to win it is very important for me, also being able to equal Seve with three wins would be incredible. I remember when I won the Under-18 Spanish Championship at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, it was a really significant moment in my career”.
The difference between coming here as world number 1 and world number 6
“The world ranking is more important to everyone else than it is to me. When I came here in 2018 at the Centro Nacional, the fans didn’t care about my ranking. Being number one didn’t change anything. Yes, there was a notable difference after winning the US Open. This year, the support will be the same because the Spanish fans, when you call on them, they always turn up. Playing here is a joy for us Spaniards, and I can confirm that I’ve arrived here as I did the first year, better physically”.
His role in the growth of golf in Spain
“Seve, Chema [Jose Maria Olazabal] and their generation were responsible for changing the elitist image of golf, taking Spain to 300,000 licenced players. If you tell me that I’ve contributed somehow to the increase in licences in Spain, that’s a source of pride, but I try not to let that go to my head. Hopefully they keep going up”.
The condition of the course
“Yesterday I played nine holes and the course is perfect. If it carries on as it is, this weekend we’ll have hard, fast greens, and that separates those who are playing well from those who aren’t, making it a better tournament and producing a fairer winner. I love the design and I love coming back to Spain to play on designs that are 50 or 60 years old. This course is difficult to play, even with the trees that have been lost. It’s a test that I enjoy”.
RAFA CABRERA: “I’m much better prepared than last year”
The Ryder Cup, this season’s goal
“It’s one of the biggest goals of the year. It will be difficult because they’ve changed the qualification criteria, only six now qualify”.
Improvements in his game and results
“I’ve made some changes to my swing and I feel like I’m hitting the ball better. I’m starting to see the results. I’ve had two years struggling where the results haven’t been good, but every new day I feel more solid”.
Defending the title
“Defending a title on a course where I’ve already won is special and I love that. With my family and friends, and the fans that always support me so much, it will be a great week. Last year I was a bit lost and I couldn’t find the right positions. I don’t know how I found the magic to win. But this year I am much better prepared than last”.
Two tough years
“I’ve had a hard time, but you have to put things in perspective. I’m healthy, I have a family… But I’ve felt great frustration after many hours of work without results. You have to enjoy the process and try to get back to being the best player possible”.
Club de Campo Villa de Madrid
“I love Club de Campo. It doesn’t favour any specific type of player. It’s always an advantage to be a big hitter like Jon, but on this course that advantage is less notable. It’s very varied and balanced, there are no easy moments and no extremely difficult moments. You have to have every part of your game working”.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD. “We’re going to have fun”
“This is my first time in Madrid. I’ve couldn’t wait to play here, in a tournament that will include such great players. We’re going to have fun. Spanish players, in general, are very good, what else am I going to say standing here next to Jon and Rafa?! I’ve played with many Spaniards since my amateur days and they are great players and great people”.
SPORT AND SUSTAINABILITY HAND IN HAND
The Madrid City Council opened the doors to its magnificent headquarters for the official presentation of the tournament, providing a spectacular backdrop for a competition that will put the Spanish capital back in the spotlight of European and world golf.
The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, said that he is a fan of the sport: “For Madrid, holding this Open de España is an opportunity from many different points of view. I’m grateful for the trust placed in the course, which I hope will be maintained for many years, as well as the presence of ACCIONA, which provides significant added value, taking into account that sustainability is currently a hot topic. Also, it is a great chance to demonstrate that Madrid is a city with quality of life, not to mention that the Club de Campo is a great showcase for tourism, thanks to the best views of a city you can find anywhere in the world, with a special mention to those from the 1st and 14th tees”.
For his part, Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the Real Federación Española de Golf, spoke of the importance, besides its sporting impact, of holding the Open de España in order to raise awareness of the fact that “golf is a sustainable sport, which does much good in that regard. Such as, for example, the Centro Nacional de Golf, which used to be landfill and now is a space that’s generated a significant natural habitat for native flora and fauna. Not to mention the initiatives related to the installation of solar panels, watering focused areas of play, artificial grass on driving ranges. The alliance with ACCIONA is therefore indispensable, because of their reputation in our country and overseas”.
Keith Pelly, CEO of the DP World Tour, reminded those present that “Spain is a very important destination for us because of the constant support we have received, to the point that it has been an essential part of our professional tour for many years, both in terms of the institutional support and the players, who have always played an important role in the development of golf. Thanks to everyone, we are still growing. The magic of our sport, its health benefits, as proven by leading scientific studies, are now much better understood”.
The idea of growing the Acciona Open de España as a tournament came up when the CEO of Madrid Trophy Promotion and of the tournament, Gerard Tsobanian, took the mic. “We want to grow a little more every year to make it one of the best. We’re very grateful for the commitment of the City Council, ACCIONA, the RFEG, the club and of course the players. Between us all, we’ve managed to get increasing recognition for the Open de España and that means increasingly better golfers are coming. We have the experience with the tennis, therefore we know we’re on the right path”.
Finally, Joaquín Mollinedo, General Director of Institutional Relationships, Communication and Brand at ACCIONA, shone a light on the work that has been carried out on sustainability for many years: “We would like to contribute to making the Open de España a world leader through a set of very demanding measures, which we are proposing in terms of mobility, the generation of clean energy, the use of water, materials used. In terms of emissions, our goal is not only to reduce them, but for us to be positive for the environment thanks to a set of specific initiatives. In this sense we are grateful for the involvement of the players, for whom we are repeating our “ACCIONA under par” prize, to compensate for the emissions generated by the winner”.
