Sergio Garcia’s home course of Club de Campo del Mediterráneo on Spain’s east coast will host The European Tour for the first time when the Comunitat Valenciana Masters Castellón Costa Azahar unfolds from October 23-26.
The Comunitat Valenciana Masters Castellón Costa Azahar will be promoted by MatchGolf and replaces the Mallorca Classic on The 2008 European Tour International Schedule. This new tournament will be the third of four European Tour events to be held in Spain during the 2008 season.
Set in the hills overlooking Castellón, the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo course weaves its way through olive and carob trees. Designed by Ramón Espinosa, the course opened in 1978. Sergio García is the club’s touring professional while his father, Víctor, who plays on the European Seniors Tour, is the club’s head professional.
José María Olazábal holds the course record with an eleven under par 61, from December 2005.
The European Tour has visited the Valencia region of Spain on eleven previous occasions (fourteen including the Senior Tour events), most recently for the 2001 Open de España, won by Swede Robert Karlsson, and the 2003 Seve Trophy when Great Britain and Ireland triumphed over Continental Europe. Both events were played at El Saler.
Club de Campo del Mediterráneo has hosted the OKI Open de España Senior on the European Seniors Tour for the last three years. American Bob Boyd won the inaugural event in 2005, Ryder Cup player Gordon J Brand of England triumphed in 2006 while last year another Englishman, Carl Mason, captured the title, breaking his own record of prize money won during a season in the process. It was one of five titles Mason won during the season on his way to winning the John Jacobs Trophy as the leading money winner for the third time.
Carlos Fabra, President of Club de Campo de Mediterráneo expressed his satisfaction: “To host a European Tour event is the best reward we could have received. Since the foundation of our club, we have believed in high quality golf and we are very proud to have opened our doors to organise top events at junior level, National level, ladies, Challenge tour, Senior Tour and international amateur events. The circle will close when we host in October the best professionals in the world, lead by our beloved Sergio García, whom we have had the honour to see him born and grow as a person and as a great sportsman”.
Javier Gervás, General Manager of MatchGolf said: “We need to thank the Government of Valencia and Castellón for believing in golf as a sport to join the Formula 1, Motor racing and the Volvo Ocean Race in their economic and tourism strategy to promote the region. We also need to remark and thank the enthusiasm and effort that both Sergio and his father Víctor have put in the past few months in preparing the course and on the event in general. The Club, the sponsors, the Tour and ourselves have teamed up once again and we are confident that we will present a very competitive end of season tournament but also very family orientated for the players”.
Keith Waters, Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: “We congratulate Javier Gervás and MatchGolf, the Members and Officials of Club de Campo del Mediterráneo and the region of Valencia for bringing this tournament to fruition. To be able to do so highlights a tremendous level of support from tournament sponsors and partners and we are sure that everyone involved in the event will enjoy the stunning golf course and facilities at the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, which was a hugely popular venue on the European Seniors Tour for three seasons and will continue to be on The European Tour.”
First published by europeantour.com
