(Girona, Spain – 1 April 2022) – Six-time DP World Tour winner Pablo Larrazábal will be joined by fellow Spaniards Adrián Otaegui, Nacho Elvira, Jorge Campillo and Álvaro Quirós at the Catalunya Championship, set to take place at PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness from April 28 to May 1, 2022.
Ahead of the DP World Tour event with a $2 million prize fund up for grabs, current no.8 (DPWTR) Pablo Larrazábal said: “I’m very happy to return to PGA Catalunya. It is undoubtedly home to one of the best courses in Spain and deserves to host another important Tour event.
“The Stadium Course is one I like a lot. I was very young when I played the Spanish Opens of 2009 and 2014 there. I have a different mentality now, and believe, this time, I can do very well; and I’m sure, with home support, we will have a great week.”
Adrian Otaegui, currently 33rd on the DP World Tour rankings, has fond memories of PGA Catalunya: “The first memory I have of the Stadium Course is when I was 10 years old. I played nine holes when it was still quite new. Then I won the European Tour Qualifying School there in 2015, where I played very well all week. It was one of those ‘milestone’ moment that leaves a mark on you.
He added: “For me, without a doubt, PGA Catalunya’s Stadium Course is one of the top 5 in Spain. It’s a layout that is always in very good condition and where you have to play well. It has holes that you can take advantage of and score birdies, and others that are challenging. I love it and think it’s a course that should feature on the Tour roster every year.”
Fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira returns to Girona with great expectations: “I have played both the 2014 Open de España and a Qualifying School Final Stage at PGA Catalunya, and they were completely different experiences; the Open was played in very tough conditions but the course was spectacular. If PGA Catalunya’s Stadium Course has hard greens and a bit of rough, it is an impressive test that I’m looking forward to playing.”
While Jorge Campillo, winner of the Hassan II Trophy in 2019 and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters last year, is looking forward to return for a different reason: “I have only played the Qualifying School Final Stage once in my life – and it was at PGA Catalunya in 2010. I was 4th or 5th after 5 very hard days of tournament, with 78 strokes I got my Tour card with 81. In the 2014 Open de España, which Jiménez won, I just missed the cut. That said, it’s a course I like, and I hope I will have a better finish this time.”
Cádiz-born Álvaro Quirós returns ready to regain the consistency that led him to win seven tournaments, the last of which was in Sicily in 2017: “It’s always very nice to play in your own country and, in this case, when we are short of tournaments at this time of the year, it’s even nicer, especially with two consecutive events. PGA Catalunya’s Stadium Course is a great layout that we’ve played before and it’s always been a great test.”
These big-name Spanish winners of DP World Tour tournaments have a combined 19 titles and will be looking to add to their winning record at the Catalunya Championship with the excitement of returning to a course they have great memories of.
The Catalunya Championship, a DP World Tour tournament that counts towards the world ranking, will be played on the Stadium Course of PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness from 28th April to 1st May, 2022.
For information about PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness, visit www.pgacatalunya.com
