Dubai-based Spanish golf star Adri Arnaus gave his support to the Aramco Team Series during a visit to its latest tournament, which is being staged at La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, August 18-20.
On Wednesday, the DP World Tour star played in a charity match to raise funds for the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. He teed it up alongside fellow Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, renowned chef Dani Garcia and Carmen Ballesteros, daughter of the legendary golfer Seve Ballesteros.
Immaculate fairways
After showcasing his skills on the immaculate fairways and greens La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Arnaus gave his thumbs-up to the Aramco Team Series’ commitment to the Ladies European Tour. This week’s Sotogrande leg is the third of five $1 million Aramco Team Series tournaments on the Ladies European Tour calendar for 2022.
Arnaus, 27, said, “I have to say it’s pretty impressive. Every player I talk to, they are thrilled to be part of this event because there are very good fields and also the organisation is second to none. I think they feel special when they come around. Also playing courses like this is a very good treat for them. I think they are doing a great job and I’m happy for the Ladies’ Tour and I’m sure it’s going to be a growing relationship.”
Arnaus, who achieved his breakthrough DP World win earlier this year at the Catalunya Championship, was inspired as a youngster by Spanish stars such as Seve Ballesteros.
It's fantastic
Role models such as Ciganda and Azahara Munoz have done a similar job for aspiring female golfers in the country. Arnaus believes that the future is bright in terms of more Spanish girls emerging on the world stage in years to come.
He added, “I am quite familiar with the way of raising female golf in Spain. It’s fantastic. They’ve always done a good job starting from Carlota, Azahara — all these big names that we’ve been able to have. And I’m sure there’s going to be many more. Maybe some amateurs right now that I know and a few others that are already about to make their click — so, for sure, there’s good names coming through.”
The Aramco Team Series tournaments are famed for their unique format, in which three LET professionals play in teams with one amateur player.
It returns to La Reserva Club de Sotogrande with a new format from last year’s inaugural Aramco Team Series Series. For this season, the teams will compete over only 36 holes — the Thursday and Friday of the tournament — with $500,000 prize-money being split between the lowest scoring fourballs.
Saturday’s final day of play will see only the lowest scoring 60 players and ties from the opening two days return to the course to battle it out for a share of another $500,000, this time in individual earnings.
