In this series, we've unearthed images from the RFEG's photographic archive, each one telling a beautiful golf story. The story of our golf. They are OUR CHAMPIONS.

📆 December 13, 2009.

⛳ Leopard Creek (South Africa).

▶ Pablo Martín is and will be a legend of Spanish golf. For many reasons: for his contribution to the National Teams during his amateur career, for his career in the United States - where he won the Jack Nicklaus Award - and for his victories on the European Tour (three).

▶ The first of these, a well-known one, occurred at the 2007 Portuguese Open, when the Andalusian was still playing for Oklahoma State University. He was the first amateur to win a Tour event! The next two, already as a professional, took place at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2010 and 2011.

▶ At Leopard Creek, where Álvaro Quirós had won three years earlier, the man from Málaga put on two displays of talent and flair. In his first victory in South Africa, at just 23 years old, he edged out Charl Schwartzel, a future Masters champion, by one stroke. His 63 on the second day proved decisive.

▶ A year later, Pablo Martín once again dashed Charl Schwartzel's hopes, leaving him tied for second with his compatriot Anthony Michael and the Dane Thorbjorn Olesen. Once again, the young talent from Guadalhorce finished under par in all four rounds.

▶ These successes helped to exalt the figure of Pablo Martín, who is part of a magnificent team that achieved victory for Spain in the 2003 European Team Championships. There were Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Álvaro Quirós, Alejandro Cañizares, Alfredo García-Heredia, Sebastián García-Grout and Pablo Martín, who is and will always be one of our champions.