Eloy Barranco Cruz from Jaén will be one of the three scholarship recipients representing The R&A program of St. Andrews (Scotland) to participate and be part of the maintenance team at the Olympic Golf Course, located in the Marapendi reserve of Rio de Janeiro, the venue for golf at the upcoming Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.

Following a final selection by The R&A scholarship program, the three scholarship recipients, from England, Ireland and Spain, were proposed to apply for the Olympic Games. PGA Tour.

Finally, after passing the requirements demanded by the PGA and a personal interview conducted by the Rio Olympic Committee itself, the three greenkeepers received the great news of being part of the Olympic greenkeepers team during the two weeks of competition, from August 8 to 21.

The Olympic Golf Course is the world's first Olympic golf course, covering 970,000 square meters. It is a par 71 course, measuring 7,350 yards. Built by the American firm Hanse Golf Course Design, considered the world's leading designer of golf courses, it is located on a large plot of land in the exclusive Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, which includes part of the Marapendi Lagoon, whose mangroves are part of the reserve.

The course features SeaDwarf Paspalum greens, while the tees and fairways are planted with Zeon Zoysia. Both are warm-season grasses, and along with Bermudagrass varieties, they form part of this extensive selection of turfgrasses that represent the future of sustainable golf course maintenance in areas with high temperatures, frequent droughts, and extreme heat for most of the year.

Spaniard Eloy Barranco Cruz believes that being part of the team in charge of maintaining the Olympic field in perfect condition for the event will be a great opportunity for his development, both personally and professionally.