The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, held from May 7-10 at the Real Club de Golf El Prat, marks the return to the DP World Tour of one of the circuit's most storied regions. Since its official inception in 1972, Catalonia has hosted a total of 28 tournaments, half of them in Barcelona. 

 With the 2031 Ryder Cup in Camiral on the horizon, Catalonia is regaining prominence in the DP World Tour calendar and continuing a tradition that dates back to the 1970s. The first season of the then-called European Tour, in 1972, already included a tournament at Golf de Pals (Girona) where the Spanish Open was held, although El Prat had previously hosted four editions since 1956. 

 The aforementioned Spanish Open has been held in Catalonia 15 times, ten of them at the Real Club de Golf El Prat. The remaining editions were held at Pals (1972), Club de Golf Vallromanes (1985), and PGA Catalunya —currently Camiral— in 2000, 2009, and 2014.

 During the 1980s and 1990s, Catalonia's presence on the circuit was constant. The calendar included events such as the Sanyo Open at the Sant Cugat Golf Club (1982) and the Real Club de Golf El Prat (1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986); as well as the Catalonia Open or Catalan Open played at Golf de Pals (1989, 1994), Bonmont Golf Club (1991 and 1996), Club Golf d'Aro Mas Nou (1992), and Peralada Golf Club (1995).

 By province, Barcelona has been the hub of Catalonia's relationship with professional golf. The 2026 Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship will be its fifteenth tournament on the DP World Tour. Girona has hosted twelve events and Tarragona, three.

 Catalonia has also been a recurring scene of Spanish triumphs with ten victories signed by Antonio Garrido (Spanish Open 1972, Pals); Severiano Ballesteros (Spanish Open 1981, Sanyo Open 1985 in El Prat and Spanish Open 1985 in Vallromanes); José María Olazábal (Sanyo Open 1986 in El Prat and Catalonia Open 1991 in Bonmont); José Rivero (Catalan Open 1992 in Mas Nou); Miguel Ángel Jiménez (Spanish Open 2014 at the PGA Catalunya); Pablo Larrazábal (ISPS Handa Championship in Spain 2022 at Infinitum) and Adri Arnaus (Catalunya Championship 2022 at the PGA Catalunya).

 Hosting the 2031 Ryder Cup and the annual preliminary tournaments starting with the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship 2026 represents a strategic commitment to positioning Catalonia as one of the great international golf destinations.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship (with a 25% discount for federation members, a 50% discount for young people between 13 and 17 years old, and free access for children under 13) can be purchased here.

 The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, a DP World Tour tournament valid for the Race to Dubai and the first event of the European Swing, is held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club de Golf El Prat, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and will kick off the Road to 2031 Ryder Cup, a journey that will end in the 2031 Ryder Cup to be held in Camiral.

SOURCE: Tournament Organization