The Bizkaia PGAe Open golf tournament, whose third edition will be held from June 21 to 23 at Meaztegi Golf, continues to accumulate records and increase its legend, in pursuit of achieving its dream of hosting a future Ryder Cup.
Established as a leading figure on the TUMI Spain Golf Tour, two-time Masters winner José María Olazábal (1994 and 1999) will once again be playing at the Meaztegi Golf public course: an impressive design by his great friend, Seve Ballesteros, who sadly passed away 13 years ago. The Basque maestro boasts 19 European Tour victories, 5 PGA Tour wins (including his two majors), and 4 international titles.
He leads a legion of tournament winners around the world who collectively boast another 35 titles: Álvaro Quirós (8 DPWT); Senior Tour winners such as José Manuel Carriles (1 Senior and 2 Challenge Tour) or Luis Claverie and Rafa Benítez (European Senior Golf Tour); Challenge Tour winners such as Carlos Suneson (6), Álvaro Velasco (3), Jesús María Arruti (2), Emilio Cuartero (1), Toño Hortal (1), Pedro Oriol (1), Pep Anglés (1), and Borja Virto (1). We also have winners on the Alps Tour such as José Manuel Pardo (1) and Manuel Morugán (1). And other winners around the world include José Luis Adarraga on the French Tour; Carlos Pigem on the Asian Tour; Samu del Val on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica; and Mario Galiano with a victory on the Gecko Tour in addition to an Individual Gold Medal at the 2018 Mediterranean Games.
Also present will be the two most recent tournament winners, Asier Aguirre and Borja Martín, Olazábal's star pupil, who shares the field with his nephew, Joseba Torres. Jon Rahm's brother, Eriz, is a regular at Meaztegi. Borja Virto and David Borda, who were crowned champions at this year's 20th Izki Doubles Tournament, and Alfonso Buendía, winner of the emotional Ciudad Real tournament, will also be competing. The two most recent Order of Merit winners are Jacobo Pastor (2023) and Alex Esmatges (2022 and 2021). José Manuel Pardo and Jorge García de la Osada are the two winners of the Under-25 Award that the San Pablo Group bestows upon promising young players.
Of particular note is the presence of Colombians Iván Ramírez and Felipe Álvarez, and Portuguese players Alexandre Abreu and Pedro Almeida.
Support for the DalecandELA Foundation.
Once again, the Bizkaia PGAe Open is collaborating with the DalecandELA Foundation with a charity Pro-Am on June 20th to raise funds for the association. José María Olazabal will donate a personalized set of clubs, which will be auctioned off to benefit the foundation. Given last year's success, a children's Pro-Am will be held again, where boys and girls will share the course with professional golfers, in collaboration with "Jon Rahm Golf 4 Kids," a golf and values project promoted by Jon Rahm and his family.
Another initiative promoted by the organization that is becoming established is the hosting of golfers participating in the tournament in the homes of families who live nearby through the program "Host a pro in your home".
About Meaztegi Golf
Meaztegi Golf Club is located in La Arboleda and is a public golf course owned by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. Opened in 2005 and designed by Severiano Ballesteros, Meaztegi Golf occupies 88 hectares of the former Triano mining area and features an 18-hole golf course with a length of 6,154 meters (par 72), containing a total of 52 bunkers, and a 9-hole par 3 course with 10 bunkers.
The golf facilities are complemented by a large driving range (with a double-height tee and the possibility of practicing from both ends), two putting greens and a chipping area, all in the vicinity of the Clubhouse.
SOURCE: PGA of Spain.
