. Manuel Piñero was a pioneer of physical preparation in Spanish professional golf, and it is curious that what was shocking then is now considered fundamental in all sports, including golf. 

The history of Spanish golf is replete with stories, fascinating tales that allow us to understand the past in order to better comprehend the present, to know where we come from, and to better shape the future. Through these pages, a number of golfers will be highlighted—and rightly so—who, based on their sporting merits, have earned the status of icons of Spanish golf, authentic figures who have written their own story and the history of Spanish golf. There is no chronological order, but rather a desire to show current generations how, there and here, back then and in that even more distant period of time, golf has always had reasons to be proud.

Manuel Piñero, an example of willpower

When Manuel Piñero first came to golf, there were barely 3,000 players and three dozen courses in Spain. Since then, the sport's growth in the country has been undeniable, and Piñero, now based in Marbella after a stint in Madrid, is a unique observer of this transformation, of which he has been a key figure. 

His international triumphs, his collaborations in the media, his partial dedication to the European Senior Tour (now Legends Tour) since the end of 2002 and his work as a golf course designer with the company Target Ingenieros make for a magnificent calling card. 

But what distinguishes Piñero above all else has been his tremendous will to achieve something few believed he could. Small in stature, with a fragile appearance, he dedicated countless hours to the gym and specific training to try and develop the strength necessary to compete. Then, he forged the champion…

He recalls his beginnings with nostalgia, “but I’m satisfied that that atmosphere has been overcome in Spanish golf. When I arrived at the Club de Campo (Madrid), at the age of 10, I was forced by the need to help out at home with some income. I started as a caddie, and some bags were bigger than me, but I was eager to learn, and my passion for golf quickly took hold.”. 

I started training all the time to become a professional, and at 16 I achieved it, beginning to play on the Northern tour with 23,000 pesetas that my parents had saved and which they made available to me. Then Patrick Edel helped me for several years, until I won my first Madrid Open in 1974, when I decided to continue on my own.”.

Golf in Spain is unstoppable, and the number of players has increased significantly. “This phenomenon has been made possible, first and foremost, by the many exceptional players our country has produced, despite not having a long-standing golf tradition. Although there were great golfers in the 1950s, Severiano Ballesteros's sensational victories brought Spanish golf to international media attention like no other Spanish athlete had ever achieved before, and this helped to ignite a passion for the sport among Spaniards. Tourism has also contributed, encouraging the development of new courses.”.

Manuel Piñero tries to find a connection between the Hispanic way of life and the successes achieved by our representatives because “the truth is that it is an incredibly creative sport, because you have to invent and demonstrate your personal skills, and the mental aspect counts for a great deal. Golf is also fundamental for staying in good shape after a certain age, for personal relationships, and, of course, for the country's economy through tourism.”. 

You can play at any age and, best of all, you can play with family, with friends, and always in close contact with nature, something we've lost quite a bit in Spain as cities have grown. Furthermore, public perception has changed, and you're no longer an oddball if you play golf, as was the case before.”.

A brilliant sporting career

Manuel Piñero retired from competition at a relatively young age, “perhaps because I started competing very young. I ended up retiring relatively early, but I was on the front lines for almost twenty years, which is a long time. When Laura, our first daughter, was born, it coincided with a time when I had achieved all my sporting goals; I had even played in and won the Ryder Cup in the European reconquest (1985) after 13 editions without winning it.”. 

From that moment on, I noticed that it became increasingly difficult for me to be away from home for several weeks at a time, and I began to question whether it was worth continuing. After Natalia was born in 1988, my dedication to competition decreased. Then, I also began to get involved in course design, and my values changed.

One thing that no one can take away from him is having been a pioneer of physical education in Spanish professional golf, and it is curious that what was shocking then is now considered fundamental in all sports, including golf. 

“Given my physical build, it was essential for me to undergo specific training for high-level competitive golf. And it's clear that the work I did with my physical trainer, José Luis Izquierdo, who also worked with injured Real Madrid players, was a success. Thanks to that, I was able to build the stamina to withstand the demands of competition and win my first Spanish Championship at the age of 20—my best sporting memory.”. 

The satisfaction I felt when I called my parents to tell them I was the Spanish champion is something I've never felt again. Later, I achieved victories that were certainly more valued by the public, like the British PGA Championship, which featured the best players in the world at that time (Player, Watson, Seve, etc.), but I'll always cherish that first win. 

We are talking about 1973, three years before winning the World Cup together with Severiano Ballesteros, a victory that he would repeat in 1982, this time with José María Cañizares, adding the individual triumph to his record.

By Jesús Ruiz