Fernández-Castaño, elite spectator in the European Mid Amateur Championship

The great Spanish player, currently taking a break from the European Circuit, attended the tournament at Rio Real Golf with his wife

Marbella, June 4rd, 2009

Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, currently one of the best Spanish professionals, was one of the elite spectators in the European Mid Amateur Championship, which began today in the Rio Real Golf Club in Marbella. This player from Madrid spent the day at the Marbella club accompanied by his wife, Alicia, currently six months pregnant. Both followed during various holes, their friend Borja Queipo de Llano, one of the Spanish representatives in the competition.

Fernández Castaño, who’s had four victories on the Tour (the first in the Holland Open in 2005) and who’s come in second three times this season, said he’s currently in the costa del sol town “because, whenever I have the opportunity I like to escape to Marbella, seeing as there’s no better place in the world to relax, and moreover to train and play golf, my specialty”.

Regarding the setting for the tournament, he assured us that “it’s a course I love, I know it very well, I’ve been playing here practically since I was born, and the fact that the European Mid Amateur Championship is being played here is a great occasion for Marbella and especially for Rio Real.

“and what better opportunity” he added “to come and see all my friends from the Spanish Federation as well as the European Federation, and above all my friends who are playing. It’s always fun to watch golf from the other side of the ropes, not always from the inside when you are playing”.

The mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz also attended the tournament, taking a ride in buggy through the course accompanied by the president of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Gonzaga Escauriaza, the president of the Rio Real Golf Club, Luis Figueroa, Count of Quintanilla, and the Director of the Marbella resort, Antonio Ortiz.

The competition itself took place on splendid sunny day with temperatures of about 26 degrees. The lead position, at the end of the day, was held by the French player Francois Illouz, who has a brilliant track record and is considered one of the favourites to triumph. This player, having already participated in the morning games, and even after registering periods of strong winds, he achieved a magnificent result of 68 strokes, 4 below par. Classified in second position, with two strokes more, was the Swiss Ulf Blixberg. The best Spanish in this first day was Gonzalo Paradinas, with 71 strokes.

The competition will begin again tomorrow, Friday, with the same number of players, 144, establishing at the end of the day a cut, from which will be taken, Saturday the 6th after disputing the final round, the winner of this nineteenth edition of the European Mid Amateur Championship.

The first edition of this competition that unites the best European amateurs over 35, took place in Switzerland in 1991. This celebration of the Championship in Rio Real is the second time it’s been played in Spain, after having passed through El Saler in 1994. Three Spanish players have added their names to this championship’s winner’s list: Luis Gabarda, in 1992, when it was played in Venice; Victor Fernandez Grande, in 1998 in Rome; and from Malaga Jose Maria Zamora, in 2005 in Slovenia.

This year at Rio Real the English players are dominant, with a total of 30, followed second by the Spanish and German players, as well as a high number of competitors from the Nordic countries. In addition to the Europeans, there are three North American golfers.

The setting for the championship is one of the most prestigious courses in Spain. The course, designed by Javier Arana, who is considered among the greatest Spanish golf designers, is 18 holes and par 72, and was inaugurated in 1965. Its broad sports history includes hosting the Spanish Professional Championship and a number of international amateur tournaments.

The beauty of the course, winding through elegant majestic trees, travelling down a gentle slope towards the ocean, has given cause for Rio Real Golf Club to be used in many different publicity campaigns to promote golf in Andalusia, in particular images of Hole 4.

The course, which is hardly five minutes in car from the center of Marbella (about 4 kilometers), forms part of a complex that includes an elegant boutique hotel, a beauty and wellness center, a golf academy with the most modern technologies and tennis and paddle courts.

Marbella, 4th of June, 2009

European Mid Amateur Championship Press Department
Contact: Eduardo Garcia Palacios
Tel: 952 82 89 76 Mobile: 649090666
E-mail: editorial@andaluciagolf.com