Schwartzel defends Spanish Open title
IN: News | European PGA | Open de Espana (2008) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 29 Apr 2008
The European Tour has returned to Continental Europe for this week’s Open de Espana in Seville in Spain.
The Real Club de Golf de Sevilla is playing host to this event for the first time although the course is no stranger to the European Tour having played host to the European Tour’s Open de Sevilla in 2004 and the World Cup of Golf in the same year. Measuring 7140 yards, the course was co-designed by the Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal and was opened in 1992.
The defending champion is the South African Charl Schwartzel, who won this event at the Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid last season. Schwartzel is in fine form this season having finished inside the top ten in five of his last six starts in some far reaching regions of the world and deserves to be considered one of the favourites again.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is back on home soil after missing the cut in Shanghai last week but a better guide on his current form might well be his brilliant final round and finish at the Masters. He was one of only two players to break 70 on the final day and finished 8th which, given the company, was very impressive.
Robert-Jan Derksen finished 4th here in 2004 and is coming off a very impressive runner up finish behind Darren Clarke last week in Shanghai. Derksen has made the cut in each of his last 17 starts but it was his superb week in China that gives the impression he could well follow up this week on a golf course where he has good memories.
Darren Clarke’s follow up to his first victory in more than two years and his first in Europe for five years will be watched with interest.
The Australasians have only limited representation but Matthew Millar, Gareth Paddison, Scott Barr, Terry Pilkadaris, Peter Fowler and Steve Alker will provide some interest to those in this part of the world.
