{"id":34995,"date":"2026-01-27T12:21:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golfcircus.com\/?p=34995"},"modified":"2026-01-27T12:21:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:21:45","slug":"estrella-damm-catalunya-championship-the-new-dp-world-tour-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golfcircus.com\/en\/estrella-damm-catalunya-championship-the-new-dp-world-tour-tournament\/","title":{"rendered":"Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, the new DP World Tour tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spanish trio Pablo Larraz\u00e1bal, Nacho Elvira and Angel Ayora will return to their home country for the inaugural edition of the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona from May 7-10.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship will be the first tournament on the European Swing and\u00a0Real Club de Golf El Prat<\/a> will host a DP World Tour event for the first time since the 2015 Open de Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

The tournament is new to the 2026 Race to Dubai as part of the Road to 2031 Ryder Cup, following the agreement announced earlier this summer that the 2031 Ryder Cup will be played at Camiral in Catalunya, with Spain becoming the first continental European country to host the biennial contest twice.<\/p>\n

Nine-time DP World Tour winner Larraz\u00e1bal was born in Barcelona and he is excited to return to his home course, Real Club de Golf El Prat, which he grew up playing on.<\/p>\n

The 2008 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year winner is looking to use home comforts to his advantage in Catalunya and win in Spain for the second time in his career having triumphed at the ISPS Handa Championship in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal Club de Golf El Prat is a special golf course, and it is a terrific venue for the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship. It\u2019s one of those golf courses where there\u2019s no such thing as a bad hole. You have 18 great holes,\u201d said Larraz\u00e1bal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fortunate enough to have won on home soil in the past, but to win in my hometown in front of my friends and family would be very special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elvira has enjoyed a terrific start to the campaign, securing his third DP World Tour title at the 2026 Dubai Invitational, and the 38-year-old is hoping to add to his trophy cabinet in Catalunya.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very excited to play in the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s always special to play in Spain and I\u2019m really looking forward to it. I have never won on home soil and that has always been a goal of mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis event gives us the opportunity to play on one of the best courses in the country and it is going to be a great week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ayora earned his DP World Tour playing privileges after finishing fourth on the HotelPlanner Tour\u2019s Road to Mallorca Rankings in 2024, and he has not looked back since.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old went on to finish in 20th position on the 2025 Race to Dubai Rankings, which included a top ten finish at the Open de Espa\u00f1a presented by Madrid, and he is relishing the prospect of playing in front of home crowds again in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to have the chance to play at home in front of some big crowds. I had a great experience in Madrid last year and I finished in the top ten,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal Club de Golf El Prat is a fantastic golf course, and it is going to be another memorable week. I\u2019m very excited to get to Barcelona in May.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jorge Villavecchia, CEO of Damm, said:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe are proud to be the title sponsor of the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship for the next five years and we are looking forward to delivering a world-class sporting event at the wonderful Real Club de Golf El Prat, showcasing the region of Catalunya to a global audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also fantastic to see players such as Pablo, Nacho and \u00c1ngel competing in the event, underlining the strength of Spanish golf and adding to what promises to be a very special week. We have enjoyed a successful and fruitful partnership with the European Tour Group for many years, and we are delighted to continue with this new event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pancho Schr\u00f6der, President of Real Club de Golf El Prat, added:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe are extremely proud to be hosting the DP World Tour\u2019s Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, and it is a true recognition of the prestige of Real Club de Golf El Prat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tournament will once again place Real Club de Golf El Prat on the international map of professional golf, and it reaffirms our reputation as one of Europe\u2019s leading golf clubs. It will also provide us with a unique opportunity to further enhance our facilities while strengthening the legacy of our members at the very heart of the club.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spanish trio Pablo Larraz\u00e1bal, Nacho Elvira and Angel Ayora will return to their home country for the inaugural edition of the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona from May 7-10. The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship will be the first tournament on the European Swing and\u00a0Real Club de Golf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":34991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,576,53],"tags":[5822,4686,5825,5823,1381,5824],"class_list":["post-34995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-noticias-en","category-showcase","tag-angel-ayora-en","tag-dp-world-tour-2","tag-estrella-damm-catalunya-championship-en","tag-nacho-elvira-en","tag-pablo-larrazabal-en","tag-rcg-el-prat-en"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t