By Matt Smith
Dubai-based Spaniard Adri Arnaus is over in his home country at the moment to take in the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Team Series — Sotogrande event.
The ground-breaking $1 million team and individual competition is being held at La Reserva Club in Cadiz this week and Arnaus is already impressed with the set-up and format.
The DP World Tour star and 2018 Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final winner played in a charity match to raise funds for the Seve Ballesteros Foundation on Wednesday alongside fellow Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, renowned chef Dani Garcia and Carmen Ballesteros, daughter of the legendary golfer Seve.
“I have to say it’s pretty impressive,” Arnaus said. “Every player I talk to, they are thrilled to be part of this event because there are very good fields and also the organisation is second to none. I think they feel special when they come around. Also playing courses like this is a very good treat for them. I think they are doing a great job and I’m happy for the ladies’ tour and I’m sure it’s going to be a growing relationship.”
Arnaus, who achieved his breakthrough DP World win earlier this year at the Catalunya Championship, was inspired as a youngster by Spanish stars such as Seve Ballesteros.
Role models such as Ciganda and Azahara Muñoz have done a similar job for aspiring female golfers in the country. Arnaus believes that the future is bright in terms of more Spanish girls emerging on the world stage in years to come.
He added: “I am quite familiar with the way of raising female golf in Spain. It’s fantastic. They’ve always done a good job starting from Carlota, Azahara — all these big names that we’ve been able to have. And I’m sure there’s going to be many more. Maybe some amateurs right now that I know and a few others that are already about to make their click — so, for sure, there’s good names coming through.”
The Aramco Team Series tournaments are famed for their unique format, in which three LET professionals play in teams with one amateur player, with the teams competing over 36 holes — the Thursday and Friday of the tournament -— with $500,000 prize-money being split between the lowest scoring fourballs.
Saturday’s final day of play will see the lowest scoring 60 players and ties from the opening two days return to the course to battle it out for a share of another $500,000, this time in individual earnings.
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