Pleasure is beginning to develop at INFINITUM as the ultimate plans are put in place on the gorgeous Catalonia resort forward of the return of the DP World Tour’s Qualifying College Closing Stage subsequent week following a three-year absence.
The finale of the three-stage competitors will happen on the acclaimed Spanish venue from November 11-16, when 156 gamers will compete over six rounds in a bid to fulfil their DP World Tour goals.
Closing Stage qualifying is the final alternative for hopefuls to win their DP World Tour enjoying rights for the 2023 season, and this 12 months’s occasion might be performed over the 2 18-hole championship programs at INFINITUM, the Hills and Lakes, the latter of which hosted the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain earlier this season.
The 90-hole qualifying marathon, which affords the highest 25 gamers a spot on Europe’s high tier the next season, has offered the platform for a few of golf’s most well-known names to go on to worldwide success, with Main champions José María Olazábal, Retief Goosen and Sandy Lyle among the many listing of earlier winners because it was first held in 1976.
Closing Stage qualifying was first performed at INFINITUM in 2017, with England’s Sam Horsfield claiming victory to regain his Tour card together with 32 different gamers.
A 12 months later, Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares and Zander Lombard, from South Africa, headed an inventory of 27 gamers who gained their enjoying rights. Denmark’s Benjamin Poke topped the leaderboard in 2019 – with one other 27 becoming a member of him in qualification – earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic pressured the postponement of the occasion.
Set to the west of the gorgeous metropolis of Tarragona on the Costa Dorada, INFINITUM is considered one in every of Europe’s hottest golf and life-style amenities in an space of pure magnificence, and the 156-strong line-up will face two very totally different {golfing} assessments subsequent month.
The venue’s Lakes course was designed by Greg Norman and runs across the wetlands of the Sequia Main. As its title would counsel, water is the structure’s chief defence, testing gamers and their positional play on no fewer than 14 holes, whereas gamers will discover the course in excellent situation following in depth upkeep work this summer time to improve the fairways from Rye grass to the extra sustainable Bermuda Tifway grass.
The neighbouring Hills course poses an altogether totally different check; a number of elevated tees and tight touchdown areas are surrounded by mature, pure pine timber with greens enveloped by towering cliffs. Panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea add to the course’s charms – and it has shortly constructed a fame for being one in every of Spain’s most interesting layouts.
Agustin Garcia Pascual, chief enterprise officer at INFINITUM, mentioned: “The Qualifying College Closing Stage is among the greatest tournaments of the 12 months and the eyes of {the golfing} world might be on us subsequent week.
“It’s an amazing honour to host such an necessary occasion once more, which indicators the beginning of a brand new three-year partnership for INFINITUM with the DP World Tour. With the work that has been carried out over the summer time, I’m assured that the gamers will discover the programs in higher situation than ever and we’re wanting ahead to a different unbelievable week of golf.”