The presence of 17 Spanish golfers in this week’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters of the DP World Tour is a testimony of Spanish professional golf quality. The fact that there are 14 caddies from our country carrying bags at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande reinforces this fact.
“When I started we were just three or four Spanish caddies,” recalled Iñigo Urquizu, who is working this week for Santiago Tarrio and has been assisting some of the best European golfers for a dozen years.
“The figure of the caddie is becoming more professionalized and players want to have more prepared people, such as pros that decided to become caddies,” adds Urquizu about the transition from competitor to ‘squire’ that almost all Spanish professional caddies have gone through.
Until a year ago, Gonzalo Vicente, caddie of the flamboyant winner of the Spanish Open, Ángel Hidalgo, was still fighting to climb positions in the national and European tours.
“Caddying today it is a very beautiful job that requires more and more training and is much more sought after. I am delighted to be here,” said Vicente.
David Morago, Nacho Elvira’s caddie, is also part of the new generation of caddies that keep a close relationship since their amateur times in the national teams.
“Traveling every week with friends helps a lot on and off the golf course,” Morago explains. “I didn’t think I was going to have such a good time and I’m learning a lot here,” added Morago.
The caddie for the second of the Elvira brothers on the DP World Tour, Gabriel Matey, is also enjoying this learning process.
“I’ve been caddying professionally for six or seven months and the truth is that the Spanish caddies’ welcome was amazing,” said Gabriel Matey, Manuel Elvira’s caddie.
Adolfo Juan Luna returned with Iván Cantero after working for the younger Elvira.
“My first experience was in 2018 with several players and Iván in the Challenge Tour. Now I’m back and we’ve been together for three weeks. The experience is wonderful in a very healthy environment,” Luna pointed out.
Competitions and shared trips serve to strengthen ties between players and caddies.
“I’ve been with Alex del Rey for two years and we’ve known each other all our lives. We have played together and shared many years in golf,” explained Borja Navarro.
For others, like Job Sugranyes, another of the veterans with 11 years of caddying experience, the commitment to the player and the profession goes through long years of ups and downs with the support of teammates.
“I’m very lucky to be in that group of Spanish caddies. Many of us have known each other for a long time and I am very happy to be able to share the experience with them,” said the caddie of Italian Matteo Manassero, winner of the recent Jonsson Workwear Open eleven years after his previous victory at the 2013 PGA BMW Championship.
The group of 14 Spanish caddies at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Open is completed by Jesús Legarrea (Jorge Campillo), Pedro Linhart (Adri Arnaus), Alberto Calvo (Andrea Paván), Hugo González (Eugenio Chacarra), Kisko Pérez (Sebastián García), Raúl Quirós (Pablo Larrázabal) and Carlos González (Alfredo García-Heredia).
“We are a close-knit group. We have a great time and being able to share this is spectacular. Let’s see if more Spaniards are encouraged to become caddies. The more the merrier,” said Carlos González.
Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.
