Staff WriterThe Open de España rolls back into Club de Campo Villa de Madrid this week, bringing more than a century of history, a Ryder Cup hangover, and Jon Rahm’s shot at a slice of Spanish golfing immortality. First played in 1912, the Open de España is one of Europe’s oldest national opens — and once again, all eyes are on Rahm as he hunts a record-breaking fourth title on home soil.
It’s the tournament’s 11th visit to Club de Campo and its sixth consecutive stint since 2019. This is a venue soaked in Spanish golfing folklore: the site of Seve Ballesteros’ 50th and final Tour win in 1995, and a stage graced by Arnold Palmer, Bernhard Langer, Sir Nick Faldo and, more recently, Rahm himself in 2019 and 2022.
A Rich History and a Ryder Cup Cast
The Open de España holds a special place in the European game. In 1972, just three days after the European Tour was born, Antonio Garrido won the first official event here, before joining Seve as the first Continental Europeans to play the Ryder Cup in 1979. Fast forward to 2025 and the Spanish capital hosts another star-studded cast fresh off the plane from Bethpage Black.
Leading the charge is two-time Major champion Rahm, tied with Seve on three titles since 1972. Last year, the Basque hero was denied his fourth crown by Angel Hidalgo, who birdied the second extra hole to snatch his maiden DP World Tour victory. This week marks Rahm’s first start since collecting three points in Europe’s 15–13 Ryder Cup victory over the United States in New York.
Joining him is fellow Major winner Shane Lowry — the man who holed the putt to retain the Cup — plus Masters champions Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Danny Willett. In total, five Major winners and 21 Spanish players are teeing it up, including Alejandro del Rey and Eugenio Chacarra, both winners on this year’s Race to Dubai.
Club de Campo: Where Legends Linger
Perched just west of Madrid’s centre, Club de Campo officially opened in 1931, with golf arriving a year later. It hosted its first DP World Tour event in 1990 and now boasts over 33,000 members who enjoy not just fairways but tennis, hockey, equestrian, polo, padel and swimming. The roll of honour here reads like a Ryder Cup reunion: Montgomerie, Harrington, Langer, Bjørn, Faldo, Torrance, Gallacher — and of course, Seve.
Major Pathways Through Madrid
This year’s Open de España isn’t just about trophies and tapas. It’s part of The Open Qualifying Series, which offers top finishers not already exempt a golden ticket to The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. Players such as Haotong Li, Shane Lowry and Rahm are already in the field, but for others, a strong week here could open the door to golf’s oldest major.
Adding to the stakes, the winner in Madrid will also punch a ticket to the 2026 Masters Tournament — part of a new alignment between The R&A and Augusta National that cements Spain’s national open as a gateway to golf’s grandest stages.
Green Fairways and Giving Back
While the golf takes centre stage, the Open de España has become a standard-bearer for sustainability on the DP World Tour. Madrid Trophy Promotion has renewed ISO 20121:2012 certification through 2027, and the tournament continues to reuse 100% of its structures, employ hybrid courtesy cars, and eliminate plastic bottles on site. Since 2021, the event has offset all its emissions, produced 30,000 cubic metres of clean water through a desalination partnership, and planted over 6,000 trees across Spain.
DP World’s Balls for Birdies initiative also returns, donating golf balls to grassroots programmes worldwide for every birdie, eagle and albatross made. In 2024, South Africa’s Casey Jarvis topped the charts with 498 birdies and 17 eagles — good for 532 balls — proving that even the smallest shots can make a global impact.
The Race to Dubai Heats Up
The Open de España is the seventh of nine tournaments in the ‘Back 9’ phase of the 2025 Race to Dubai, as players scrap for everything from 2026 playing rights to PGA TOUR dual membership. With 42 tournaments in 26 countries this season, every swing now matters.
Beyond the pros, the DP World Tour, The R&A and the PGA TOUR continue to build the Global Amateur Pathway, a new ladder for the world’s top non-collegiate amateurs. China’s Wenyi Ding topped the inaugural rankings in 2024, and registration for 2026 is already underway.
All Eyes on Rahm
For now, though, Madrid belongs to Rahm and Seve’s ghost. Three wins apiece. One stage. And a city ready to roar for its favourite son.
If Rahm lifts the trophy again this Sunday, he won’t just make history — he’ll join the pantheon of legends who made the Open de España the beating heart of Spanish golf.
