It was only a few minutes after 9 in the morning on the tee of hole 1 of Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. "You could have at least brought some golf shoes," Jon Rahm blurts out to José Luis Martínez Almeida, seeing that he is wearing comfortable sneakers. "Public salaries is what they have, Jon," the mayor replies jokingly. Almeida, Ana Patricia Botín, president of Banco Santander, and José Manuel Entrecanales, executive president of Acciona, attended the star match of the Acciona Open proam in Spain, with an exceptional witness: the number one in the world, who will share 18 holes with personalities influential.
On the eve of the start of the tournament, amateurs and professionals come together, companies and celebrities are the stars. They practice a few hours before the start of one of the oldest tournaments in Europe. The Country Club becomes the epicenter of business against the backdrop of golf. And it is that this sport is the only one that allows this license. Any amateur player, regardless of their level, can play a few hours before on the same stage and with the stars that will participate in a top-level event.
As the morning progresses, more guests arrive: Inés Sastre, Andrés Velencoso, Carlos Sainz, Paco Jémez, Francis Lorenzo... They all mingle with some of the presidents of renowned Ibex 35 companies. "You have to be here because in More deals are closed on the golf course than people imagine. Having influential people within your reach for four hours and a relaxed atmosphere is priceless", says a well-known leisure businessman, who prefers to go unnoticed. In fact the list of participants is not public.
a name of millions
The presence of spectators in the proam is limited. Starting today and until the end of the tournament, some 30,000 people are expected to parade through the Club de Campo. Rahmania is already a reality in Spain. The sponsorships have worked and different companies crowd the facilities with their tents. In four days, some 600 guests will pass through the tables of the VIP areas that the different sponsors have bought their presence at the event.
The great engine of this impulse is called Jon Rahm, who has not participated in a golf tournament in Spain for two years, and has become a true benchmark in our sport. About 50 media packed the number one press conference on Tuesday and Rahm's presence did not go unnoticed by most of the mainstream press.
Precisely the same day that Pau Gasol summoned the reporters to announce his retirement, just a few hours later. "I don't realize that I have that importance in Spain, I will realize it when I spend some time here. Yesterday I did notice it, 30 seconds passed since I arrived at the hotel, I went out for a walk and someone recognized me," he replies. Rahm before the question that placed him as a reference in Spanish sport next to Rafa Nadal or Gasol.
Starting at 9:30 today, Rahm shares a match with Bernd Wiesberger and Víctor Pérez on the 10th hole tee. His goal is to become a three-time champion of the tournament and equal Severiano Ballesteros. Rahm's victories would be consecutive, something that only Ángel de la Torre achieved (1916, 17 and 19). "I have not gotten here by magic, but by a lot of work," emphasized the Barrika champion.
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