Miguel Angel Jiménez will launch the defence of his Open de España title in the company of Victor Dubuisson and Tommy Fleetwood as he bids to extend his record as the oldest winner in European Tour history.
Jiménez became the first player over the age of 50 to win on The European Tour when he held off the spirited challenges of Thomas Pieters and Richard Green at PGA Catalunya Resort 12 months ago, and with the tournament returning to Real Club de Golf El Prat for the first time since 2011, Jiménez is looking to retain the trophy, a feat no player has achieved since Max Faulkner in 1952-3.
Jiménez, a winner in Hawaii on the Champions Tour earlier this year, will be playing the tournament for the 28th time this week when he hits his first shot of the tenth tee at 08.20 on Thursday. Playing partner Dubuisson received a late invite to play and the third member of the group, Fleetwood, will be full of confidence after his impressive display in the WGC – Cadillac Match Play Championship, where he reached the quarter finals.
Sergio Garcia is another player returning to Europe with plenty of form after the World Number Seven narrowly lost out in a play-off for the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday. After an overnight flight back across the Atlantic he returns to one of his favourite courses. He has a late start on Thursday with a 13.20 tee time alongside Thomas Aiken, winner the last time the tournament was played at Real Club de Golf El Prat in 2011, and 2012 champion Francesco Molinari.
Pablo Larrazábal, playing his home course this week, tees off at 08.10 on Thursday from the tenth with Thomas Bjørn and Andy Sullivan, a two-time winner already this season, for company for the first two days.
And there will be no shortage of fireworks in the preceding group with big-hitters Alvaro Quiros (the 2010 champion), Pieters and Ross Fisher.
Two-time Masters Champion José Maria Olazábal tees off at 13.00 from the first with two former winners in Peter Hanson (2005) and Raphael Jacquelin (2013), with another popular Spaniard, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, following hot on his heels with the in-form David Howell, who has had two top four finishes in his last two starts, and Matto Manaassero. They tee off at 13.10.
There are no fewer than 28 Spanish professionals in the field and five amateurs, so plenty of players for the home fans to follow.
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