Adrian Otaegui says it’s a dream to be back in St. Andrews after he claimed his third European Tour title on this course last year.
Adrian Otaegui says it’s a dream to be back in St. Andrews after he claimed his third European Tour title here last year.
He may not be the defending champion of the Hero Open this week, but Otaegui is the last man to have won on the Torrance Course at Fairmont St. Andrews.
In October last year, he claimed his first stroke-play title on the European Tour by four shots, and he now returns hoping to draw on those good memories.
“I have really good memories and feelings,” said Otaegui, who finished the week at 23-under-par on the Sam Torrance design.
“It was very satisfying, the way the whole week went, the way I managed it. A very, very good first round. The second and third rounds were very important, they were only two under rounds, but that was key. I didn’t play my best, as good as Thursday and Sunday, but I still managed to shoot under par, keep up there on the leaderboard and a very good final day gave me the win. I was very pleased with the way I played and the way I managed the week.
“With this weather it’s a dream to be back and very nice to get the feeling back from playing the course, walking the holes again. Awesome views today with this good weather. I’m very happy to be back here at the Fairmont.”
It’s now the turn of the Hero Open in St. Andrews, which was held at the Forest of Arden last season, and Otaegui expects the weather to once again play a vital role.
“It’s going to depend on the weather, the wind and the rain – it might rain a little bit at the end of the week. It’s a scoreable course. On the front nine there are a few par fours which could be reachable – today they weren’t. The rough isn’t very thick but you need to be good around the greens, because there are some slopes. They are rolling very pure. It’s a scoreable course, but you need to play well and the weather has to be on your side.”
The Spaniard comes into this week’s event having missed his last two cuts, but said that choosing to rest earlier in the week has helped him refocus his mind.
“I’ve been playing good and feeling good over the last month, at the Irish and Scottish Opens, then became a bit tired,” said Otaegui, who finished in a tie for second at the Scandinavian Mixed before a tie for 29th at the BMW International Open, a tie for 12th at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, and a tie for 26th at the abrdn Scottish Open."
For Otaegui, who currently ranks 49th on the 2021 Race to Dubai, it’s about accepting frustration and just trying to get the best out of how he’s playing at the time.
“The last couple of weeks weren’t the best. I had a couple of days off this week, which helped clear my mind and reset. I’m very happy and very motivated this week.
“In competition, in any sport, but particularly in golf, it’s difficult. When you’re playing well, everything flows and is easy. When you’re not playing well and not playing to your expectations – when you’re not achieving those, it can be frustrating. You just have to accept how you’re playing, try and shoot the lowest score you can every single day, no matter how you’re playing. That’s the most important thing. Anyone can shoot six under or seven under. The key is to shoot two or three under when you’re not at your top form – I did that last year during the two middle rounds. That’s what I want to do over the next few weeks. Keep going, keep grinding and climb the rankings.”
