About the Open de Espana:
The Open de Espana is part of the European Tour and is usually played in the spring, in April or early May.
Francesco Molinari came from four off the lead at the beginning of the fourth round to win, shooting a 65 in the final round. It was Molinari's third win on the European Tour, and he became the first Italian to win the Spanish Open. He finished three strokes ahead of Alejandro Canizares, Pedro Larrazabal and Soren Kjeldsen.
2011 Open de Espana
Thomas Aiken of South Africa earned his first European Tour victory, closing with a 70 to finish two strokes clear of Anders Hansen.
Official Tournament Web site (Spanish-language only)
European Tour tournament site
Open de Espana Tournament Records:
- 72 holes: 262 - Mark James, 1988
- 18 holes: 61 - Wayne Riley, 1988
Open de Espana Golf Courses:
Presently, the Spanish Open rotates among golf courses in Spain, so there have been many host sites over recent years. At its beginning, the tournament was played annually at Puerta de Hierro in Madrid. Puerta de Hierro was the site dozens of times from 1912 on, but last hosted this event in 1961.
Open de Espana Trivia and Notes:
- The Spanish Open is one of the oldest tournaments in continental Europe, first played in 1912. The first champion was Frenchman Arnaud Massey, winner of the 1907 British Open.
- The Open de Espana became part of the European Tour schedule in 1972, the first year of that tour's existence. In fact, the Open de Espana was the first tournament played in the first European Tour schedule. Which makes Antonio Garrido not only the 1972 Spanish Open champion, but also the first winner in the European Tour's history.
- When Arnold Palmer won in 1975, he was 45 years, 221 days old. That is still the tournament record for oldest winner.
- Padraig Harrington's first European Tour victory and first win on any major pro tour was at the 1996 Spanish Open.
- Spaniard Angel de la Torre won five times from 1916 to 1925, the tournament record for most victories. De la Torre won three straight from 1916-18, the only time a golfer has won the Spanish Open three straight years.
- Eight other golfers have won the Open de Espana three times each: Arnaud Massy, Joaquin Bernardino, Gabriel Gonzalez, Marcelino Morcillo, Mariano Provencio, Max Faulkner, Sebastian Miguel and Seve Ballesteros.
- In the tournament's years as part of the European Tour schedule, only Neil Coles (1973) has won wire-to-wire.
Open de Espana Winners:
Open de Espana
2012 - Francesco Molinari, 280
2011 - Thomas Aiken, 278
2010 - p-Alvaro Quiros, 277
2009 - Thomas Levet, 270
2008 - p-Peter Lawrie, 273
2007 - Charl Schwartzel, 272
Andalucía Open de Espana Valle Romano
2006 - p-Niclas Fasth, 270
Jazztel Open de Espana en Andalucia
2005 - p-Peter Hanson, 280
2004 - Christian Cevaer, 271
2003 - p-Kenneth Ferrie, 266
2002 - Sergio García, 275
Via Digital Open de Espana
2001 - Robert Karlsson, 277
Peugeot Open de Espana
2000 - Brian Davis, 274
1999 - Jarmo Sandelin, 267
1998 - Thomas Bjorn, 267
1997 - p-Mark James, 277
Peugeot Spanish Open
1996 - Padraig Harrington, 272
1995 - Seve Ballesteros, 274
1994 - Colin Montgomerie, 277
1993 - Joakim Haeggman, 275
1992 - Andrew Sherborne, 271
1991 - p-Eduardo Romero, 275
1990 - Rodger Davis, 277
1989 - Bernhard Langer, 281
1988 - Mark James, 262
1987 - Nick Faldo, 286
1986 - Howard Clark, 272
1985 - Seve Ballesteros, 266
Benson & Hedges Spanish Open
1984 - Bernhard Langer, 275
1983 - Eamonn Darcy, 277
1982 - Sam Torrance, 273
1981 - Seve Ballesteros, 273
1980 - Eddie Polland, 276
Spanish Open
1979 - Dale Hayes, 278
1978 - Brian Barnes, 276
1977 - Bernard Gallacher, 277
1976 - Eddie Polland, 282
1975 - Arnold Palmer, 283
1974 - Jerry Heard, 279
1973 - Neil Coles, 282
1972 - p-Antonio Garrido, 293
1971 - Dale Hayes, 275
1970 - Angel Gallardo, 284
1969 - Jean Garaialde, 283
1968 - Bob Shaw, 286
1967 - Sebastian Miguel, 265
1966 - Roberto De Vicenzo, 279
1965 - Not played
1964 - Angel Miguel, 272
1963 - Ramon Sota, 287
1962 - Not played
1961 - Ángel Miguel, 267
1960 - Sebastian Miguel, 286
1959 - Peter Thomson, 286
1958 - Peter Alliss, 268
1957 - Max Faulkner, 283
1956 - Peter Alliss, 285
1955 - a-Conde de Lamaze, 271
1954 - Sebastian Miguel, 268
1953 - Max Faulkner, 271
1952 - Max Faulkner, 275
1951 - Mariano Provencio, 281
1950 - Antonio Cerda
1949 - Marcelino Morcillo, 280
1948 - Marcelino Morcillo, 268
1947 - a-Mario Gonzalez, 277
1946 - Marcelino Morcillo, 281
1945 - Carlos Celles, 274
1944 - Nicasio Sagardia
1943 - Mariano Provencio, 286
1942 - Gabriel Gonzalez, 264
1941 - Mariano Provencio, 283
1936-40 Not played
1935 - Tomas Cayarga
1934 - Joaquin Bernardino
1933 - Gabriel Gonzalez
1932 - Gabriel Gonzalez
1931 - Not played
1930 - Joaquin Bernardino
1929 - Eugene Lafitte
1928 - Arnaud Massy
1927 - Arnaud Massy
1926 - Joaquin Bernardino
1925 - Angel de la Torre
1924 - Not played
1923 - Angel de la Torre
1922 - Not played
1921 - Eugene Lafitte
1920 - Not played
1919 - Angel de la Torre
1918 - Not played
1917 - Angel de la Torre
1916 - Angel de la Torre
1913-15 - Not played
1912 - Arnaud Massy
