In focus: The Spanish winners of the Open de España 

If recent history is anything to go by, home advantage is very much a factor at the Open de España presented by Madrid with five of the last six editions being won by Spaniards.

Angel Hidalgo’s breakthrough victory on the DP World Tour at his national open last year continued a trend of home triumphs, emulating some greats of the game from his homeland.

Since Spain’s national open served as the founding event in the inaugural season of the DP World Tour in 1972, eight Spanish players have won the title at the Open de España a combined 12 times.

Of those, four have hoisted aloft the silverware at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid which has hosted one of Europe’s oldest national opens annually since 2019, having staged the event intermittently beforehand.

READ MORE

• Five things to know: Open de España presented by Madrid

• Open de España presented by Madrid: How to watch

With 21 players from Spain in the field this week, including four past champions, it would be no surprise if another home talent was to emerge victorious.

Here, we take a look through the years at the players to have won the Open de España on the DP World Tour.

Angel Hidalgo (2024)

Let’s start with the most recent winner. In arguably one of the stand-out moments of the 2024 Race to Dubai, Hidalgo claimed his maiden DP World Tour title in dramatic fashion as he beat Jon Rahm in a play-off. In his 80th appearance on Golf’s Global Tour, he showed no shortage of charisma and flair from the off as he carded an opening 65 to hold the lead which he maintained through to the final day. Rahm finished birdie-birdie to send the Spanish duo - who played in an all-Spanish final group with David Puig - to extra holes, before Hidalgo sealed victory with a two-foot birdie putt.

Jon Rahm (2018, '19, '22)

There is no doubting which player has largely ruled the roost at the Open de España in recent times. After winning on his debut in 2018 at Centro Nacional de Golf, Rahm made it back-to-back titles with a five-shot victory when the event moved to Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in 2019. Again the headline act in 2022, he delivered in front of an adoring home crowd with a closing 62 to claim a dominant six-shot victory as he emulated the great Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner in the modern era.

Rafa Cabrera Bello (2021)

The 2016 Ryder Cup star finished second at this event in 2019 to move to 34th in the Official World Ranking but subsequently slipped to 231st by the time the 2021 edition came around. But he struck a positive tone on his arrival in the Spanish capital and emerged from a play-off with fellow Spaniard Adri Arnaus to end a four-year wait for his fourth DP World Tour victory.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2014)

There was more play-off drama when the Spanish Open was held at PGA Catalunya Resort. Tied after 72 holes with Richard Green and Thomas Pieters, Jiménez made a par on the first extra hole in Girona to make history as the first man over the age of 50 to win on the DP World Tour. Victory at his national open – which came at the 27th attempt – extended his own record as the oldest winner in DP World Tour history.

Alvaro Quiros (2010)

One of Europe’s biggest hitters at the time, Quiros sealed his fourth DP World Tour title with a par on the first hole of a play-off with English rookie James Morrison. Then 35th in the world, the Spaniard was the highest-ranked player in the field at the Real Club de Golf in Seville.

Sergio Garcia (2002)

Despite a late double-bogey in a final round of 73, Garcia still managed to claim a four-stroke victory at El Cortijo Club de Campo. It secured him his first DP World Tour victory on home soil as a professional, and the fifth of his career.

Seve Ballesteros (1981, '85, '95)

No player has a stronger association with the event. It was at his national open that the great Spaniard made his debut as a professional in 1974, going on to feature in a further 21 editions. In that time, he would become the first player in the event’s modern era to win the title on three occasions, doing so at Real Club de Golf El Prat in 1981 and Club de Golf Vallromanas in 1985, with his third coming a decade later at Club de Campo. His final victory was a significant moment in his storied career, marking the last win of his professional career.

Antonio Garrido (1972)

One of the leading Spaniards when the DP World Tour was established in 1972, Garrido etched his name into golfing folklore on a number of occasions. One of them was victory in a play-off against compatriot Valentin Barrios at Club Golf de Pals, which made him the first winner in DP World Tour history.

Who are the Spanish players in the field this week?