The father of major golf in Andalucia dies at 82

PUBLISHED: January 14, 2013 at 11:51 am  •  LAST EDITED: January 14, 2013 at 1:16 pm
Andalucia, Lead2, Sport  •  1 Comments

VALDERRAMA Golf Club founder Jaime Ortiz-Patino has sadly died at the age of 82.

Ortiz-Patino, known to friends as Jimmy, passed away at the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella on January 3 with no cause of death disclosed.

The 82-year-old is credited as one of the driving forces behind bringing major golf to Spain, with Valderrama being the first course to host the Ryder Cup outside of the British Isles on this side of the Atlantic.

“Valderrama is his masterpiece, his legacy,” said 2012 Ryder Cup captain Jose-Maria Olazabal.

“He wanted to make it a very special place, and he did it.

“He put Valderrama and that part of Andalucia on the map.”

“This is a very sad day, not just for Spain but but for the whole golfing world,” added Sergio Garcia, who won the 2011 Andalucia Masters at Valderrama.

In addition to the 1997 Ryder Cup, Ortiz-Patino saw 16 Volvo Masters, two World Golf Championship events and two Andalucia Masters tournaments held at his course.

Reader Comments »

Messages will be moderated or deleted if they:
• Are considered likely to disrupt, provoke, attack or offend others
• Are racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive or otherwise objectionable
• Contain swear words or other language likely to offend
• Break the law or condone or encourage unlawful activity. This includes breach of copyright, defamation and contempt of court
• Advertise products or services for profit or gain
• Are seen to impersonate someone else
• Include contact details such as phone numbers, postal or email addresses
• Describe or encourage activities which could endanger the safety or well-being of others