DO you fancy your chances against the golfing royalty? Well now’s the chance to test your clubs against Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez or Paul Lawrie.
Or maybe dive into a three-ball with Michael Campbell, Jose Maria Olazabel or Thomas Bjorn.
For some of the world’s best golfers are dropping into Marbella this month to battle it out in the Staysure Legends Tour, before moving on to San Sebastian and Girona later in the year.
The line up of golfers gracing the fairways at Aloha Golf this week is nothing short of extraordinary.
Outside of the Majors, few tournaments have so many stars, arriving to do battle for a pot that reaches a cool €20 million this season.
READ MORE: There’s a new unlikely star of Spanish cuisine coming out of Galicia – and it isn’t a talented new chef
There is €600,000 at stake alone at Aloha, where the tour kicks off this year.
So expect to see numerous legends rolling back the years, including Jamie Donaldson, Niclas Fasth, Peter Lawrie and Peter Baker.
Even better, you’ll get to see local favourites such as Olazabal, a two-time Masters Champion and the captain who led Europe to one of its most memorable Ryder Cup victories.
READ MORE: This Mediterranean foodie’s paradise guards the entrance to Valencia’s most authentic neighbourhood
And then there is Jimenez, who actually heralds from Malaga, a two-time Senior Major Champion known for his charismatic presence on the fairways.
The cigar-chomping legend actually designed one of the holes at Aloha, which is often considered Malaga’s leading course.
One of the biggest draws will certainly be Scotsman Monty, a five-time Ryder Cup victor and with 31 European titles to his name.
A man understandably popular in Andalucia for his heroics during the final stages of the Ryder Cup at nearby Valderrama in 1997.
READ MORE: VOICES HEARD: Protesters vow to fight golf mega-project on last virgin coastal area on the Costa del Sol
It was his amazing last round, after all, that saw him halve the match with Scott Hoch, sinking a 15-foot par putt to seal victory for the Europeans.
In order to get to compete in the tournament, you need to get on a list of 150 players who regularly play around the world.
And if you are not in the top 60 you don’t make the cut and can only get in by playing in the Q school qualifying rounds of 15 tournaments over a month in Turkey.
“It’s brutal to get in, as out of 110 players entering only the top four make it through,” explains organiser Richard Green. “And when you do make it in you’ve got to work incredibly hard to stay there.”
READ MORE: WATCH: Horrified hiker gets trapped in mud up to the waist for EIGHT hours before rescue teams in Malaga finally pull him out
He continues: “This is easily one of the strongest fields outside a major, with leading Ryder Cup players and even captains. This year particularly so with players like Howell, Lawrie and Bjorn, who create a real buzz around the place.”
The best thing about the Legends Tour is that golf fans can come and watch entirely free.
“You can literally walk around with them. You get so close and see first hand how good they are,” continues Green, a member of Harpenden, in Hertfordshire.
And for those super keen golfers, who have a bit of spare change, you might even be able to get a game.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
