Golfers seeking a coveted European Tour card will need to take their top games to Lumine Golf Club over the next three years. The Mediterránea Beach & Golf Community resort on Cataluña’s Costa Daurada (Tarragona) has been confirmed as the venue for the Tour’s Qualifying School final stage from 2020 to 2022.
Initially associated with the school in 2012 when it hosted a second stage of qualifying, the club took over from PGA Catalunya Resort as host of the demanding six-round final stage from 2017.
Englishman Sam Horsfield won that year, and has finished in the top-100 of the Race to Dubai order of merit in his two full seasons, with a best finish of second in the 2018 Tshwane Open in South Africa.
The winner in 2018 was Alejandro Cañizares, son of legendary Spanish veteran José María and a two-time Tour winner: 2006 Russian Open in just his fourth start, and 2014 Trophée Hassan II in Morocco.
Last year, Denmark’s Benjamin Poke carded six sub-70 rounds at Lumine to win by six shots. Eighteen-year-old compatriot Rasmus Højgaard finished fifth to become the first player born in the 21st century to gain a card at the school, and two weeks later he won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open – the third youngest winner in the history of the Tour (after Italian Matteo Manassero and New Zealander Danny Lee).
Over the past three years, 468 players from throughout the world have teed up at Lumine’s two 18-hole courses – The Hills and The Lakes – in a quest to seal one of the 25 European Tour cards available for the following season.
Announcing the extension to Lumine’s contract, European Tour Qualifying School director Mike Stewart said, “Lumine Golf Club has provided a terrific test for players since 2012, even more so since it became a final stage venue, pushing players all the way as they go in search of a European Tour card in one of golf’s most dramatic events.
“The quality of both courses, plus Lumine’s fantastic practice facilities and hospitality, have drawn praise from competitors and we look forward to working with (the Lumine) team on delivering more successful editions of the event in the coming years.”
New Chief Business Officer
Meanwhile, Agustín García Pascual has been appointed as Mediterránea Beach & Golf Community’s chief business officer, replacing Calle Carlsson, who is moving on after 10 years at the resort.
According to the company, his appointment coincides with a change of direction, as it looks “to focus on the overall growth and integrated management of the resort, with a commercial approach for the new residential development that is currently under construction”.
García Pascual has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, managing some of Spain’s top golf and leisure facilities. He began his professional career in golf management as general manager of PGA Golf Catalunya in 1999 after a professional football background at Racing Santander. His responsibilities included securing European Tour events, among them several Spanish Opens, during his 11-year tenure.
In 2009, he was appointed general director at the historic Royal Pedreña Golf club, founded in 1928. Most recently, García Pascual was director of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting clinical research of brain tumours and preserving the legacy and values of its legendary founder, as well as supporting children and young people without resources in the development of their golf careers.
Cataluña is a also a key destination for the the Ladies European Tour, with the annual Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open held at Terramar.
