LIV golfer Adrian Otaegui breaks new ground in winning Andalucia Masters
Patrick Reed recently predicted there would be “a media s---show” when a LIV player won on one of the game’s two main tours.
Although Adrian Otaegui’s victory in the Andalucia Masters on Sunday hardly caused a vitriolic explosion - social media apart, of course - there can be no doubt that the Spaniard’s dominating success would have been celebrated on the Saudi circuit and lamented in the corridors of the DP World Tour's Wentworth HQ.
Otaegui is not one of the contracted LIV players, because if he was he would have been competing in the £22 million LIV 54-holer in Jeddah and not the £1.8 million tournament on the DP World Tour. But he has played in three LIV events and was one of the three pros - alongside Ian Poulter and Justin Harding - who sought and won an injunction when the organisation formerly known as the European Tour banned LIV renegades from appearing in the Scottish Open in July.
Due to that temporary ruling, the likes of Otaegui can continue to play in Tour events - until the court case takes place in February - and he took full and emphatic advantage at Valderrama. With a 68, Otaegui finished on a record 19-over total that handed him a six-shot win over the Swede Joakim Lagergren.
The first prize cheque was “only” £440,000 compared to the £4.25m that Brooks Koepka took home for his playoff win over fellow American Peter Uihlein at the Royal Greens Country Club in Saudi Arabia but the resonance of Otaegui’s fourth Tour title is much greater.
“I just kept my mind on the job and concentrated on playing on Valderrama,” he said. “It means so much. This course has so much history in the country - of course, with the Ryder Cup - and I would love to play in that match.”
This is where it all could get very problematic. Luke Donald, the Europe captain for next year’s biennial dust-up in Rome, tweeted his congratulations to the player who rises into the world’s top 100 - “impressive control mentally and physically around one of Europe’s toughest tracks” - while Thomas Bjorn, the 2018 captain and Donald’s vice-captain in Rome, extended similar praise.
These messages were clearly intended to help to down the raised tensions between the LIV players and the Tour loyalists, with Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter trading virtual blows with Eddie Pepperell. The Tour was accused of playing down Otaegui’s huge six-shot advantage going into the final round. Westwood posted: “Is @adrianotaegui leading? And by 6! Wouldn’t know would you? Good luck today Adrian.”
The irony is that Otaegui was essentially scratched from the last three LIV events, but now would be ranked easily in their top 20 players. Yet he does not have a long-term deal, so must sweat on the result of the hearing in February and then discover if the Tour permits him to keep playing and so fight his way into the Ryder Cup team.
Otherwise, will Greg Norman’s enterprise try to make their arrangement permanent? Otaegui’s stock has obviously increased dramatically in the last few days.
“I feel so happy to have my first win in Spain in front of these crowds on my favourite golf course in Spain, if not the whole world,” Otaegui said. “It’s unbelievable. I’m happy with everything, the week was perfect. I’m excited where this could take me.”
