Angel Ayora is hoping he can be inspired by “idol” Seve Ballesteros as he bids for a breakthrough DP World Tour title on home soil at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship.
Thursday's first round of this week’s European Swing-opening event coincides with the 15-year anniversary of the passing of five-time Major winner Ballesteros, whose 50 titles are a DP World Tour record, and many players will be wearing his signature navy blue and white to mark the occassion.
Ayora was six years old when Ballesteros passed away on May 7, 2011 at the age of 54, but the Spaniard's influence on new generations of golfers is still being felt.
Managed by Javier Ballesteros, the son of one of golf's most influential figures, Ayora's apparel features the celebratory fist pump of Seve Ballesteros' winning putt at The Open at St Andrews in 1984 as its logo - an image that is forever remembered by golf fans around the world.
"[Growing up] he meant a lot," said Ayora of Ballesteros. "At that moment, Sergio [Garcia] was the big name but Seve was always up there for us. He is such an idol.
"It's unlucky, I never met him but I have watched tons of video of him playing golf and he is an amazing person."
Among a variety of tributes, the flags on holes nine and 18 are dedicated to Seve, and from Friday onwards the flag on hole five will represent his Major victories at The Open Championship (1979, 1984 and 1988) and the Masters (1980 and 1983).
Earlier in the week, Ayora joined the 22 other Spaniards in the field in Barcelona for a photocall with Javier to mark the occasion.
All the Spanish players in the field with Javier Ballesteros on the anniversary week of Seve Ballesteros' passing ❤️🇪🇸#EDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/MnPmC9uJOb
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 6, 2026
One of those other players was countryman Pablo Larrazábal, who said earlier this season that Ayora boasts the best swing, technically, of a player he has played alongside.
It's a high compliment to one of the game's rising stars. But Ayora, who is on the cusp of breaking into the world's top 100 for the first time, is aware there is still room for improvement.
The 21-year-old turned professional in 2023, winning his first title in the paid ranks on the HotelPlanner Tour a year later on his way to progressing to the DP World Tour.
Since then, he has registered 14 top tens across 45 starts on golf's global Tour, and arrives at Real Club de Golf El Prat as one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Instrumental in nurturing Ayora's precocious talent in recent years is Juan Ochoa, his coach and caddie, with efforts being made to enable the young Spaniard to continue on his upward career trajectory.
"We care about the look of the swing, but [the contact with] the ball is the most important," he said. "That is what I am focused on.
"Right now, [I am working] on my backswing. My tendency is to crush a little bit on the backswing so try to shallow it a little bit, and then [also] the follow through, the exit of the club with the shape I want."
This week, Ayora tees up as one of the only players in the field with competitive experience at this week's course.
Although El Prat is hosting its 12th DP World Tour event, this marks the first time since the 2015 edition of the Open de España,
But with the Pink Course being in use this time around, unlike 11 years ago when it was the Yellow Course, there are very few players with competitive experience on the layout.
Ayora is one of them, having played there as a teenager in an amateur competition - although he anticipates a completely different test following rain during the practice rounds.
"That was in 2021 or 2022," he said. "I cannot remember it very good.
"But yeah, those times I don't have very good memories because I was an amateur and not that good at that time. But yeah, the course was very different than now.
"It was very firm and now it's quite soft because of the rain. But yeah, I mean, I have good memories. I played here with my friends that tournament, so good memories."
