Pablo Larrazábal believes a win this week would put a cherry on the cake of his remarkable career as he tees it up in front of his family at his home club.
The nine-time DP World Tour winner has been a member at Real Club de Golf El Prat since he was a child and is delighted to see golf’s global tour return for the first time in 11 years for the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship.
Much has changed in those years, with the Spaniard picking up six of his victories, including one at nearby INFINITUM – long-time host of the final stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School.
Off the course, the 43-year-old has also become a father but son Thiago, who turned two last month, has yet to see dad lift a trophy, with Larrazábal’s last victory a fourth in just over 12 months at the KLM Open in 2023.
So with a brand new toddler-sized trophy to play for and friends and family in attendance, Larrazábal has never had more motivation to take his victory tally to a perfect ten.
“That's the only thing that is left for me, in my career, to win the tenth in front of my son,” he said.
“And putting my son, I just saw the trophy so now I know that my son will fit inside the trophy. So it will mean a lot.
“Then, you know, it's the only thing that I have left in my career to win in front of my son, it will be a dream come true.
“It would mean a lot because obviously a win at home would be... I won one hour away from home, in INFINITUM. Number seven was in INFINITUM.
“And the party was hard but I cannot imagine winning in front of my wife, my friends, in front of my son."
That's the only thing that is left for me, in my career, to win the tenth in front of my son
El Prat is hosting its 12th DP World Tour event this week, with Larrazábal finishing in a tie for third and inside the top 50 at the Opens de España of 2011 and 2015 respectively.
Those two events were played over the Yellow Course and while this week’s will be played on the Pink, it is unlikely anyone will have better knowledge than the man who has been a member here since it moved to its current location in 2003, and for 15 years before that when it was near Barcelona Airport.
“It’s great to be back,” he said. “It's been 11 years since the last time we played and it's great to see the golf course moving in the right direction.
“José Gómez, the superintendent, he's been working super hard since September and it's great to see a lot of faces and how happy the players are being back in Barcelona.”
He added: “You play all the clubs in the bag, obviously.
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“We got unlucky a little bit that the rain came a couple of days ago... the fairways got a little bit way more wide open and the greens a little bit slower than what we were expecting or what we wanted to.
“But it's tree lined, tough, tough greens. It demands great strategy. it doesn't demand super big-hitters. Obviously, always helps, but I think this golf course demands more strategy than others and knowing where you want to put the ball or where you want
to miss around the greens.
"It's going to be a great tournament. Hopefully the Barcelona crowds they come over and enjoy the tournament and Barcelona wins the league on Sunday.”
While this week will be a celebration of Spanish golf, it will also be tinged with sadness as on Thursday we mark the 15th anniversary of the death of the great Seve Ballesteros.
Ballesteros passed away on the Saturday of the 2011 Open de España at El Prat and on Thursday players are invited to wear his signature white and navy, with a host of other tributes taking place to the five-time Major champion.
“I don't know if the people know but my dad always lived in Santander, so I practised a lot in Pedreña during summers,” said Larrazábal. “I spent a lot of time in Seve's golf course.
“As I always said, he's the captain of the boat.
“He left us too early but we try to make him proud, the way some of us play the game and he's always going be remembered.
“I cannot believe that it's been 15 years since he passed. And I remember playing here at the Spanish Open. I was doing well as well, back in the day.
“And I remember having some very tough moments because he's the one that took the flag of Spanish golf and obviously European Tour golf around the world and especially in the Ryder Cup and especially in Augusta as well.”
