You must probably know that Costa del Sol is a privileged setting to play golf. That it offers the finest golf courses in Europe. That there are over 70 coastal and hinterland golf clubs in Málaga Province. What you may not be familiar with is the fact that Costa del Golf is also a land of champions. Several golfers in the global elite were born in Málaga or chose it as their place of residence. Meet them in this post.
- Alejandro and Gabriel Cañizares. ‘Cañizares’ is a family name that is tied to golf in Spain. Alejandro and Gabriel got their passion for golf from their father, the legendary golfer José María Cañizares. Born in Madrid, they settled in Málaga to learn how to play golf in the courses available on the Costa del Sol. Actually, Alejandro feels he is a Malagueño, having been raised in Manilva. Gabriel lives in Málaga too. He has been a pro since 1998.
- Pablo Martín-Benavides. Pablo was the first amateur golfer to win a European Tour tournament (Portugal, 2007). This ushered him into professional golf. In 2010, he won the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and again in 2011, thus totalling three European Tour wins. He was born in Málaga City.
- Azahara Muñoz, the ‘Queen of Spanish Golf’, was born in San Pedro de Alcántara. In 2013, she got the Lady of Golf Award for best Spanish pro. She took her first steps in professional golf in 2010, becoming the LPGA Rookie of the Year. By then, she had scooped more titles than any other female golfer in Spain, including the NCAA championship and the British Ladies Amateur Championship.
Today, Muñoz rubs shoulders with the world’s best golf ladies. But she misses Málaga. With so many tournaments, so much travelling and residence abroad, she cannot enjoy the Costa del Sol as much as she would want to. Her goal now is to get ready for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where golf will be present again after more than a century. - Miguel Ángel Jiménez. The best Málaga-born golfer of all time. Aka ‘El pisha’, Jiménez has played golf since he was still very young. At 15, he set foot on a golf course for the first time as a ball boy and caddie. He became a pro in 1982, after being close to his idol, Severiano Ballesteros. Since then, he has filled his records with lots of victories. Last year, he won in Hong Kong, Spain and his first Champions Tour event in USA.
