Javier Ballesteros at Peugeot Tour Alps de Barcelona

Tomorrow will start the Peugeot Tour de Barcelona at Sant Cugat, with the best field ever at the Peugeot Tour/Alps Tour: four European Tour players, one Senior Tour player, winners at the European Tour, Senior, Challenge, Peugeot and Alps Tour. And even more, tomorrow at 9.05h it will be history when Javier Ballesteros tees off at his first competition among professionals, at the same place his father did play his first professional tournament in 1974, Sant Cugat. And he will play with two winners, Pablo Larrazabal and Domingo Hospital.

Javier Ballesteros is 21 years old, handicap 0.4 and is studying at the Law School in Madrid. He started University in the United States but he droped it. “I studied at George Washington University for a month and a half, but wasn’t happy, I had more expectations, golf was great but I wasn’t very happy with it. It wasn’t for being away from home at all because I studied for many years in England before, there was something there that did not convince me. The news about my father being sick made me take the decision to come back. Back in Madrid I started at the Law School.

“I have always played golf, I was at the national team when I was 14 to 16 years old, and the fact of having it at home always made me think about being a golf pro in the future. But I have to finish University before, it is something my parents have always told me to do, specially my father but both of them, and that is my priority. Then we will see. I have not made an schedule or timing, it doesn’t mean that, when I finish college I will turn pro right away, we will see.

When I played the Pro-Am at the Castello Masters, Javier Gervas told me to let him know if I wanted to play any of the tournaments MatchGolf promotes; I was in Barcelona last weekend for the Barcelona Amateur Championship and I asked him for an invitation.

When I registered for the Peugeot Tour at Sant Cugat, I didn’t know that my father played his first professional tournament here; now that I know, is double excitement.

I like to play with golf professionals, with people that play better because I always learn. In Madrid I play a lot with Pedro Oriol and is a different training, you give a lot more. My goal for this competition is enjoy it, I don’t settle goals when I play a tournament, and mostly being an amateur. What I have to do is enjoy and learn. I have no pressure for being Seve’s son at all, I have nothing to demonstrate anybody, just me”.

Pablo Larrazábal and Txomin Hospital will share two first rounds with him. Pablo says: “We will see how he does, the goal is enjoy 36 holes with him, I hope he has a good time. I think they have put too much pressure on such a young guy. If we let him go his way a bit more and without so many comparisons, he will play much better”.

And Txomin Hospital: “I am very excited about playing with Javier tomorrow, and I would love him to play well, hoping everything goes well, turns pro and enjoys it, considering that having all the eyes on him, it is difficult for sons of great players. I remember playing a lot with Gary Nickalus at the European Tour and the pressure was even stronger for the comparison. I think he is very intelligent starting with big amateur tournaments and other like the Peugeot. I hole he enjoys game tomorrow and always, and that he gets good scores”.

By Carmela Fernandez Piera @ matchgolf