G. Fdez. Castaño

8/3/2019 G. Fdez. Castao

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Gonzalo Fernndez Castao visit Sotogrande

para participar en el Andaluca Masters. Su

paso por Valderrama parece que

trajo suerte al golsta, que unos das

despus se alzaba con la victoria

en el Barclays Open de Singapur, tras tres

aos sin premios. Ahora, el madrileo est

imparable, formando parte de los top 50

del mundo. La Revista de Sotogrande

aprovech su paso por la urbanizacin

para descubrir a sus lectores los

sueos, proyectos y recuerdos de un

autntico enamorado de Sotogrande

que seguro dar grandes alegras al

golf espaol en 2012.

Texto: Mayte Soln

Fotos: Eduardo de la Hoz

Martn Muoz

Hasta hace unos meses una lesin deespalda lo ha mantenido inactivo.Justo al volver, en Madrid Master,tuvo una muy buena actuacin; luego en elCastellon Master qued segundo, para em-pezar: cmo se encuentra?

Me encuentro muy bien. Encantado dela vida. Desde que retom el juego tras lalesin, la espalda me est respetando. Ade-

ms, he tenido la gran suerte de que mi vuelta, deportivamente hablando, ha sidomuy buena, y, familiarmente, tambin estoyatravesando un momento feliz. Con lo cual,en lneas generales, estoy muy contento, ydeseando estar en el campo cada minuto.El estar seis meses sin poder jugar he deconfesar que fue para m muy duro. Soy unapersona muy competitiva y me ha costadomucho ver el campo y no poder disfrutarlo.Pero bueno, solamente ha sido, como aqulque dice, un dolor de espalda, y cosas mu-cho peores.

Valderrama ue la sede de aquella glo-riosa Ryder Cup del 97qu siente cuan-do juega en este legendario campo?

Para mi es una sensacin especial, porquela verdad que es un campo que conozco bas-

tante bien. Juego en l a lo largo de todoel ao y, adems, es un campo que encierramuchos recuerdos grandiosos para este de-porte, desde la Ryder al Volvo Masters, cam-peonatos del mundoEs un campo muyimportante para m, desde pequeo. Nohace tanto que era nio y disfrutaba eneste recorrido pidiendo autgrafos y bolasa los jugadores. Hoy soy yo uno de esosjugadores; es algo grande.

Sotogrande es un paraso para los golfs-tas, tanto por su nmero de campos comopor su clima, es asiduo a sus campos?

Sin duda! Me los conozco todos muybien. Puedes preguntarme lo que quieras(re). Tenemos una casa en Marbella y locierto es que vengo muchsimo a Sotogran-de a jugar durante todo el ao.

Cules son sus campos avoritos de laurbanizacin?

Todos son magnficos. Aunque destaca-ra el de La Reserva de Sotogrande, el RealClub de Golf de Sotogrande, los dos camposde San Roque Club y Valderrama, sin duda.

Valderrama te hace sentir como en casa. Esalgo que se repite en este lado de Andalucaconstantemente. En Cdiz, la gente es fan-tstica y jugar al golf es un autntico placer.

Es inevitable, estando en Valderrama,acordarse del recientemente allecido Se-veriano Ballesteros qu representa parausted este grande del gol?

Hoy, si estoy aqu es, seguramente, graciasa Severiano, fjate lo que representa param! Creo que, actualmente, si estamos ju-gando al golf; el circuito europeo es lo quees, y yo soy golfista, es, en gran medida, gra-cias a la labor que hizo Seve, junto con laRFEG, de abrir y acercar el golf a la gente.Por todo ello, ste es un ao triste. Aunque,por otro lado, es bonito ver todas las mues-tras de cario que recibimos, simplemente,por ser compatriotas de Ballesteros, es im-presionante. La gente le tena un cario

y una admiracin tremenda. A pesar deser generaciones distintas, tuve el privile-gio de compartir momentos con l mara-

villosos, como el Seve trophy de Irlanda,donde fue nuestro capitn. Ser alguienirrepetible, sin duda.

Y centrndonos en usted, cuntenos,cmo empez en el mundo del gol?

Yo juego al golf gracias a mi padre que eraaficionado y me meti el gusanillo en elcuerpo. Mi padre se esforz (y lo hizo muybien) por fomentar tanto en mi hermanacomo en el amor al deporte en general. Yano solamente el golf: el tenis, montar a ca-ballo, cazar. Desde muy pequeos, lo acom-pabamos a todo lo que tuviera que ver condeporte y, aparte, tambin bamos a clases dedistintas cosas. Yo, tom el camino del golf,aunque sigo practicando el resto de activida-des. Esto mismo es algo que me gustara hacertambin con mis hijos, inculcarles la vida deun deportista; los valores que simboliza eldeporte y que, opino, son los mismos quehay que tener ante la vida: lucha, sacrificio,educacin, saber estar, paciencia. Graciasa mis padres, y al esfuerzo que hicieron ensu momento, ahora estoy donde estoy.

SI SOYGOLFISTAES GRACIAS

A SEVEBALLESTEROS

Creo que

lvaro Quirs

pelear por

los primeros

puestos mundiales


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Ahora, con la popularizacin del goly la creacin de campos pblicos, comoel de La Caada de Guadiaro, el acceso aeste deporte es mayor. Tenemos el ejem-plo claro de lvaro Quirs, que sali, pre-cisamente, de esta escuela, qu le pare-cen estas iniciativas?

La Caada ha sido uno de los campospblicos pioneros en Espaa y no hay msque ver la cantera que ha dado y que siguedando. Empezando por toda la familia Qui-rs, con lvaro, que no es de esa familiaEltrabajo de estos campos es imprescindible.Es una forma magnfica de acercar el golf ala gente y mostrar que no es ya un deportede lite, ni de burgueses, ni de nada. No hayque ponerle etiquetas. El golf es para todo elmundo y no hay ms que ver grande ejem-plos de gente humilde que ha llegado a loms alto. Es cuestin de esfuerzo.

Adems de golfsta es empresario, pa-dre, hijo, cmo es la vida diaria deFernndez Castaos?

Siempre he sido muy golfista y ahora soycada vez ms familiar. En cuanto a lo de em-presario, tengo la suerte de rodearme de unequipo muy profesional y, la verdad, es que ha-cen prcticamente todo el trabajo. No obstan-te, mi faceta de empresario se centra en la or-ganizacin de eventos, de torneos. Desde hacecuatro aos organizamos el Madrid Mster, ensu momento realizamos el Open de Andalu-ca con Miguel ngel Jimnez, colaboramos

con el Andaluca Valderrama MastersNosestamos abriendo un hueco en este mercado

y, gracias a Dios, va la cosa bien, algo que noes poco teniendo en cuenta los tiempos quecorren! Pero vamos, que mi labor central es elgolf y mi familia y no en ese orden, claro!

Le gustara que sus hijos siguieran suspasos?

Me gustara que hicieran deporte. Si lesgusta el golf y se quieren dedicar profesional-mente a ello, y lo valen, los apoyar, sin duda.Hay que permitir que tus hijos consigan sussueos, pero, eso s, con trabajo y perseveran-cia. Sin esfuerzo no hay recompensa, y muchomenos en golf. Eso es algo que quiero que ten-gan muy claro.

Aparte del gol, cules son sus otraspasiones?

Soy un apasionado de la caza. Me gusta cadavez ms. Es otra cosa que me inculcaron encasa, mi abuelo era cazador, mi padre, y aho-ra yo. Me divierte mucho la caza en general,aunque la que ms me atrae es la caza mayor.

Tambin es una persona solidaria.Hblenos de la undacin que lleva su

nombre.La fundacin est un poco en stand by. La

creamos hace un ao y medio, est constituiday nos falta verdaderamente encontrar el fin alque destinar los fondos que recaudemos. Loque s tenemos claro es que recaudaremos a

travs del golf. Yo, por ejemplo, de todo el di-nero que gano con este deporte, del material,etc., parte la destino a la fundacin. Ahora,nos queda definir a quin destinar el dinero,a qu causa. Nos gustara que fuese algo de ni-os. Ojal que pronto terminemos de dibujareste proyecto y que realmente comience a darsus frutos. Es una forma de devolver un poco ala gente que no es tan privilegiada como noso-tros. Repartir un poco de la suerte que me hatocado entre los que no tienen tanta.

Volviendo a los palos,cmo defnira su juego?Errtico (sonre). No se, este ao con la

lesin ha sido complicado. Mi juego tiene al-tibajos. Me cuesta mantener la consistencia.Pero, lo que quizs ms me defina es que soyun jugador muy temperamental, competiti-

vo y muy luchador. No suelo dar las vueltasnunca por perdidas y no me rindo hasta elltimo momento.

Cules son sus puntos uertes?y los dbiles?En facetas de juego que destaque quizs

se pueda decir que en el juego corto. Pero vamos, nada verdaderamente reseable.Luego, hasta hace poco, mi punto dbil erael putt. Pero, lo cierto, es que desde haceun tiempo estoy pateando mejor. Creo quelo peor que tengo es la irregularidad. Puedopasarme una semana jugando como los n-geles y, a la siguiente, no dar ni una.

Das despus derealizar esta entrevista,Fernndez Castaosse alzaba con la victoria

en el Barclays Opende Singapur

soy un jugadormuy temperamental,competitivoy muy luchador.No suelo darlas vueltasnuncapor perdidas


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Y cmo aronta estos cambios?Con trabajo. Es algo que afecta mucho.

Sobre todo psicolgicamente. Pero, lo quehago es ir al campo de prcticas y trabajar

y trabajar, buscando el resultado esperado.Hay que ser fro en estos casos. Aunque, la

verdad, es difcil.

Cul es la victoria que recuerda conms cario?

Te acuerdas de todas. Quizs la primera, porser el inicio. Aunque, si tengo que elegir una,la ms importante para mi es la del BritishMasters que gan en Belfry en 2008, porquefue precioso. Jugando un play of f de tres hoyoscon Lee Westwood, el defensor del ttulo y elfavorito porque jugaba en casaFue muy es-pectacular, es la que recuerdo con ms cario,aunque todas las victorias tienen su aquel.

Y cul es el mayor triuno que le gus-tara alcanzar?

Obviamente me encantara ganar un gran-de o, simplemente, tener ocasin de jugar elMaster de Augusta, participar en la RyderCup,hay muchas cosas que me gustara ha-cer. Pero bueno, si las lesiones me respetan,an tengo mucho tiempo por delante, tengoslo 31 aos. Ojal, paso a paso, se vayanconsiguiendo metas.

De entre los espaoles que pisan uer-te, a quin destacara?

Aparte de Sergio Garca, que es nuestrodiamante nacional y que merece estar en lalite mundial, yo, personalmente, tengo mu-chas esperanzas puestas en lvaro Quirs.Tiene un potencial tremendo y est hacien-do un gran trabajo con su equipo tcnico,

puliendo pequeos detalles de su swing y encuanto lo consiga, est condenado a situar-se en lo ms alto, y pelear por los primerospuestos del ranking mundial.

Y de entre las jvenes promesas?Entre las promesas me quedo, por ejem-

plo, con Adrin Otaegui, Jorge Campillo yPedro Oriol. Hay chavales con un gran futu-ro en nuestro pas que gracias al gran trabajode las federaciones estn apuntando alto y,aunque son an muy jvenes, pisan fuerte.

Y bueno, no podemos olvidarnos del golffemenino y de nombres como el de ZaharaMuoz, Beln Mozo o Carlota Ciganda. Elgolf espaol, estoy seguro, nos va a dar mu-chas alegras en los prximos aos.

Qu consejo dara a las nuevas gene-raciones que empiezan en este mundo?

Que no tengan prisa en hacerse profesiona-les. Que el golf es un deporte con una vidamuy larga. Se puede jugar hasta los cincuentaaos perfectamente. No hay necesidad de pa-sar a profesional con 16 aos. Que estudien,que se formen como personas. Y, por supues-to, que trabajen duro. Que aqu nadie regalanada. Para triunfar, hay que esforzarse.

Para terminar, Cmo le gustara serrecordado cuando acabe tu carrera pro-esional?

Como una buena persona, que hizo todolo posible para llegar al mximo nivel quepudo. Cuando me retire, quiero poder pen-sar tranquilo que hice todo lo que estaba enmis manos para llegar a la cima. No quierotener remordimiento por dejar algo en el ca-mino sin haberlo intentado.l

EN CORTO:

l UN CAMPO DE GOLF:

Valderrama.l UN JUGADOR:

Severiano Ballesteros.

l UNA VICTORIA:

El segundo Masters de Augusta de Jos

Mara Olazbal.

l UN SUEO:

Que mi familia sea feliz est sana.

l UN RECUERDO:

Seguir a Seve cuando era nio.

Lo que hagoes ir al campode prcticas y trabajary trabajar, buscandoel resultado esperado


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Gonzalo Fernndez Castao visited

Sotogrande to take part in the

Andaluca Masters. His trip to

Valderrama seems to have

brought luck to the golfer,

who a few days later was

victorious in the Barclays

Singapore Open, following

three years without a win.

Now the Madrid-born player

is unstoppable and among

the top 50 in the world. The

Sotogrande Magazine took

advantage of his visit to

the resort to discover the

dreams, plans and memories

of a true Sotogrande lover,

who will no doubt bring

a great deal of joy to

Spanish golf in 2012.

Until a ew months ago, a back injurykept you out o action. As soon asyou returned, in the Madrid Mas-ters, you perormed well, and then in theCastelln Masters you fnished second:how are you eeling?

Very good. Loving life. Since I came back aftermy injury, my back has been behaving itself. Ihave also been fortunate in that my return, insporting terms, has been very good, and Im alsoenjoying a happy family life. So in general Imvery content and wanting to be on the course asmuch as possible. I have to admit that not beingable to play for six month has been very hard forme. Im a very competitive person and it has beenreally difficult to see the course and not be able toenjoy it. But, as they say, its just been a pain inthe neck, and there are much worse things.

Valderrama was the venue or the glo-rious Ryder Cup o 97; what does it eellike to play on this legendary course?

Its a special feeling for me, because it really isa course I know pretty well. I play on it through-out the year and its also a course that has a lot ofmagnificent memories for this sport, from the Ry-der Cup to the Volvo Masters, the World Cham-pionships... It has been a very important course

for me since I was young. It wasnt that long agothat I was a child having fun on this course ask-ing the players for autographs and balls. Now Imone of those players; its great.

Sotogrande is a paradise or golers,both because o the number o coursesand its climate. Are you a regular on itscourses?

Absolutely! I know them all well. You can askme anything about them [he laughs]. We have ahouse in Marbella and I come to Sotogrande a lotto play all year round.

What are your avourite courses in theresort?

Theyre all fabulous, particularly La Reservade Sotogrande, Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande,the two San Roque Club courses and Valder-rama, of course. Valderrama makes me feel athome. Its something that is constantly repeatedin this part of Andalusia. In Cadiz the people are

fantastic and playing golf here is a real pleasure.

Being in Valderrama, its inevitable thatyou will remember the recently decentlydeceased Severiano Ballesteros; whatdoes this golfng great mean to you?

If Im here today, its undoubtedly thanks toSeveriano. Thats what he means to me! If wereplaying golf now, if the European Tour is whatit is, and Im a golfer, to a large extent its allthanks to the work that Seve did, alongside theRoyal Spanish Golf Federation, to open up golfand bring it to the people. All of this means thatit is a sad year. However, its nice to see all theaffection that we receive simply for being Balles-

teros fellow countrymen, its incredible. Peoplewere very fond of him and admired him greatly.Despite being from different generations, I hadthe privilege of sharing some wonderful momentswith him, like the Seve Trophy in Ireland, wherehe was our captain. He is one of a kind.

Focusing on you, tell us, how did youstart out in the gol world?

I play golf thanks to my father who was anenthusiast and he gave me the bug. My fatherstrove (and he did it very well) to instil a love ofsport in general in me and my sister. And not just

golf: tennis, horse riding, hunting. Since were tiny,we went with him to everything spor t-related andwe also went to classes in various things. I wentdown the golf road, though I still do other activi-

IF IM AGOLFERIS THANKSTOSEVEBALLESTEROS

A few daysafter the interview,Fernndez Castaowon the Barclays

Singapore Open

Texto: Mayte Soln

Fotos: Eduardo de la Hoz - Martn Muoz


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Playing golf

in Sotogrande is

a pleasure I enjoy

all year round

ties. I would like to do the same with my children:instil in them a sportspersons life, the values thatsport embodies which, in my opinion, are thesame values one must have in life: determination,sacrifice, good manners, poise, patience... Thanksto my parents and the effort that they made, I amwhere I am.

Now, with the popularisation o goland the creation o public courses like LaCaada in Guadiaro, the sport it easierto access. A key example is lvaro Qui-rs, who was a product, precisely, o thisschool; what do you think about theseinitiatives?

La Caada has been a pioneering course inSpain and you just have to look at the youngplayers it has produced and continues to produce.Starting with the entire Quirs family, with l-varo, who is not a member of that family... Thework these courses do is indispensible. Its a fan-tastic way to bring golf to the people and showthem that its not an elite sport, for posh peopleor anything like that. We shouldnt put labels onit. Golf is for everyone and you just have to lookat the great examples of people of humble originwho have reached the top. Its a question of effort.

In addition to being a goler, youre abusinessman, ather and son... what isFernndez Castaos daily lie like?

I have always been very much a golfer and nowIm becoming more and more of a family man.

As for the business side of things, I am fortunateenough to be surrounded by a very professional

team and to be honest they do practically allthe work. However, my facet as a businessman

focuses on organising events, tournaments. Forthe past four years we have organised the Ma-drid Masters, we held the Andalusian Open withMiguel ngel Jimnez, we collaborated in the

Andaluca Valderrama Masters... We are carv-ing out a niche for ourselves in this market and,thank God, its going well, no small thing giventhe current climate! But my main focus is golfand my family, and not in that order of course!

Would you like your children to ollowin your ootsteps?

Id like them to play sport. If they like golf andwant to become professionals, and they are goodenough, then Ill support them, of course. Youhave to allow your children to pursue their owndreams, but always with hard work and persever-ance. Without effort there is no reward, especiallyin golf. Its something I want them to understandvery well.

Aside rom gol, what other passionsdo you have?

Im passionate about hunting. I like it moreand more. Its something else that was instilled inme at home; my grandfather was a hunter, so wasmy father... and now me. I really enjoy hunting in

general, but big game hunting I find particularlyattractive.

You are also a charitable person. Tell usabout the oundation named ater you.

The foundation is kind of on standby. We cre-

ated it a year and a half ago; its set up and wejust need to find the cause that the funds that wecollect will go to. One thing for certain is thatwe will raise money through golf. For instance,all the money I earn from this sport, from kitsponsorship etc, part of it I give to the foundation.Now we just have to decide who to donate themoney to, which cause. Wed like it to be some-thing for children. Lets hope we can finish outlin-ing this project soon and it can really start to bear

fruit. Its a way to give something back to peoplewho are not as privileged as us. Sharing a bit ofthe luck I have had with those who have had less.

Going back to the clubs, how wouldyou describe your game?

Erratic [he smiles]. I dont know... this yearwith the injury its been difficult. My game hashighs and lows. Im finding it hard to be consist-ent. But perhaps one thing that defines me is thatIm very temperamental and competitive. Im a

fighter. I never give up a round as lost and I keepfighting until the last moment.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?In terms of an aspect of my game that stands

out, its perhaps my short play. But its nothing re-ally significant. Until not long ago, my weaknesswas my putting. But for some time now I havebeen putting better. I think my worse side is myinconsistency. I can spend a week playing like adream and then the next week nothing goes right.

How do you deal with these changes?With hard work. Its something that affects

you a lot. Particularly psychologically. But what

I think lvaro Quirs

will compete for the top

places in the world


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I do is go out on the practice range and work andwork, looking for the desired result. You have tostay cool in these situations. But to be honest itsdifficult.

Which victory do you remember mostondly?

You remember them all. Perhaps the first, be-cause it was the beginning. But if I had to chooseone, the most important one, for me it was theBritish Masters, which I won at Belfry in 2008,because it was beautiful. Playing a three-hole tie-breaker with Lee Westwood, who was defendinghis title and was the favourite because he wasplaying at home... It was spectacular; its the oneI remember most fondly, though every victory hasa certain something.

Whats the highest honour you wouldlike to achieve?

Obviously Id love to win a major or just to

have a chance to play in the Augusta Masters,to take part in the Ryder Cup... there are a lotof things Id like to do. If Im lucky with injuries,Ive still got a lot of time ahead of me; Im only 31

years old. Hopefully, step by step, I will achievemy goals.

Among the Spaniards who are makingan impact, who would you single out?

Aside from Sergio Garca, who is our nationaltreasure and deserves to be among the world elite,personally I have big hopes for lvaro Quirs. Hehas enormous potential and is doing some greatwork with his coaching team, perfecting minor

details of his swing, and when he gets there he isdestined to position himself at the highest leveland to compete for the top places in the worldranking.

And among the promising young players? Among the young hopefuls there is Adrin

Otaegui, Jorge Campillo and Pedro Oriol, for in-stance. There are youngsters with a great futurein our country and thanks to the work of the fed-erations they are aiming high and, though theyrestill young, theyre making an impact. And wecant forget womens golf and names like Zaha-ra Muoz, Beln Mozo and Carlota Ciganda.Spanish golf, Im certain, will bring us a lot of joyin years to come.

What advice would you give the newgenerations starting in this world?

Not to be in a hurry to become professionals.Golf is a sport with a ver y long lifespan. You can

easily play until you are fifty. There is no need tobecome a professional at 16 years of age. Studyand develop as people. And of course, work hard.Nobody gets anything for free. To win, you haveto make the effort.

Finally, how would you like to be remem-bered when your proessional career ends?

As a good person who did everything he couldto reach as high as he could. When I retire I wantto know that I did everything within my grasp toreach the top. I dont want to have regrets becauseI have left something by the wayside without at-tempting it.n

IN BRIEF

l A GOLF COURSE:

Valderrama.l A PLAyER:

Severiano Ballesteros.

l A VICTORy:

Jos Mara Olazbals second Augusta

Masters.

l A DREAM:

For m famil to be happ and health.

l A MEMORy:

Supporting Seve when I was a bo.

When I retireI want to know thatI did everythingwithin my graspto reach the top.

G. Fdez. Castaño

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