José María Olazábal is excited for what promises to be a special week at the European Legends Cup. This year, he celebrates 40 years as a professional, an occasion marked by a first international golf tournament in the region of his birth. As an influential ambassador for Basque Country, Olazábal is relishing the opportunity to showcase the region, and its many attractions, to players, golfers and a global audience.
José María Olazábal will host the European Legends Cup at his Basozábal golf course
“Reaching 40 years as a professional makes me look back and remember everything golf has given me,” says Olazábal, who will shortly turn his attention to his role as vice-captain under European Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald. “Two green jackets from Augusta, unforgettable victories on the European and PGA tours, historic moments in the Ryder Cup, both as a player and as captain, to name but a few. But being able to bring an international tournament of this magnitude to my homeland is undoubtedly one of the most special moments of my career.
“Basozábal is a project born from my heart, a course into which I put all my effort, and it will welcome players I deeply admire. For San Sebastián to become the centre of the golfing world for this week is a source of pride for me, and I hope it will also be for all those who visit us. The Legends Tour celebrates the history and legacy of golf, and there could not be a better place to do so than here, in my city, in such a meaningful year for me. It will be an unforgettable week for everyone: players, spectators and those of us who love this sport.”
The course itself has indeed been a labour of love for Olazábal, who created the original nine holes some 30 years ago, before adding a further nine shortly thereafter. The result is a spectacular and strategic layout nestled in the hills that blends harmoniously into the surrounding landscape, close to the picturesque coastal city of San Sebastián. One of 17 courses in the Basque Country, Basozábal has held national tournaments before, but this week will be the first time hosting an international event. And Olazábal believes it will provide a stern test for the Legends Tour’s players.
“It’s very hilly, I’d define it as a mountain course. We have some long holes and we have some short holes, so it challenges every aspect of the game. The greens are quite small and well protected so it’s quite demanding and you need to be very accurate with your distance control. I think players are going to be happy with the challenge – and I hope they are going to enjoy playing it. When I was first offered the job to build a golf course here I was a little nervous, because I wanted to leave something that was worth it. I think I have achieved that.”
This week’s field is a strong one, with a number of 2025 Legends Tour winners, including Simon Griffiths, Scott Hend, James Kingston, Peter Baker, Keith Horne, Mark Brown and last week’s Black Desert NI Legends champion, Markus Brier.
There is also a strong Spanish contingent, with Santiago Luna, Jose Manuel Carriles, Juan Quiros, Miguel Angel Martin, Carl Suneson and Carlos Balmaseda, who finished T15 in last year’s European Legends Cup, all in the field.
“I think it’s motivational to play in Spain, it’s not pressure,” said Balmaseda, who is chasing a place in the top-20 of the Order of Merit to secure full playing rights for 2026. “You want to do well, and particularly this week because of the host. He’s a great captain, a great player but also a great person. I’ve been having a problem with my short game and yesterday he gave me a lesson. He’s just so generous to do that so close to the tournament.”
Balmaseda will be hoping to build on a solid performance at the recent Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, where he sat one off the lead after 36 holes before fading over the weekend and finishing T17. “My game is in good shape and I hope to do well. I played really well in Scotland, apart from a couple of bad holes which changed everything and I didn’t recover from. But I feel like I have the game to compete, it’s just that the results haven’t matched it.”
Earlier in the week Olazábal hosted a press conference at the city hall, along with representatives of the institutions that have made it possible for the Legends Tour to visit the region for the first time. In the afternoon, more than 200 children attended a clinic at Basozábal led by Olazábal, Luna, Quirós, and Balmaseda.
Confirming his commitment to developing future generations, Olazábal also leads the
Basque Team at Basozábal. “Continuing to compete excites me, but just as important is being alongside young players, watching them grow, and being able to share some of my experience. That motivates me as much as any victory,” said Olazábal. “There’s no doubt we have a strong pipeline of talent. Here in Basozábal we have many kids and young players of all ages. Juan (Sarasti, director of the Academy) is doing a fantastic job preparing them to compete. Overall, I think Spanish golf is in a very good place. We have players showing great potential and I hope that before long, some of them will break through to the very top.”
The tournament begins on Friday, with free entry to all spectators.
