Interview Javier Reviriego, CEO Real Club Valderrama
? What was your impression regarding the amount of spectators compared to last year?
! It was about 20 % more, almost 24 %. To be honest, as Valderrama, we don't rate the success only on spectators. We have other benchmarks. But I think we had a really good crowd on the weekend. Especially Sunday, was really, really good with the crowd following Sergio and Jon. So we are very happy.
? What impact did the participation of Jon Rahm have?
! I think John's presence had a huge impact! He's a very popular star in Spain, so the fact that he was here obviously made a big difference. I also think Bryson de Chambeau is having a huge impact for LIV.
? How do you rate the evolution of LIV Golf Andalucía compared to last year?
! I really see a change in the perception of the public in relation to last year. We have seen progress for sure. The fact that everybody knows that the PGA Tour and LIV are sort of negotiating some kind of deal, helps. I don't know where that will go, but LIV now is a player in the business. We have to accept this. And we have to accept that they're here for the long run. Furthermore, people have realized that the players that are with LIV are missed on the PGA Tour. LIV has improved some of the things about their events. For example, here at Valderrama, a lot less music, the volume of the music was much lower and the playlist was different. I also think the team idea with LIV is starting to be understood by the golf public. Furthermore, we moved some hospitality areas to new locations to increase revenues from hospitality sales.
? Can you tell us something about the economic impact for the region?
! Andalucía government estimated a 30 million Euros impact in the area for the week. We had over a thousand employees, all hotels and restaurants were full, all rental cars booked. It's great for a city and a club to host an event of this magnitude.
? Tyrell Hatton suggested to hold an event on a links course in the week prior to The Open on the LIV tour as well. Would you be open to moving to another date on the calendar?
! Of course, we are. I'm not sure July is the best date, to be honest, because a lot of people in Spain in July are on holidays. We have like 70,000 golfers from other countries at Costa del Sol. Many of them are back in their home countries in July. So maybe at a different date, we will have all of them at the event. We have to analyze this and will come to a conclusion with our partners from LIV.
? Would you say LIV has found its place in the world of golf tours?
! I'm a traditionalist. I love the British Open, I love the US Open. But I think there's room in golf for tradition and innovation. Golf needed to have a little bit of spice in the golf calendar. That doesn't mean that the traditional golf events have to change! But I think there's room for everything. And if the public likes it, why not? One of the intentions of LIV is to attract a younger audience, we saw a lot of kids attending LIV Golf Andalucía.
Thank you very much for these fantastic insights and looking forward to 2025 already!
Autor: Michael Althoff