The world of golf continues to be shaken by the injection of petrodollars into a universe until recently dominated by the economic power of the American circuit. The last chapter has a protagonist born in San Sebastián 32 years ago. His name is Adrian Otaegui and this Tuesday he announced that from now on he will stop competing for Spain and will do so under the flag of the United Arab Emirates, the country where he has lived (in Dubai) for 13 years.
“The United Arab Emirates is my home, I love its culture and the way it has been one of the most innovative countries in the last 50 years. My motivation is to represent the Emirates around the world and bring home an Olympic medal for this incredible country,” explained Otaegui. Shortly after, the world golf ranking website, in which he appears in number 173, already presented him along with his new flag.
Otaegui has five victories on the European golf circuit, including the 2022 Valderrama Masters, which he won after facing financial fines for enrolling early in three tournaments of the revolutionary Saudi League, LIV Golf, in London, Portland and Boston. Now he has gone one step further and will no longer represent Spain starting at the Nedbank Challenge, a tournament that takes place in South Africa next week.
“The younger generations of Emirati golfers must have a role model, someone they know and who inspires them to become better golfers. “I am very excited to help the development of golf in the UAE and help the Emirates Golf Federation create an elite program for future champions,” commented Otaegui to justify his change of shirt.
