Five years ago it was 1,865 in the world and today it is 90. Santiago Tarrío (Touro, A Coruña, 1990) does not have the fame of Jon Rahm or Sergio García, but he occupies a privileged position in the ranking, being the third Spanish in it. The Galician leads the Road to Mallorca of the Challenge (the second category of the European Tour) and his great 2021 guarantees him the European Tour card for 2022. At the Acciona Open de España in Madrid he arrives without pressure and with the desire to claim. “We are preparing next year and here I really do not play almost anything. I want to gain experience. I am trying new clubs and I need to know them a little more, but I have hit very good shots although for example with the drive I have been regular,” he assured after a first day in which he signed 66 shots (-5) to occupy the eleventh place, five shots behind the leader, the Englishman McGowan, after a spectacular day of public influx: “The atmosphere is spectacular. Surely Rahm notices more the heat of the public that I (laughs), but I cannot complain. There are many friends, many people from Galicia who traveled here and it is to be appreciated “.
Tarrío’s path has been very different from that of most. He started playing at age 8, at the hands of his father who was also a professional, and did not leave a golf course until the main sponsor left him. As he did not come from national teams or be awarded a scholarship by any university, the dream faded and he woke up in a nightmare. From being one of the great hopes after becoming a professional at the age of 18, he went on to work as a waiter in the hotel and catering establishments that his family ran in the Compostela region. It was several years of almost forgetting golf and hardly training. The support of family, friends or small sponsors, after even having to ask for a loan to play, allowed him to think again about fulfilling his great ambition. And of course, Noelia. His partner and caddy was the key to not throwing in the towel. She was also the one who contacted the sports psychologist Joaquín Dosil, who became one of the fundamental pieces of the Galician golfer’s success.
“It is proven that whoever works, strives and fights for his goals, in the end has a chance”, Tarrío affirms that now he treads with lead feet: “The first objective is to keep a card, it is what I am going to try, to take firm steps and not false”. A path that already seems straight and that has allowed him to breathe easier and not have to worry so much about the next tournament. “To have been half a season without risking my life is a gift, having guaranteed the card on the European circuit so soon. You play calmer and you enjoy golf, “he said to ‘La Voz de Galicia’.
Tarrío, who would like to share a game with Rahm on the weekend (“you don’t play every day with the world’s number one”), Just think about enjoying the Acciona Open in Spain and the Andalucía Masters. His plan is the Road to Challenge Mallorca although two good results could lead him to the Road to Dubai European Tour. “Dubai is far away for now, Mallorca is closer to me, but hopefully I will have that problem in a couple of weeks. Now it’s time to enjoy Madrid and next week the Andalucía Masters, two tournaments at home, and whatever comes to the fore this season is welcome, “he tells AS.
The 30-year-old Galician wants to leave behind what happened at the Tokyo Games when an administrative error left him out after being the player who should have replaced Rahm to represent Spain: “Tokyo is behind us, we turn the page and hopefully I have another opportunity to represent my country in the Olympic Games that I think is unique and we will fight for it.” Now he is focused on Madrid where he puts numbers on the possible victory: “If the field continues all weekend in these conditions and the wind does not blow, I think the victory will be around -25. With a card of -5 the first day, even if you have not taken advantage of the pairs 5 that were available today, you can never be disappointed “.
