DP World Tour pro Adrian Otaegui will no longer represent the country of his birth, Spain, in future events after switching allegiance to the United Arab Emirates, where he is based.
The announcement came from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Olympic Committee and the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), who have confirmed that Otaegui will represent the UAE on all professional golf tours worldwide.
Otaegui, who has five DP World Tour wins, has lived in the UAE for 13 years, while he is a golden passport holder in the country and owns property in Dubai. The 32-year-old explained that one of his ambitions is to claim an Olympic medal for the country.
He told the Emirates Golf Federation: “The UAE is my home, I love its culture and the way it has been one of the most innovative countries over the last 50 years. My motivation is to represent the UAE around the world and to bring home an Olympic medal for this amazing country.”
Otaegui, who has also worked as an ambassador for the Emirates Golf Federation and the UAE national golf team, went on to explain that he’d like to become a role model to inspire the younger generation of UAE citizens to improve as well as contribute to the growth of the game in the country.
He added: “At the same time, I feel the young generations of Emirati golfers must have a model, someone they know, and someone to inspire 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.”
Emirates Golf Federation Vice Chairman General Abdullah Alhashmi believes Otaegui’s decision will be beneficial to achieving that aim. He said: “This is an amazing accomplishment not only for Adrian but also for UAE golf. We will continue to develop and push our country to the highest levels across the world.
“Adrian has been an ambassador for UAE golf for a long time and his integrity on and off the golf course is what we want our programs and national players to resemble.
“We wish Adrian, his family, and his entire team the best of luck and we look forward to many more accomplishments in the near future.”
Otaegui, who was born in San Sebastian, turned professional in 2011 and has been a regular on the DP World Tour since 2016, although he was also part of the initial intake of players to LIV Golf six years later.
Also in 2022, he cruised to the Andalucia Masters title at one of Spain’s most famous courses, Valderrama, setting a tournament record at 19-under.
His most recent DP World Tour win came in May at the Volvo China Open, while he finished 13th at the DP World Tour Championship, which was held in Dubai, earlier this month.
The decision means Otaegui will no longer be in the running for a place in Luke Donald's Team Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
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