Jorge Fernández Valdés’ affection for Visa Argentina Open ascends to new level

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – When you ask Jorge Fernández Valdés about this week’s 117 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro, his face lights up. For the veteran Argentinian who narrowly missed earning his first PGA TOUR card last season, the tournament holds a special place in his heart. Fernández Valdés, the event’s 2021 champion, refers to it reverently as “El Abierto de la República,” or The Open of the Republic (of Argentina), a name that honors past generations and the event’s long history. Shortened by most to “El Abierto” – "The Open" – this tournament means a lot to all Argentines who love the game of golf.

Established in 1905, the Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro heads into its 117th playing as the world’s seventh oldest golf tournament and the oldest in Latin America. When Fernández Valdés won in 2021, the event was contested as part of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. This year’s Visa Argentina Open will break new ground as a Korn Ferry Tour-sanctioned event for the first time.

It's a significant milestone for Fernández Valdés, and for the Argentinian golf community at large, as he looks to take the next step in his career.

“Having a Korn Ferry Tour tournament in Argentina is something we have been longing for, for a long time,” said Fernández Valdés, who is playing his fifth full season as a Korn Ferry Tour member. “We have always believed that this was the right tournament to get us to this level.

“This is going to be huge for us; it’s a massive upgrade. The Korn Ferry Tour is a great Tour, with top-caliber players who are only a step away from the PGA TOUR. I believe this is going to have a great impact on the sport in Argentina. Our expectations are quite high.”

Fernández Valdés, 31, was born and raised in the city of Cordoba, a cradle of champions in central Argentina. He picked up the game at age 6 when his family moved into a golf-gated community.

“At the time I was very much into soccer, just like any other kid in Argentina,” said Fernández Valdés, who improved steadily and by age 13 was already representing Argentina in international competitions.

“You know, soccer runs in our blood around here. I used to play tennis as well, but golf grabbed my attention as soon as I got started. It became a priority, and I never took a break from it.”

His love affair with El Abierto began not long after. In 2008, as a 15-year-old amateur, he survived a 5-for-2 playoff to emerge from the tournament qualifier. At Buenos Aires’ Hurlingham Club, with the tournament co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour and Tour de las Américas, he played well enough to make the cut and claim low-amateur honors. The kid made quite an impression.

He next played the event in 2011, still an amateur, and came agonizingly close to victory at Pilar Golf Club. In contention for the title, he hit two balls in the water for a quadruple-bogey seven at the par-3 17th that saw him slip into a tie for eighth. The ending stung, but the week confirmed him as a rising star.

Exactly 10 years later, he found redemption with a three-shot victory at the event’s 115th edition.

“All Argentine golfers dream of winning this event, and I’m extremely excited for what lies ahead following this win,” he said upon prevailing at Nordelta Golf Club. “Hopefully, it’s a stepping stone to make it to the PGA TOUR.”

With that win, he became the first Argentine player to claim the event’s Open Championship invite, which The R&A first awarded to the Visa Argentina Open champion in 2016. That meant a spot at The 150th Open at The Old Course at St. Andrews, his first and only major championship start to date.

That victory also sparked his return to the Korn Ferry Tour, on which he had previously competed from 2014 through 2016. He finished third on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s 2021-22 Points List to earn a 2023 Korn Ferry Tour card.

Back on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, Fernández Valdés came close to accomplishing the ultimate goal. After a playoff victory at the UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH in early June, he stood No. 10 on the season-long standings, well positioned to earn his first PGA TOUR card via the top 30. He entered the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance at No. 24 on the Points List, but a tie for 61st at Victoria National Golf Club proved insufficient. He dropped to 31st, finishing only 5.44 points outside the top 30.

“That was tough because I worked towards that goal the entire year,” he said. “When you miss by such a short margin, a lot of things go through your mind.

“I won’t go and tell you that it didn’t affect me or that I didn’t care,” he added. “If that was the case, I wouldn’t be here today. I carry that anger within me, but you need to channel that anger into working harder, into understanding where you failed, so you can become a better player and be better prepared to get to where you want to get to.”

Thanks to a strong support system that includes his wife, Martina, and his daughter, Azalea, who will turn 2 on March 9, Fernández Valdés has put things in perspective. Above all, he remains focused on his dream.

“At this point, making it to the PGA TOUR remains my motivation,” he said. “Those 30 spots are what we are here for and even more so having been so close last year. I feel like I’m back with much more desire, ready to raise the stakes and move up.”

Fernández Valdés has missed three of four cuts to begin the Korn Ferry Tour season, and he stands No. 110 on the Points List, well outside the coveted top-30 position. Plenty of tournaments remain, though, and there’s no better place than Argentina to kick-start an ascent to higher ground.