Career Information
(This is from Diario Vasco's golf section-devoted entirely to Jose Maria and pretty much serving as his personal website. This career information was written by Jose Maria in Spanish. I have translated some key words and passages (to the best of my ability) so that you might understand it better. You can access the orginal page (Txema's Bio) from my links page. Any errors in Spanish or in the translation are mine. (I can't type in the Spanish correctly (ie: no accent marks, etc...)
Txema's Bio
by J.M. Olazabal
posted in Diario Vasco's golf section
Jose Maria Olazabal
Fecha de nacimiento: 5 de febrero de 1966 (Date of Birth: February 5, 1966)
Lugar de nacimiento: Fuentarrabia (Gipuzkoa) (Place of Birth: Fuentarrabia, Gipuzkoa)
Mis Primeros Contactos (My First Contacts)
En julio de 1966 se inaugura el nuevo campo de golf del Real Golf Club de San Sebastian en los terrenos cercanos a mi casa, pasando mi abuelo Jose Maria Manterola a ser el capataz, funcion en la que tomo el relevo posteriormente mi padre. Con solo dos anos, mi primer juguete fue un palo de golf que manejaba con las bolas que encontraba mi padre en el campo. A los siete anos ganaba el Campeonato de Espana de Alevines y desde entonces se han producido los siguientes resultados:
(In July of 1966 a new golf course, the Royal Golf Club of San Sebastian, was opened on the land near my house. My grandfather, Jose Maria Manterola became the overseer, a job that later became my father's. At the age of only 2 years, my first toy was a golf club that I used with some balls my father found on the course. At 7 years I won the Spanish Championship for Alevines (I don't have a translation for that -it's not in my dictionary - maybe youth?) and since then the following results have been produced:
Amateur
(Campeonatos means Championship in English)
7 - Campeonatos de Espana Alevines e Infantiles (Sub-12 y Sub-15)
3 - Campeonatos de Espana - Boys (Sub -18)
3 - Campeonatos de Espana - Juniors (Sub-22)
2 - Campeonatos de Espana - Amateur Absoluto
1 - World Championship - Boys (Sub-18) Atlanta, 1982
1 - Juegos del Mediterraneo - Rabat, 1982 (Games of the Mediterranean)
2 - Internacionales de Italia (Italian Internationals)
1 - Internacional de Belgica (Belgian International)
1 - Internacional de Francia (French International)
1 - Internacional de Suecia (Swiss International)
1 - British Boys Championship 1983 *
1 - British Amateur Championship 1984 *
1 - British Youth Championship 1985 *
*La verdad es que no ha conseguido ganar los tres titulos britanicos nadie mas que yo en la historia, lo cual me llena de orgullo. (The truth is that the three british titles have never been won by anyone in the past except me, which fills me with pride.)
1 - Silver Medal British Open Championship 1985
En abril de 1985 participe como amateur en el Masters de Augusta. (In April of 1985 I participated as an amateur in the Masters at Augusta.)
Profesional - 1985
Mi llegada al mundo profesional se produjo en el mes de noviembre de ese ano. (My arrival/entrance in the professional world came in the month of November of that year.)
Gane la Escuela de clasificacion del Tour Europeo y perdi en diciembre el Campeonato de Espana de Profesionales en un bonito play-off con Severiano Ballesteros. (I won the European Tour Q- School and lost the Spanish Professionals Championship in December in a great play-off with Severiano Ballesteros.)
1986
Open de Suiza (Swiss Open)
Open de Barcelona (Barcelona Open)
Segunda en la Orden de Merito detras de Severiano Ballesteros. (Second on the Order of Merit after Seve.)
1987
La Ryder Cup con el equipo europeo. Momento importante. Nunca habia ganado Europa la Ryder hasta aquel dia. 17 en la Orden de Merito. Participaciones en torneos americanos de primera fila: Greensboro Open, Masters Augusta, Memorial, US Open, PGA Championship y Kapalua Open. (The Ryder Cup with the European team. An important moment. Europe had never won the Ryder Cup until that day. 17 in the Order of Merit. Participation in first rate American tournaments: Greensboro Open, Masters, Memorial, US Open, PGA Championship and the Kapalua Open.)
1988
Open de Belgica (Belgian Open)
Master de Alemania (German Masters)
Tercero in la Orden de Merito. (Third in the Order of Merit.)
1989
Open de Tenerife (Tenerife Open)
Open de Holanda (Holland Open)
Visa Taimeiyo Club Masters de Japon (Visa Taimeiyo Club Masters of Japan)
Segundo en la Orden de Merito. Participaciones en la Ryder Cup, Open de Houston, Masters, US Open y PGA Championship. (Second in the Order of Merit. Participation in the Ryder Cup, Houston Open, Masters, US Open and the PGA Championship.)
1990
Tour Europeo
Benson and Hedges International
Open de Irlanda (Irish Open)
Trofeo Lancome (Lancome Trophy)
USA World Series of Golf
Visa Taiheiyo Club Masters
Tercero en la Orden de Merito. Tercero in el Sony Ranking. Sistema de puntos acumulados sobre 3 anos de historial. (Third in the Order of Merit. Third in the Sony Ranking. A system of points accumulated over the past 3 years.)
1991
Open de Cataluna
Epson Grand Prix
International U.S. A.
Participacion en la Ryder Cup.
1992
Open de Tenerife
Open del Mediterraneo
1993
Segundo (second) en el Benson & Hedges International.
Segundo (second) en el Carroll's Irish Open.
1994
Open del Mediterraneo
Masters de Augusta
Volvo PGA
USA World Series of Golf
1995
Perrier Paris (con Severiano Ballesteros)
1997
Turespana Open Canarias
Ryder Cup
1998
Dubai Desert Classic