Pablo Larrazabal

Player Profile - Pablo Larrazabal

On Sunday Spain's Pablo Larrazabal won his third European Tour event at the Abu Dhabi Championship. In this week's player profile we find out more about this talented 30-year-old who is making his mark on the European Golf circuit.

Raised to Work Hard

Larrazabal was born in 1983 in Barcelona, Spain. Growing up, he lived both in his home country and in the United States, where he caught the golfing bug during his high school years. The young Spaniard showed a natural talent for the game, and was ready to turn professional at the age of 19 - a career move that was delayed by two years while he worked long days at his father's fish farm and kept his game on form.

Two Seasons on the Challenge Tour

Having learned his life lessons in the family business, Larrazabal made his debut on the second-tier Challenge Tour in 2006. His rookie year was successful, but for the first two seasons of his career, Larrazabal was denied a victory. As the Spaniard slowly but surely refined his game, he qualified to play on the European Tour in the 2008 season.

Success on the European Tour

If Larrazabal was slow to win on the Challenge Tour, his debut on the top-level European Tour was just the opposite. Making 17 cuts off 28 starts and winning his first title at the 2008 French Open, and placing third at the Madrid Masters, the Spaniard finished his rookie season in 18th place on the Order of Merit, winning the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Award.

In 2009, Larrazabal weathered an inconsistent patch in his career which saw him card just a single top-10 finish. However, he consolidated his game during the 2010 season, and by 2011 he had won his second tournament at the BMW International Open, proving that he was more than just a flash in the pan.

Sunday's victory marks Larrazabal's third European Tour title. As one of Europe's most exciting young golfers, he is set to excite fans for years to come.

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