The European Tour moves back to Spain, this week, as the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla plays host to the Open de Espana.

As expected, there is a strong local challenge, in an event that coincides with the anniversary of the death of the greatest of Spanish golfers, Seve Ballesteros, who sadly passed away on 7th May, last year.

He himself was successful three times in this tournament, which was, in fact, the first official European Tour event in 1972, and a lot of the home-grown talent lining up this week grew up idolising and wanting to emulate the five-time Major winner.

In yet another landmark, the Open de Espana celebrates its centenary, this year, and one man hoping to do well is countryman Alvaro Quiros, successful here in 2010.

Winner of six European Tour events, to date, including twice in Dubai, last year, he possesses a big swing that should help round this course as it did two years ago.

Jose Maria Olazabal was a good friend of Ballesteros, so it would be somewhat fitting if the useful Ryder Cup player proves triumphant. Fellow Spaniard, Miguel Angel Jimenez, has amassed 18 European Tour titles, including four in his home country, but, as yet, this one has eluded him.

Jimenez finished a respectable fifth in the Ballantine’s in Korea, last week, but at the age of 48, is time against him? The great Arnold Palmer is the oldest player to have won here, as a 45-year-old, in 1975. In contrast, Sergio Garcia was the youngest, at just 22 when successful, 10 years ago.

Finally, it is always folly to rule out the defending champion, so a mention is given to South African, Thomas Aiken, although history is against him.

No player has doubled up since the event became part of the European Tour, and, in fact, the last player to complete the feat in the event was a certain Max Faulkner, in 1952-53.

The Open de Espana will almost certainly play host to players that recently ranked highly in the US Masters odds, making the event something of a must-see for golf fans.

The second week in June is a date for the diary as, a month before London 2012 gets under way, the second golf Major of the year tees off at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Some very famous names have graced the venue since the Lakeside course first played host to the event in 1955, the year that Ben Hogan was beaten in a play-off.

The legendary Arnold Palmer was beaten in 1966, and Tom Watson followed suit when the course next staged the tournament, in 1987, losing out to Scott Simpson.

The big-name hoodoo continued, in 1998, when Payne Stewart threw away a four-stroke lead, going down to a lesser-ranked rival in Lee Janzen.

If the likes of Mcllroy, Donald, and Westwood come up short, in June, fans should not be surprised.

An Englishman named Horace Rawlins, who collected the princely sum of $150, won the first ever US Open, staged in Rhode Island in 1895, but in its 116-year history, players from the home continent have dominated it.

Indeed, until Graeme McDowell broke the mould in 2010, followed 12 months ago by Mcllroy, the last ‘outsider’ to come good was our very own Tony Jacklin in Minnesota, in 1970.

Even he only picked up $30,000 as the winner’s prize, a miniscule amount compared to the cheque received by Mcllroy, last year, a staggering $1,440,000.

Four players, including the great Jack Nicklaus, have been successful four times, while Tiger Woods is currently on three wins, the last of which came at Torrey Pines in 2008. Woods is the favourite to claim his fourth Championship title in the Open odds.

After his much-publicised problems, the former world number one is starting to make his mark again, and it would be foolish to write him off.

Given the record of South African golfers in this event (five wins in all), it would come as no surprise if the likes of Louis Oosthuizen or Charl Scwartzel were to grab the glory stateside, come Sunday 17th June.