Angel Hidalgo He still remembers his first absolute amateur Spanish championship, it was in Laukariz in 2015 and he started with 81 strokes “throwing the ball in all directions,” he remembers. On that first day, Jon Rahm He took 12 strokes in 18 holes and ended up winning the tournament, the last Spanish Championship on his record before turning professional. Hidalgo would miss the cut, but would return the following year to win.
It is clear that Hidalgo and Rahm live very different realities, but the two come together at the Spanish golf festival in Madrid and no matter what happens this weekend at the Country Club, the man from Malaga will sleep as the leader. At -10 he is the unexpected protagonist of the Acciona Open of Spain and for the second consecutive day he commands the tournament with a firm hand, five strokes ahead of his admired Rahm.
Hidalgo arrived nervously at the tee of the 10th hole. There he did not miss the call from his mother and the virtual kiss. A ritual that does not fail, before hitting an imposing driver and leave the ball 80 centimeters from the hole on your second shot. A birdie very reassuring. He finished the round with 67 strokes on a much more benevolent and affordable day in terms of weather, which took him up to double digits with four ahead of Joe Deanhis party partner in the first two days. Five hits, bugle call: they share third place with -5, a group led by Jon Rahm y Patrick Reedbetween the two of them they have two Augusta Masters and one US Open.
“I didn’t play so well today”
“Do you consider yourself a favorite?” the press asked him at the end. “No, the favorite is Jon. He has a 99% chance of winning, so leave me 1%, whatever may happen,” he joked. Then, in the afternoon, a virtual walk through social networks and a real one through the capital of Spain, with a stop at the Santiago Bernabéu to buy some souvenirs from your favorite team. Normal for a 26-year-old kid, even if he is the leader of the Spanish Open.
For his part, Rahm had a day with ups and downs. Four birdies and a monumental eagle were his credentials to the title. The problem is that he continued to make mistakes that materialized in four bogeys who left their round at -2. “Today I didn’t play so well, some shots fell short, I didn’t take the fairways I should have… Still, I’m happy. If on Wednesday they told me that I was going to be at -5 taking into account the wind Yesterday, I would have signed it. But today, in the tee of the 16th I wouldn’t have done it. “I’m more rested, I’ve been sleeping well for two nights and I’m ready for the weekend,” the LIV Golf champion threatens.
In third position, also with -5, the Asturian appears in his second youth Alfredo García Heredia with 67 hits today and close the top-10, David Puig (-4) y Adri Arnaus (-4), as well as another of the great stars of the tournament: Tommy Fleetwood.