A Spaniard wins the Open de Espaa, but not the favorite on the eve. In fact, the title went to Angel Hidalgo, fully deserved after a lead that ended with 270 (65 67 68 70, -14) shots, even if he had to resort to a playoff to get it.
ADVERTISEMENT
After 71 holes all in the lead, he was reached on the last one by his compatriot Jon Rahm (270 68 69 65 68), who then gave in on the second extra hole, failing to go beyond par in front of the winners birdie and missing the quartet after having won this event three times in the last five editions.
Rahm, at the end of the 16th hole was two shots behind. Champions are such because in the decisive moments they are capable of anything, even making two birdies and canceling the disadvantage, perhaps even with the complicity of the opponent who, under pressure, missed the short putt of the victory.
In the play-off, both scored a birdie on the first hole, then Hidalgo repeated it, while Rahm missed the drive and never came back.
ADVERTISEMENT
Rahm, results
On the course of the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid (par 71), in the Spanish capital, the two protagonists distanced themselves by four shots from six competitors in third place with 274 (-10): the other Iberian David Puig also in the LIV Golf like Rahm, who was unable to find the right rhythm in the final round after having put himself in a position to fight for the victory, the English Tommy Fleetwood and Joe Dean, the Swede Jens Fahrbring and the Scot Grant Forrest.
In tenth with 276 (-8), the American Patrick Reed, another star of the Arab Super League, and only in 52nd with 284 (par) the Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, son of the former footballer Michel Pavon, who was defending the title.
Of the Italians, Francesco Laporta ranked 39th with 282 (70 71 73 68, -2) and Andrea Pavan, 57th with 285 (73 70 67 75, +1). Angel Hidalgo Portillo, 26 years old from Marbella, stood out on the Alps Tour with two successes in 2021, then in the same year he won on the Challenge Tour (Big Green Egg German Challenge).
ADVERTISEMENT
Since 2022 he has been on the main circuit where up to now he had collected seven top tens. In the 77 appearances of this three-year period he has cashed 46 times. He concluded his run with a 70 (-1) the result of four birdies and three bogeys, while Rahm has been rather inconsistent, albeit with a better score of 68 (-3).
Three birdies and two bogeys on the first nine holes, then a birdie, a double bogey that distanced him from Hidalgo, and the recovery with three birdies, including two to close. The winner received a check for 552,500 dollars on a prize pool of 3,250,000 dollars.
Those left out after 36 holes were Filippo Celli and Renato Paratore, 70th with 145 (+3) and out by one shot, Matteo Manassero, 104th with 148 (+6), Lorenzo Scalise, 121st with 150 (+8), and Edoardo Molinari, 128th with 151 (+9).
