Robert Moran and Ronan Mullarney both made promising starts on the Alps Tour to sit within touching distance of the leaders at the Andorra Open.
Moran shot a four-under-par 67 to sit four off the leaders Ignacio Arcaya and Javier Calles Roman, while Mullarney is a shot further back, after a three-under-par 68.
24-year-old Arcaya is still seeking his first victory on the Alps Tour despite multiple top-10 finishes, and he will be happy with his first round right-under-par 63. His standout round included an eagle on the par-5 4th hole, eight birdies and just a single bogey on the 15th hole.
Reflecting on his performance, Arcaya said, “It was a very solid round. I made a couple of long putts at the beginning which got the round going in the right direction. From there it was about executing the game plan and staying aggressive.” He highlighted his birdie on the 9th — “a long par 3” —as a key moment, adding, “Making a 10-meter putt for birdie there was a bonus.”
Arcaya credited his all-around performance and comfort with course conditions: “Today every part of the game was solid, so I will try to keep doing what I am doing. The conditions were ideal today. I found the greens to be a bit faster than during the previous days, so had to adjust for that.” Looking ahead, he noted, “My main focus for the next few days is to commit to my shots and my strategy.”
Calles Roman from Spain joins Arcaya in the lead, as the young Spaniard, who secured his first professional title earlier this year at the Lacanau Alps Open, made 10 birdies and just two bogeys on the challenging, windy afternoon.. Calles Roman turned professional in May 2024 and has quickly made his mark on the tour.
Reflecting on his opening round, he said, “It was a really great performance tee to green today. I left myself plenty of chances, which was the key.” Despite the challenging conditions, he remained confident: “The wind picked up a lot, which changed the strategy on some holes for me, but I stayed aggressive and didn’t let the situation affect me.”
Looking ahead, Calles Roman emphasized the importance of maintaining focus. “It’s obviously very nice to be on top early. It sets the goal for the rest of the week. My focus for the rest of the week will be to keep focusing on myself and my strategy and be ready to adapt if situations or conditions change.” He added, “I have it in my mind all the time to try and win a second tournament this season. That’s all I think about—it helps me focus and play aggressively. Let’s see what happens this week. It’s a great start.”
Marc Boucher recovered from two double bogey’s to shoot a level-par 71. with Michael Young two shots further back, and Hugh Foley showing fatigue after Open qualifying, carding a three-over-par 74.
Mullarney and Moran will look to chase down the leaders on Friday with Moran underway at 1.06pm Irish time and Mullarney in the morning wave getting underway at 8.06am Irish time
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