Shane Lowry admitted that he was close to running on empty at last week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and his opening round at the Open de España suggests that the tank has run dry.
The Offaly man is playing his eighth tournament in 10 weeks, with trips back and forth across the Atlantic thrown in, and on a day of tough scoring at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, he failed to make a single birdie.
Bogeys on his opening hole – the 10th – and two more on 12 and 17 saw him reach the turn at +3, and another shot would go on the sixth leading to a first-round, four-over 75 and a tie for 100th.
With Jon Rahm the standout draw from a Spanish perspective, it was the surprise package of Angel Hidalgo who delighted the home fans with a six-under-par 65 for a two-shot first-round lead.
While most were struggling with the conditions, the big-hitting Hidalgo demolished the front nine in just 30 strokes and maintained his score despite a late wobble.
“I played really, really good today,” said Hidalgo. “It was a long time I didn’t stroke the putt as well as today. Doesn’t matter if I hole it or not, but the way I was stroking the putt was great.
“Yeah, unlucky the last few shots, two bad swings with the irons, and well, unlucky. But pretty happy I sign this round all my career here, but yeah, looking forward the next three days.
“It was an important one, especially when I hole an important putt on number six. I think that was the key for the next three birdies, that putter. This course have this type of stretch that you can make a few birdies in a row. So yeah, today, pretty happy, I’m not going to lie, obviously if I make three pars to finish, I’d probably be more happy but yeah, it’s good
“It’s different. I’m not going to lie. You feel the love. You feel the support. Yeah, it’s incredible playing at home, and I wish that we could play more tournaments here.”
His nearest challengers were Julien Guerrier, Sepp Straka and Sam Bairstow after rounds of 67, with three-time champion Rahm in the group a further shot back.
Rahm – winner of his home open in 2018, 2019 and 2022, the latter two at this venue – sandwiched birdies at the fourth, eighth and 13th with bogeys at the third and 16th.
The 10-time DP World Tour winner finished in style with a 27-foot birdie putt at the penultimate hole before a perfect drive, chip and putt at the last to sit alongside compatriot Adri Arnaus and China’s Ashun Wu at three under.
Rahm admitted that he’d have been happy with several strokes more prior to getting his round underway.
“I was telling somebody before the round, I think it was my family, even maybe yesterday. Just flying in yesterday afternoon, not having touched a club in a while, and you know, between being sick and hospital beds, I was like — with the wind forecasted, if I could somehow break 75, I’ll be happy and see if I can work myself into the tournament,” he explained.
“You know, I keep putting it in play for the most part, and giving myself good looks. Made a few really good par putts on six and 11 that saved the round. Had a great finish and I find myself with a great score that is rather, I would say, unexpected.
“It’s hard. There’s quite a bit of elevation change on a few of the holes here, right. So a lot of times, the wind funnels through the hole, so whatever you feel on the hole is different to what it might be doing above.
“You have to play that to put that into account and think about what type of ball flight you’re going to try to hit. The second hole is a perfect example. I hit it a little bit lower than I expected instead of being pushed to the right and hurt, almost got helped, right. But I think that works both ways. I think sometimes we get lucky and other times we don’t.”
Two more Spaniards, amateur Luis Masaveu and Rahm’s Olympic team-mate David Puig, were at two under alongside England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Sam Jones of New Zealand. Meanwhile, defending champion Mathieu Pavon was in a large group at one under.
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