The Frenchman, leader from day one, wins at CC Villa de Madrid after being second last year
MADRID, 15 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The French golfer Matthieu Pavon debuted his record as a professional this Sunday by winning the Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid, a scoring tournament for the DP World Tour and which was played at the Villa de Madrid Country Club, after a final Sunday where he managed well their advantage and where there were no options for the Spanish, without a miraculous comeback by Jon Rahm or the trick of Alfredo García Heredia.
Pavon, 30 years old and son of former Betis midfielder Michel Pavon, had already announced last year that he liked the Madrid route. Then, he was second, six shots behind a huge Jon Rahm, but this time it was he who finished well ahead of Barrika, whose great start to Sunday made the spectators dream at times.
But even if the Biscayan had not faltered a little in the second nine holes, it would have been very difficult to snatch the victory from a French player who was very solid throughout the week and whose pulse did not even tremble on the final day when he found himself so close to his first big title.
Number 65 of the Race to Dubai was not disturbed by anyone, not even by the German Marcel Siem, excellent on Sunday with a spectacular card of 61 strokes (-10), equaling the course record of the British Ross McGowan in 2021 and which gave him a total -17 that did not intimidate the Frenchman, washed down with champagne by several teammates on the same ‘green’ of the 18th at the end of his victory.
Pavon was very confident and signed a final round of 64 strokes (-7), without the stain of any ‘bogey’ (he only made three in this entire Spanish Open, which he led from start to finish), for a total of -23 , two away from the tournament record set by Rahm last year and which he could not reach in his last five holes. Behind him, the South African Zander Lombard, whom he surpassed by four strokes.
The honor of being the best Spaniard was shared and finally corresponded to Jon Rahm, whose great final card of 64 strokes (-7) made him rise in the classification with a total of -14, equal with the Asturian Alfredo García Heredia in the ninth position.
The man from Gijon was the best national asset to leave the title at ‘home’ since he started four strokes behind Pavon, but he was never able to be in the real fight despite a good start with two birdies in the first four holes. Two consecutive bogeys at 15 and 16 slowed him down, but he knew how to react to finish with two birdies and catch up with Barrika in the standings. Alejandro del Rey finished with -13 and veteran Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño with -11.