The favorite, the leader and also the Spaniard David Puig, who crashed the party, will play the main match
MADRID, 28 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish golfer Jon Rahm launched his attack on Ángel Hidalgo in the Spanish Open but the favorite did not make a solid leader doubt after three days at the Villa de Madrid Country Club, with two strokes of difference facing an outcome this Sunday that will have a stellar match for both with the also Spanish David Puig.
Rahm continues with his plan to win his fourth title, with which he would surpass his idol Severiano Ballesteros, and this Saturday it was time to attack. After becoming a father for the third time on Monday, overcoming the flu, catching a plane in extremis and not picking up a club in a week, the one from Barrika drew a ‘game by game’ that is working out for him.
The penultimate day was to be noticed, to demand something more in a field where he set the tournament record two years ago (-25). Rahm did so with a -6 that placed him second, but Hidalgo, also a true revelation, endured another day of pressure and the close pursuit of twenty players to remain the leader.
The Basque and the Marbella player, favorite and first since Thursday, monopolize a Spanish Open with a national flavor that promises a Sunday of excitement and passion with the expected wave of fans. As if that were not enough, in addition to ‘dad and mom’, people will have another familiar face in the stellar match, that of David Puig who, with another -6 this Saturday, placed -10, compared to -11 from Rahm and -13 of Hidalgo.
The former world number one polished the details he was missing on Friday and, despite breaking his drive on the 5th hole and recovering it on the 14th, he signed six birdies without a mistake. The last one, in the 18th, where Hidalgo also cut back in a row. The three-time champion smelled blood but the Marbella native endured a stressful day, with two bogeys and five birdies, including that last joy on the 18th.
The leader recovered and saved more committed putts, knowing that the grand finale awaits him in search of the first title of his career and at home. Behind the trio of Spaniards, the American Patrick Reed, champion of the Augusta Masters in 2018, is at -8, five shots behind the head, the same as the Englishman Joe Dean. There are two other Spaniards on the lookout, such as Adri Arnaus (-7) and Alfredo García-Heredia (-6).