The champagne should remain in the fridge for now. We agree. The start of the Asian Tour School Final hasn’t been spectacular, but it’s much better than it might seem at first glance. Let’s dig in.
First, let’s start with the basic facts you need to know. It’s being held in Thailand, Hua Hin, over five days of competition, and there are four Spaniards participating. After the second day, there will be a cut with the top 140 and ties. At the end of the fourth day, only the top 70 and ties will advance. On the fifth and final day, the top 35 will earn their card for 2025, with no ties. If necessary, there would be a playoff.
With the groundwork laid, let’s look at the performance of the Spaniards. None are in the top 35, two are in the top 70, and all four are in the top 140. It seems reasonable to describe this first day as modest but interesting. We might say they show potential…
Eduard Rousaud (-2) and Carlos Pigem (-2) are the best Spaniards after these first 18 holes. They are in 44th place, six shots behind the leaders, but just one shot away from the top 35, the real goal of the week. The School Final is being held at the Lake View Resort, courses A and B and C and D (they weren’t very creative with the names). Rousaud played C and C today, while Pigem played A and B. It’s the same result, but Rousaud’s should be valued more as he played the more difficult course this Tuesday. Of the top 27, only eight played C and D. The Barcelona golfer achieved four birdies and two bogeys, while Pigem was a bit more restrained, with three birdies and a solitary bogey.
As we say, the cut with the top 35 is at -3, the top 70 is at -1, and the 140th place is at +2. Pep Anglés (PAR) also played C and D and had a very eventful day. It was two birdies, an eagle, and four bogeys. He is three shots away from the top 35, nothing to get nervous about with four days still ahead.
Not even Alejandro Cañizares’ (+1) start is a disaster. It’s true that the Estepona native played the A and B course, which is somewhat more manageable, but it’s also true that Cañi has the experience and enough golf skills to expect his best version in the days to come, whether on a more difficult or easier course.
Obviously, the first goal tomorrow is to make the cut with the top 140. Otherwise, it’s back home. It would also be interesting to get someone into the top 35 and ensure the furthest one doesn’t go more than five shots away from that coveted 35th place.
The leaders of the Final are Kyungnam Kang and Ajeetesh Sandhu, with a round of eight shots under par.
