Fourth day of the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final. Penultimate round of this long and always tortuous path towards the card. Cut day. The second of the week. The top 70 and ties have made it through. Two Spaniards, Eduard Rousaud and Pep Anglés, continue, while one, Alejandro Cañizares, has been left out. Therefore, this Saturday, in the last and decisive day of this Qualifying School Final, Spanish golf will have two contenders fighting for two spots on the Asian circuit in 2025.
One of the two is in a better position. It’s Eduard Rousaud (-10). The golfer from Barcelona has delivered a more than notable moving day round at the Lake View Resort and Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand. He carded a 67, four under, on the C and D course, and has moved up to 19th place. As those who follow these Asian chronicles already know, tomorrow the top 35, without ties, will earn the card. Thus, what Rousaud has done today, with his good golf, is to create a small cushion for himself. It’s not definitive, but it does help to face the last 18 holes with some margin for error.
Rousaud built his great round today on the first nine holes. He came out all guns blazing, aware that he needed a very good round to avoid leaving all the work for tomorrow. His score on the first nine holes was four under, with two birdies and an eagle. He even reached five under after the 15th hole, but a final bogey on the 18th left him with a slight aftertaste. Be that as it may, one must look at the round as a whole, and the reality is that it was very good. The golfer who started the first Major of his career holing out for eagle from the fairway has given a good push towards the goal, but he has no choice but to keep pushing tomorrow. It’s likely that his current score will be enough for the card, but anything under par would be a guarantee.
Anglés (-7) has complicated things for himself, but he is still very much alive and kicking, as demonstrated by the birdie he made to finish his round. The player from Llavaneras shot 71, even par, on the C and D course. This has caused him to lose some positions to 38th place. He is one shot away from the coveted top 35. Let’s say Pep has run out of margin. He needs a very good round tomorrow to secure the card or at least get into a playoff for the 35th spot.
His round this Friday was under control. He started on the 10th hole and with three holes to go, he was two under for the day, which had him well within those top 35. The problem came at the end, or almost at the end. Anglés linked a bogey and a double bogey on holes 7 and 8. A blow. In 25 minutes, he went from being within the card to leaving himself a lot of work for tomorrow. In any case, the positive must also be highlighted. His reaction finishing with a birdie on the 9th is a strong statement of intent for what he will seek tomorrow.
Anglés’ end of the round is child’s play compared to what happened to Alejandro Cañizares (-3). The golfer from Málaga was fighting to make the cut set on this fourth day with the top 70 and ties. He passed his first nine holes with a score of two under par. Good balance. Solid. No bogeys. It was time to push on the next nine, not only to secure the cut but to leave the best possible chance on Saturday to get the card, that is, to get closer to the 35th spot. He managed to avoid mistakes, but the birdies didn’t fall. He made nine consecutive pars between the 9th and 17th and faced the 18th needing at least a par to have one last chance tomorrow. The coin landed tails. Bogey for Cañi and out of the cut by one shot. There are times when fortune is incredibly stubborn.
This Saturday, the last 18 holes will be played with that clear objective in everyone’s mind: 35th place. Depending on tomorrow’s conditions, the cut for the card is expected to be between -9 and -10. Rousaud and Anglés need one last push. Meanwhile, Japan and Korea dominate the top positions. Takumi Murakami (-19) is the leader of the School, followed by Kyungnam Kang (-17). The top five are either Japanese or Korean.
