Eugenio Chacarra (+8) bid farewell today to the first Major of his career after handing in a card of 73 strokes for a total of +8. It was a round different from what was seen yesterday at Pinehurst Nº2. Today, the Madrid player has shown grit and pride to try to take positive things from this US Open. A complicated experience due to how things have gone on the course, but that does not mean it has not been unforgettable. The first is the first and nobody will ever be able to take that away from Eugenio López Chacarra.
It is very difficult to get to a Major to let yourself go, so after yesterday’s round of 75 strokes, Chacarra has put all his effort into trying to recover from the hard result of yesterday. In the end, he could not achieve the goal of making the cut, despite having improved many numbers from the tee. Some poorly executed iron and some feasible putts that did not fall on his side have prevented him from fighting a little more.
As we say, what the Madrid player has experienced this week has been a beautiful experience but with certain disappointments: a bittersweet debut.
Sweet because, as he dreamed since he was a child, he has been able to make his debut in a Major, sweet also because he acknowledges that he has worked like crazy and cannot reproach anything and, finally, sweet because he already knows what it means to play on a big stage.
“I am happy because I am regaining confidence and I am very happy that I have been able to play my first Major. I had a good time and I think I also enjoyed it”. The poison of the big ones once it stings you don’t want to let it go. Eugenio wants to repeat very soon.
In the section of positive things Eugenio highlights the mental aspect: “In my head I think I am improving a lot, I have not gotten angry, I have never thrown in the towel. It’s my first Major I tried to enjoy, but also the US Open is one of the most complicated Majors”.
Indeed, it is a very difficult US Open, but he acknowledges that with a total of eight over par he could not be completely satisfied. Without having put much pressure on himself, the goal of playing the weekend or being close to achieving it was a task he thought was possible.
“Things did not go as I wanted and playing as I did yesterday it was very complicated to fight for the objectives”, reflected to Ten Golf a Eugenio who acknowledged that yesterday he had been very nervous and that also took its toll on him.
Something bitter has also been the fact of not having been fine with the putter: “Today I missed three clear birdie options that were around three meters. You can’t miss those putts if you want to have options in a US Open”.
In addition, the fact of breaking the driver less than a week ago did not give him the confidence needed in a scenario of these characteristics. In fact, he acknowledged that last night they decided to return to a safety swing that he used in the university era: “I have raised the club a little shorter and the ball a little more forward and thus be able to put it a little on the left things that yesterday I did not achieve”.
Finally, the luck factor is always an element that has its importance and Eugenio feels that it has been elusive: “I have also had certain bounces that have not helped me at all, it is the reality and for details like these I will not be there the weekend”.
What he is clear about is that, once he has tasted the greatness of these events, he wants to repeat the experience as soon as possible: “I have already seen how beautiful it is to play in a Major and my next goal is to pass the qualifying and qualify for the Open. I am 24 years old, I have a lot of time ahead and these are good experiences to learn”, the Madrid player has closed.
