The Armada travels at the sound of the bugle in Italy. Sensational team performance by the Spanish players after the second round of the Italian Challenge Open being held at Golf Nazionale in Sutri. Albert Boneta (-11), playing in the afternoon, joined Rocco Repetto (-11) in second place in the tournament after delivering a card of 66 strokes. Both are just one stroke behind South African JC Ritchie (-12), who is seeking his third victory in just two months. Additionally, Borja Virto (-10) is sixth, Adri Arnaus (-8) is fourteenth, and Víctor García Broto (-7) has moved into 17th place. Five Spaniards in the top 20. Five Spaniards within five strokes or less of the lead. The Armada is buzzing in Italy.
Boneta is seeking his definitive breakthrough this season. The rookie is having a more than remarkable campaign halfway between the DP World Tour and the HotelPlanner Tour. What he is achieving is much more commendable than it might initially seem. There is practically no week when he knows where he will play until the last minute, and yet he still has his chances intact to finish among the top 20 in the Challenge, and in the DP World Tour he has shown a good measure, although probably far from his aspirations. A notable year in any case for being the first and under his circumstances. Today he signed a magnificent round of 66 strokes, with seven birdies and a solitary bogey. Only two mistakes in 36 holes.
Another looking for that same breakthrough is Adri Arnaus. The player from Moià hopes that it will be precisely this week when all four rounds align, with no escape routes, allowing him to finally fight for victory on a Sunday until the 72nd hole. Today, like Boneta, he scored 66 strokes, with seven birdies, four of them consecutive from the 6th to the 9th.
The good joint performance of the Spaniards is completed with the cut. Of the 15 Spaniards who started the week on Italian soil, a total of nine will play all four days. A great figure. Joining those from the morning in making the cut were Santi Tarrio (-4) and Lucas Vacarisas (-3). Finally, the cut was set at -3, so Luis Masaveu (-2), who tried until the end with two birdies in his last two holes, was left out.
