Albert Boneta (-17) remains the leader of the D+D Real Czech Challenge and this Sunday he will fight for the first victory of his career on the HotelPlanner Tour. At 23 years old, the Spaniard aims for his first win in the second continental division. He will start tied with his great rival all week, the Australian Danny List (-17). Both finished at the top on the first day, the Spaniard reached the halfway point with a narrow one-shot lead, and this Sunday they will start level at 17 under par.
They defend the lead with a small advantage of two shots, but behind them comes a real army of 25 players in the famous five-shot range that is so often marked as a reference. Among them are two other Spaniards, Rocco Repetto Taylor (-13) and Adri Arnaus (-13), tied at thirteen under par and on the verge of the top ten.
What Boneta has done on moving day at Beroun Golf Club is commendable. The first players of the morning played in very favourable conditions, and as the hours passed, the weather conditions worsened. In fact, the six best scores of the day came from players who started before 10:30 in the morning, while Albert didn’t start until 12:00. The reality is that around 14:30, the wind picked up, and heavy rain fell in the last hour of the day. In the last five holes, “we got a good downpour,” the player himself recounted. It didn’t matter to him, a round of 67 shots and the lead.
364 days ago, Boneta was still an amateur and won the Alps de Las Castillas. This Sunday, exactly a year later, he could win his first tournament as a professional and the second on the international scene. July 13 could be a date marked for the rest of his career as a player. That day in Burgos, he won at 25 under par. The last day seems like it’s going to require a low score since there are many players in the equation. It would be like a movie to repeat the score as well.
Albert has the rights to the DP World Tour, and although he earned it on his own merits, it felt like he was skipping a natural step in his development. However, with a somewhat limited card after obtaining it at the School, he decided at the start of the season to combine both circuits. Currently, he is 43rd on the HotelPlanner Tour, but he seeks to make a significant impact in the Road to Mallorca in the Czech Republic. A victory would surely place him among the top seven of the year.
Another who wants to gain positions in the race towards the Final in Alcudia is Adri Arnaus (-13). He has signed a great card of 64 shots that has made him climb to within four shots of the lead. His best result of the year is a fourth place, and the player from Moia needs to add more. He is currently 49th in the Order of Merit, and for a player who was rubbing shoulders with the elite of European golf a few months ago, it is not easy to manage. A round this Sunday like the one he had on moving day could be the boost to the season he has been missing.
The one who continues to amaze is Rocco Repetto Taylor (-13). He made the cut on Friday at the limit and will start Sunday with options for everything. An impressive round of 63 shots. It is even more striking when he reached the 13th tee with a simple one under par for the day. He went seven under par in the last six holes with three birdies, two eagles, and a par. What you hear. Madness in the last six holes of Beroun Golf Club. That’s Repetto, week after week, leaving brilliant glimpses of the great player he is. Víctor Pastor (-8) and Quim Vidal (-5) are the other two Spaniards still in the tournament.
