The Spanish Armada has hit a wall this Thursday against the walls of Killeen Castle Golf Course. At the start of the first day of the Irish Challenge, none of the fifteen Spanish knights present at the HotelPlanner Tour this week have been able to conquer the Irish castle.
We say knights because the fact is that the Championship Course is guarded by the Killeen Castle, with more than 800 years of history and which experienced a revival in 2008 with its opening as a luxury golf resort. Located in County Meath, it was designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and has hosted prestigious events such as the Solheim Cup 2011, in which Europe defeated United States 15-13. The course has also been the venue on multiple occasions for the Ladies Irish Open.
As mentioned, in the first 18 holes of the tournament, none of our players have managed to play under par. The most experienced soldier of the Spanish army is none other than Álvaro Quirós (PAR) and he has led the pack. He came close to finishing inside the castle, but did not succeed. He was two under with three holes to go, thanks in part to a great stretch with four birdies in five holes that helped him recover from a dull start. However, the 16th hole dashed all efforts in one fell swoop. A triple bogey on the challenging par three relegated him to +1. He managed to recover with a great birdie on the 17th, which brought him back to even par.
Alongside Quirós is Lucas Vacarisas (PAR). The Catalan is in 51st place on the Road to Mallorca and is seeking a good result to qualify for the Final in Alcudia. Two birdies and two bogeys place him at even par and five shots off the lead.
Seven Spanish players came close to storming the fortress with a total of +1 on the first day. It’s not a disaster; they are six shots behind the leader Oliver Farr (-5) and just one off the provisional cut. The players in question are Borja Virto, Luis Masaveu, Quim Vidal, Víctor García Broto, Rocco Repetto Taylor, Joseba Torres, and Adri Arnaus. They have plenty of room to turn the tables. A cavalry charge in every sense.
A bit further back are Javier Calles, Carlos Pigem, and Javi Sainz, tied at +2 after an initial round of 74 strokes. Alejandro Aguilera (+3), Eduard Rousaud (+3), and Javier Barcos (+4) will need to fly even lower.
