“Every great round starts with a bogey.” The phrase, said jokingly by American Canon Claycomb after finishing his round, perfectly summed up a thrilling opening day at the Challenge de Catalunya, where the American stormed into the solo lead at nine under par after an attacking masterclass at Fontanals Golf.
But two young Spaniards are already applying pressure behind him, eager to make their mark at home. Pablo Ereño and Asier Aguirre, both members of the RFEG ProSpain Team and rookies this season on the HotelPlanner Tour, remain firmly in contention after posting matching rounds of 67 (-5), leaving them just four shots off the lead.
Claycomb, who arrives from the PGA Tour Americas and is still looking to establish himself in Europe, found his best form in Fontanals. He opened with a bogey on the 1st hole but responded brilliantly: three birdies on the front nine followed by a stunning back-nine performance featuring an eagle at the 10th and five additional birdies to sign for a brilliant 29 on the inward half.
“For the first time in a long time, it felt like everything came easy,” said the leader. “I started with a bogey, but it wasn’t a bad hole; I three-putted from about 40 feet. Then I remembered a friend from college who always said that all great rounds start with a bogey… and today he was right.”
The American also highlighted his eagle on the 10th as one of the turning points of the day.
“I wasn’t sure what to hit because everything depended on the wind. In the end I hit driver and then mini-driver and left myself about 40 feet. I made the eagle putt and that doesn’t happen every day.”
Just one shot behind sits young Englishman Frank Kennedy (-8), one of Europe’s brightest prospects. At only 20 years old, he already knows what it means to win on the HotelPlanner Tour after claiming a title in 2024 at the age of 18. Today he delivered a flawless bogey-free card featuring eight birdies. “I felt pretty good coming into this week, I felt like I played decent in Italy last week. It was my first time seeing the golf course and I didn’t have a caddy last week so having a Jack on the bag helped me carry the bag and he went through numbers really well today. And I think that might’ve been a big difference maker for me this week.
Ereño keeps growing
Among the Spaniards, Pablo Ereño once again stood out. Currently the highest-ranked Spaniard on the HotelPlanner Tour and one of the breakthrough players of the season, the Madrid native once again showed maturity and composure in difficult windy conditions.
He carded six birdies and just one bogey for a 67 (-5), placing himself in a strong position heading into the weekend.
“I honestly played really well and the conditions were tough because of the wind,” explained Ereño. “I played very solid golf, hit a lot of fairways and greens, created plenty of birdie chances and, above all, avoided mistakes.”
His only blemish came on the 16th hole when he became slightly too aggressive.
“I was bogey-free until the 16th and maybe I saw myself playing well and got a bit too aggressive. I attacked where I shouldn’t have attacked. But overall I played very well, without taking too many risks, little by little, shot by shot.”
Aguirre survives thanks to the putter
Asier Aguirre, another emerging Spanish name, also impressed. The Navarre native earned promotion to the HotelPlanner Tour after winning twice last season on the Alps Tour — including the circuit’s Grand Final — and posted a flawless bogey-free 67 (-5) to stay close to the lead.
“The key was on the greens,” admitted Aguirre. “I made some really good putts from four or five metres and that saved me at important moments.”
Aguirre explained how he managed to stay alive during the toughest stretches of the round.
“At some moments I was a little on the ropes, but I managed to hole good putts for par and then a few birdies gave me a lot of momentum.”
The Spaniard hopes this week can become a turning point in what has been a difficult season so far.
“The season has been a bit tough and I still hadn’t made a cut. But we keep fighting.”
Not far behind the leader at four under par are Spaniards Joseba Torres, a member of the ProSpain Team, Borja Virto and Luis Masaveu, one of the Fireballs team members.
The tournament remains incredibly tight, with 107 players under par despite demanding weather conditions, leaving everything wide open heading into the next three rounds. Tomorrow, after the second round, the cut will be made, with the top 60 players and ties advancing to continue battling for the title over the weekend.
The second round of the Challenge de Catalunya will begin tomorrow Friday from 8:00am, with the final groups teeing off at 3:15pm in what promises to be another great day of golf.
The Challenge de Catalunya is supported by the HotelPlanner Tour, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Fontanals Golf Club, the Catalan Golf Federation and the Spanish Sports Council, as well as Allianz, AON, Girona Provincial Council, Fontanals Town Hall, Ríos Renovables, BCD Group, Kyocera, Volvo, Bodegas Juan Gil, Mahou, Solán de Cabras, Revel and Titleist, under the organisation of JGolf.
