The performance of Pablo Ereño (-10) this Thursday at the Durban Country Club was out of this world. 62 strokes. His best round of golf as a professional. His playing partners in the first round of the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, South Africans Luke Brown and Bryce Easton, couldn’t take it anymore, turned around and said: “what’s happening here? You’re hitting some darts, aren’t you?” Literally. One dart after another. He made ten birdies and an eagle, and the longest putt he holed in those eleven holes was three metres. Additionally, the eagle came with a chip from off the green. Add another two-metre putt and the rest were practically given. So, a darts contest.
It’s worth indulging in the account given by Ereño himself to Ten Golf from South Africa. “The truth is I played very, very well. I left it given on 1 and 2, with the 9-iron and 8-iron to start the day. Then, one metre on 5, given on 7, chipped in on 8 for eagle, green in 2 on 10 (par 5), left it one metre on 11, three metres on 12, two metres on 13, two putts on 14. The truth is all the time very close. On 18, again on the green in one and two putts. Another birdie”. Incredible.
Pablo’s golf today was a display. The 22-year-old golfer from Madrid confesses to this medium: “I hadn’t hit so many darts in a row in my life, in a single round. Even in my game on hole 11 they say to me: wow, you’re hitting darts today, and I’m like: yeah, I don’t know what’s happening…”, he comments amused.
Ereño also had two mistakes, two bogeys. The first came on hole 3, the first par 5, with a bad wedge. He flew the green in three, the ball was unplayable, and he managed to get a more than notable bogey. The other came in the final stretch, on 16, but it didn’t affect him at all to probably hit the shot of the day on 18. Although today it wasn’t easy to choose the shot of the day.
This round is just another demonstration of the great golf Ereño is offering at the start of the year 2026. It’s his eleventh round on the HotelPlanner Tour and nine of them have been under par, six below 70 strokes. The truth is it doesn’t surprise, as almost every week he’s at the top. Now the goal is to finish the job in style. Pablo is aware. “I’m very happy, but I know it’s only the first day. Tomorrow I want to stay focused, doing the same. I know if I play my game things will go well“.
Ereño has a one-stroke lead over South African Kieron Van Wyk (-9), who finished his round with an eagle on 18, two over Australian Austin Bautista (-8) and three over a large group of players including veteran Oliver Bekker.
As for the rest of the Spaniards, a magnificent performance also by Víctor Pastor and Santi Tarrio, both with a round of -5. Tarrio signed no less than nine birdies. Additionally, playing under par were Albert Boneta (-4), Joel Moscatel (-3), and Javier Barcos (-1). Starting to lag behind are Lucas Vacarisas (+1), Asier Aguirre (+3), and Borja Virto (+9).
