El Challenge de España has begun at Isla Canela Links with a shared and very international lead. Portuguese Pedro Figueiredo and South African Ryan van Velzen lead after the first round with 64 strokes (-7), one stroke ahead of Irishman Mark Power. The best Spaniard of the day was Javier Barcos, member of the ProSpain Team de la RFEG, who with a round of 68 strokes (-3) remains close to the top in a tournament that promises excitement through to Sunday
The wind, a regular feature at Isla Canela Golf, shaped the development of a round in which the leaders managed the course with great control. Both Figueiredo and Van Velzen took advantage of the favourable conditions in the morning before the breeze made the course tougher in the second half
Portuguese Pedro Figueiredo signed off the first round with 64 strokes thanks to a combination of precision and patience, carding nine birdies and two bogeys. The Portuguese player, currently 14th in the HotelPlanner Tour rankings, said he quickly found positive feelings on a course that suits his style of play. “The truth is I didn’t feel great with my swing before starting, but Isla Canela is a course that fits my game very well and I felt very comfortable. I like playing in the wind; my low ball flight suits it”
Figueiredo highlighted the solidity of his tee-to-green game throughout the round. “I think it was a very complete round from the tee to the putt. Overall I putted pretty well. I three-putted the ninth, which was my only bogey of the day, but aside from that I had lots of opportunities; I didn’t hole them all, but that’s normal because they’re not easy greens”
Figueiredo arrives at Isla Canela after an inconsistent season, although with notable results such as a third place in Durban and a fourth in Italy, interspersed with several missed cuts despite playing well. “I’ve had an up-and-down season. I’ve had good results, but I’ve also missed cuts while playing well. Still, I feel I’m playing well and hope to get a good result this week. I knew the other Isla Canela course, but this is my first time playing the links and I’m really enjoying it”
Alongside him at the top sits Ryan van Velzen, who also posted 64 after a spectacular round of nine birdies and two bogeys. The latter, at the par-5 18th, prevented him from finishing the day alone at the top of the leaderboard. Van Velzen, who until this week had alternated DP World Tour events with tournaments on the HotelPlanner Tour, has recently decided to focus on this circuit to consolidate his career. “I played really well today. I hit a lot of good shots and made a lot of good putts, especially from around three metres or less, which allowed me to keep the momentum”
The South African explained how the course changed as the wind increased in the afternoon. “I kept everything under control as the wind picked up over the back nine. It probably played about two clubs longer, but I kept going, making birdies, hitting precise shots and judging the wind very well”
Currently 23rd in the HotelPlanner Tour rankings, Van Velzen believes he is getting closer to a big result. “I made the decision to keep playing HotelPlanner Tour events to secure my position and have a better status next year. I’m playing solidly, with a lot of good rounds, although I’m not yet finishing on the podium. I’ve been close and I feel I’m heading in the right direction”
Among the Spaniards, the Navarrese Javier Barcos once again confirmed the good form he has shown this season. The ProSpain Team player returned a card with five birdies and two bogeys to sit at -3
“The truth is I felt very comfortable and struck the irons very well. The putting was a bit hit-and-miss; some went in well and others didn’t, but that happens in every round”
Barcos also acknowledged the mental importance of a top 10 (8th in Denmark last week) after a demanding start to the season. “I needed a week like that, especially mentally, because I was struggling to get going. The HotelPlanner Tour level is very high. Preparation is deeper, everyone plays very well and anyone can win. You have to be very sharp every week to be up there”
Pablo Ereño, this year’s winner of the Challenge de Catalunya and currently number two in the HotelPlanner Tour rankings, also got off to a solid start. The Spaniard posted a round of 69 strokes (-2) despite arriving after a difficult week in Denmark. “Today I played solidly, hit good shots and kept good control”
Ereño also explained the difficulties suffered last week, when neither his luggage nor his clubs arrived at the tournament on time. “Denmark was a strange week. Neither my suitcase nor my clubs arrived until Wednesday afternoon and I went three days without swinging. Even so I managed to post a Top 20, so I’m happy” The Madrid native is clear about his objective for the rest of the season. “This doesn’t stop until the end of the year and the important thing is to secure the card. Now it’s time to keep working”
Ereño shares 25th place with Santiago Tarrío and ProSpain members Joseba Torres, Asier Aguirre and Josep María Serra, at 2 under par
The second round of the Challenge de España will be played tomorrow, Friday, from 08:00 at Isla Canela Golf. The last groups will tee off at 15:15. At the end of the day the cut will be set; the top 60 and ties will make it through to continue fighting for the title over the weekend
The Challenge de España is supported by the HotelPlanner Tour, la Real Federación Española de Golf, la Junta de Andalucía, la Real Federación Andaluza de Golf and the Consejo Superior de Deportes, as well as Allianz, AON, BCD Sports, Kyocera, Volvo, Scalpers, Pesasur, Nevadabobs, Bodegas Juan Gil, Mahou, Solán de Cabras, Revel, Asociación Armadores de Punta del Moral, Licor Mediterráneo and Titleist, organised by JGolf
