Ángel Ayora (-5) has closed the first round of the Challenge de Cádiz with a splendid scorecard of 67 strokes. The young Andalusian, of course, has played great golf. Otherwise, it is impossible to achieve such a result on the A (Sea and Pines) course of the Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri, much less on a day when the wind has picked up strongly from midday.
Ayora starts, therefore, in the best way, second in the table once the morning shift of play has finished, three strokes from an inspired leader, the American James Nicholas (-8), who will probably remain at the top when the day is completed. We said that Ángel has displayed high-level golf and it is almost obvious to point out that under such circumstances it is much easier to maintain a good attitude on the field. However, anyone who knows this player, or who has seen him on the field, could confirm that he also tends to remain calm and composed when things go wrong. It’s almost second nature to him…
“My father used to tell me when I was very young, that he saw me on the field and didn’t know if I was -7 or +7,” admits the Spaniard. Later, and despite his youth, he has also had time to realise that it is a virtue that should be nurtured and, if possible, enhanced (WATCH VIDEO). And there will be those who think, not without reason: it is much easier to see the glass half full when you are only 19 years old and your professional career has just begun… Granted, but it is no small matter that a young man behaves with such balance with the naturalness of Ayora.
In this regard, the player looks up to Dustin Johnson. “He always seems calm on the field, whether things are going well or not. And now, of course, you also look at Scottie Scheffler: you see him playing and get the feeling that he is not going to miss any shot, which is usually what happens,” says Ángel.
Ayora, by the way, will face after this week in Sancti Petri a dizzying stretch in his calendar, three consecutive weeks competing in the DP World Tour: Netherlands, Italy and Germany. He received invitations from KLM and BMW and earned a spot in the qualifying round for the Italian Open. Surely in these events it will not cost him too much to maintain a good attitude… “I want to enjoy this experience to the fullest,” he concludes. And why wouldn’t he?
