Such a special edition of the Challenge of Spain, the 25th, which is held in one of the best courses of the year on this circuit, the Real Club Sevilla Golf, could not have a more exciting ending. The veteran Finn Tapio Pulkkanen (-12) leads alone, followed two strokes by the British Jamie Rutherford (-10) and with five players three strokes ready to fight for a title that could mean a radical change in their careers, among them the Spaniards Joel Moscatel and Alfredo García Heredia, as well as the number one in the Challenge Tour ranking, the Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
Pulkkanen, the boy with the different hat, who comes from the DP World Tour, where he achieved three third places in the 2021-22 season, has started the third round with a bogey on hole 2, although he knew how to recover with six birdies, to take the lead and break away from the pack with a birdie on the last hole and a total of 67 strokes: “I didn’t have a great start, with three putts on hole 2, while my partners were making birdies, I was a bit behind, but from hole 8 everything improved. I played especially well from the tee, I hit it very well and I handled myself quite well on the greens. For tomorrow I don’t have a special plan, just keep doing what I’ve been doing so far and we’ll see what happens”.
The second position is held by the British Jamie Rutherford, a player who deserves credit as he had a car accident in which he broke his spine, but fought to continue playing and reach the DP World Tour. Today he has made 69 strokes to give himself options for what would be his first victory on the Challenge Tour.
The five players who share the third position are: Joel Moscatel, Alfredo García Heredia, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Félix Mory and Sebastien Gros. For the Barcelona native Moscatel it would be his first victory on the Challenge Tour. Today he maintained his good play with five birdies and only one mistake. He made 68 strokes. “I started very nervous as always, but little by little I calmed down and got into the rhythm of the swing and the putt, because I was making good putts, but some we didn’t read quite right. In the second round everything clicked and a few birdies fell in a row (on 12, 13 and 14). On hole 16 I got quite tangled up, I threw it in the water and that’s the way it is, it’s part of the game. Tomorrow to continue, whatever has to be, let’s see if we are lucky. Having Alberto (Calvo) as a caddie is fantastic, having someone next to me who I trust, who is a friend and who knows so much, because sometimes I get confused with the winds, is wonderful. You can tell he has experience and it’s been a great help”. Tomorrow Joel will go out in the star match along with Pulkaanen and Rutherford.
The Asturian Alfredo García Heredia, who has made a stop on the DP World Tour to play the Challenge of Spain after returning from visiting his coach Jorge Parada in the United States, keeps his options open after signing a round of 68 strokes, clean of errors: “Everything I have worked with my cousin is helping me a lot, I came from some tournaments where I didn’t hit the ball with the consistency that I usually hit it and I’m recovering. Today I hit it very well, with confidence. This week, regardless of the result, is being very positive. A round without bogeys on such a demanding course is very good. I leave a bit with a bad taste in my mouth for not having taken advantage of 5 and 13, which are accessible par 5s, but I finished with a good birdie to put myself there”. Today he lived a very nice anecdote. He was one of the matches that had the most public and after making the birdie of 1, a girl gave him a bracelet that she had made for him. “I put it in my bag and I already told her that it’s going to accompany me all season”. Alfredo will go out to play at 9.50 sharing a match with Felix Mory and with number 1, Neergaard-Petersen.
Rasmus Neergard-Petersen is the number 1 of the Challenge Tour thanks to his two victories achieved in two of the last three tournaments, in Calcutta and Emirates, and if he wins tomorrow he would make the immediate jump to the DP World Tour: “It’s something that, of course, I have in mind, it’s an opportunity, but for now I’m focused on each day of play and we’ll see what happens tomorrow. I’m in a good position, I like the course, you have to be very precise on the green and play intelligently and I’m going to try”.
Very meritorious has been the round of Lucas Vacarisas. He made two eagles (9 and 16), four birdies and two bogeys for 66 strokes. He climbed from the last positions of the classification to get into the top 15 with six strokes under par and give himself options for a good result in the Challenge of Spain.
The fourth and last day of the Challenge of Spain will start tomorrow at the Real Club Sevilla Golf at eight in the morning. They will go out by two tees in matches of three players and the leaders will hit their first stroke at 10:00 hours. At the end of the game, the trophy will be presented to the winner of the 25th edition of the Challenge of Spain at the Real Club Sevilla Golf.
