What a start for Quim Vidal (-8) at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge. The Spanish player’s performance in the first 18 holes at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil has been spectacular. After his brutal start, the Catalan is the first leader of the tournament. An eagle, seven birdies and a solitary bogey have sealed this first round.
This morning in Italy, Adri Arnaus signed his best round in three months, but what Quim Vidal has done in France is to record his best round as a professional. 24 tournaments on the Challenge Tour and this is his first round of 64 strokes. “It’s the first time in my professional career that I’ve shot eight under par, in Tenerife on the Alps Tour I shot 64 strokes but it was par 71, so today is indeed my first eight under par”.
Quim arrived in Vadrueil with some doubts because the year is not quite starting. It should not be forgotten that this is his first full season on the Challenge Tour and the adaptation as a ‘rookie’ on this circuit is not easy. Last year he already played some tournaments in the second half of the year, thanks to his good performance on the Alps Tour, but this is the baptism season.
This year the Spaniard has played thirteen tournaments and has barely been able to pass five cuts. Eight times he has said goodbye at the first change. Right now he is in 84th place in the Race to Dubai. When he has passed the cut he has performed and accumulates three top 20s. At this mid-season a great result
As far as his game is concerned, Quim was choking on the final stretch of the hole: “I think I’m not bad at the game, but the truth is that this year with the putt nothing comes out. Once things don’t work out, mentally it was costing me a bit” the Catalan told Ten Golf. And suddenly everything has changed, today Quim has been super plugged in with the putter: “it’s been incredible, today I’ve made a lot of putts, under three meters I’ve made them all, but I’ve also plugged in two very good long ones and two medium distance ones also very important”.
The moment of the day was signed at hole 18, par five and that was his ninth flag of the day. It came just after his only bogey of the day. Vidal reached the green in two strokes and left a fifteen-meter putt for eagle. He has thrown it with a lot of confidence in his options. He was on fire and wanted the eagle. The Spaniard who today has enjoyed a lot with what has been his main headache throughout the year.
A Spaniard who continues to be sweet is Borja Virto (-5). After his fifth place in Brittany last week, the Navarrese has started today with the same inspiration. In a super accurate stretch in the first round he has chained five birdies in six holes have put him among the top five in the tournament. Two birdies and two bogeys in the second stretch of the day have left everything as it was at the end of the first nine holes.
Virto, who is in 44th place on the Road to Mallorca wants to continue his climb towards one of the coveted twenty cards of the DP World Tour and take advantage of the good momentum he has at the moment to climb
Of the rest of the Armada, Javi Sainz (-2) stands out with a round of 70 strokes that leave him on the doorstep of the top 20. With one stroke less appear Joel Moscatel and Lucas Vacarisas (-1). Those who tomorrow will have to row to pass the cut are Alejandro Cañizares and Alejandro Aguilera (+1), they are only one stroke away from being able to be on the weekend. For his part Víctor Pastor (+2) has finished with a card of 74 strokes
