A Joel Moscatel found the champagne cork a bit tricky today at the SDC Open in South Africa, the first tournament of the year on the HotelPlanner Tour. It’s one of those things. Either it works or it doesn’t. You have to unscrew the metal ring, remove the wrapping, loosen the cork a bit… It’s a ritual. Sometimes it pops on the first try, and you have that look like you do this every day; other times it gets stuck to the point where you start to think you’re going to make a mess by shaking the bottle too much. The Spanish golfer was experiencing the latter this Thursday at Zebula Golf Estates.
It wasn’t the start you look for when you’ve just lost your card on the DP World Tour in a season where practically nothing went your way (except, of course, the great victory at the Nin9r Games at Isla Canela Links). First of all, there was a double bogey on the 1st. There you go. Ideal if your confidence is hanging by a thread. He quickly bounced back with two birdies, but as if the course was waiting for him, he finished the first nine with three bogeys. Bam, bam. Two and a half hours into the season, far away in South Africa, and we’re already +3… Ground, swallow me up.
However, far from sinking into misery, Moscatel found a way to open the bottle, and it came out in a rush. High-class golf. Each bubble of alcohol was a birdie. He carded no less than six birdies in seven holes and turned the story of this Thursday around like a sock. Not only did he stop the bleeding, but he also moved towards the upper echelons of the tournament. He’s one shot from the top 10 and four from the solo lead of Martin Vorster (-7), a South African player who had missed the last three cuts.
Moscatel did something much more important than just saving the day. He reminded himself how powerful his golf can be when he finds the way. Another level. Precisely at -3 are also Pablo Ereño (-3) and Lucas Vacarisas (-3). A notable start for the three Spaniards in a tournament that the South Africans are bound to dominate. There’s no doubt about it. It might be that one doesn’t win, but it’s really tough. No less than 15 of the top 21 are locals. Also, the top three. One shot behind Vorster are Jaco Prinsloo (-6) and MJ Viljoen (-6).
The provisional cut for the tournament is at -1. Within that imaginary line, which we’ll see where it ends on Friday, is also Asier Aguirre (-1), though just barely. Just outside are Albert Boneta, Santi Tarrio, and Víctor Pastor, all at par. Pastor experienced the opposite of Moscatel. He started like a shot, five under in nine holes, but in the next nine, things went downhill. Adri Arnaus (+2) and Javier Barcos (+4) have left themselves a lot of work ahead.
