Santi Tarrio (-12) came just short of victory at the Swiss Challenge, a HotelPlanner Tour event held at Golf Sempach in Lucerne. The Galician golfer fell on the first playoff hole against Frenchman Félix Mory, a 30-year-old player who thus claims his second victory in Europe’s second division, the first this season.
There aren’t many criticisms to be made of Tarrio. The golfer from Val de Rois started this Sunday three shots off the lead, in the penultimate group of the day, and was among those who best managed a tough windy day, with gusts exceeding 40 kilometres per hour. Only nine players managed to beat the course this Sunday, and the best score was 69, precisely the card handed in by Tarrio, tied with Mory, Matt Oshrine, Borja Virto, and James Ross.
Santi began with a bogey on the 3rd hole, but from that moment on, he was precise. He made a birdie on the 4th, another on the 9th, and a third on the 15th. In between, all pars. Those pars that on days like today in Switzerland feel like birdies. With that birdie on the 15th, he took the lead in the tournament and then made a bogey on the 16th and missed the birdie on the par 5 of the 17th. It seemed as if he had thrown in the towel. However, his finish was spectacular. He pulled off a fantastic birdie on the 18th to get into the playoff. He was the first to post -12 in the Clubhouse, and Mory was the only one to reach the same score. The Frenchman made a statement with an eagle on the 17th hole.
Consider the value of Tarrio’s birdie on the 72nd hole, as throughout the day, only one had been made on the 18th before the Galician teed off. Interestingly, it was Virto who had done it. Hats off. Similarly, credit must be given to Mory, who made the birdie in the playoff, right on that 18th hole. The third of the day. Tarrio missed the bunker, left it short of the green on the second shot, and couldn’t make the approach and putt. Just in case, Mory had left it two to three metres from the hole and made the putt.
Santi falls short of the third Spanish victory of the season on the HotelPlanner Tour, after those achieved by Quim Vidal in India and Rocco Repetto in Sancti Petri. He couldn’t win; it would have been his third triumph on this circuit, but the solo second place allows him to make a significant leap in the Road to Mallorca. In fact, he is now among the top 20 who will earn the DP World Tour card at the end of the year. The big goal. With Tarrio’s inclusion, there are now four Spaniards among the top 20 in the HotelPlanner Tour ranking. The others are Quim Vidal, Repetto, and Víctor Pastor. No country has more players among the top 20 in the standings.
Beyond the fight for victory, it’s worth highlighting the top 10 finish of Borja Virto (-8). The Navarrese matched the best round of the day and climbed 14 positions. With this result, he is within reach of the top 45 in the Road to Mallorca, who qualify to play the grand final and, therefore, have a chance to earn the DP World Tour card until the very last moment. A good boost for Virto.
Finally, Eduard Rousaud (-2), Javier Sainz (-1), and Álvaro Quirós (+6) finished with rounds of 72, 73, and 72 strokes.
