Santi Tarrío (-9) is leading the Swiss Challenge. At the halfway point of the tournament, the Galician has a total of nine under par and is at the top of the championship alongside Chris Paisley, Matt Oshrine, and Tobias Jonsson. Just one stroke off the lead is Italian Renato Paratore (-8), who is seeking his third victory of the season in Lucerne, which would grant him direct promotion as early as June.
Despite what the leaderboard suggests, it’s not one of those weeks where Santi feels like everything is perfect, where things finally fall into place. The extraordinary aspect of not doing anything beyond what’s necessary. That’s how Tarrío feels he’s performing: “I think I’m simply hitting the shots that each situation requires.” Humble, the Galician has indeed given a masterclass with the irons. An eagle, three birdies, and two bogeys embellish the Spaniard’s second 18 holes. The three birdies came thanks to three shots that landed a metre and a half from the pin. The eagle was thanks to a chip-in from just over eight metres. A round of 68 strokes, added to Thursday’s 65, marks his best start to the season.
The Galician is currently in 65th place on the Road to Mallorca. The season hasn’t yet reached its halfway point, but it wouldn’t be a bad time to make a strong statement that positions him in the places of honour for a return to the DP World Tour just a year after losing his status, or if not, in the places for access to the Final in Alcudia.
Among the other Spaniards, Eduard Roussaud (-5) stands out. The Catalan, playing this week on an invitation, is in the top 20 and eager to earn points that allow him to continue climbing the Road to Mallorca (currently in 140th place). With one stroke less is Borja Virto (-4). Also playing the weekend at Golf Sempach are Javi Sainz (-3) and Álvaro Quirós (-1).
Ending his streak of nine consecutive rounds under par is Víctor Pastor. The Cordoban has faltered after achieving this unprecedented feat in his career yesterday. A round of 74 strokes, even par overall, leaves him just outside the cut line.
The same fate befell Carlos Pigem (+1) despite a great final round of 67 strokes, Sebastián García (+1), Quim Vidal (+3), and Adri Arnaus (+6).
