Albert Boneta (-14) continues his form in Czech Republic and finishes the second day of the D+D Real Czech Challenge as the sole leader of the event. It’s not unusual for a player to struggle the day after an initial round of 62 strokes and find it hard to maintain a low score. Achieving it once is already challenging, but doing it twice in a row is very difficult.
This isn’t exactly the case if your name is Albert Boneta. The Catalan remains in fine form at Beroun Golf Club and has delivered a very good card of 64 strokes, keeping him at the top of the leaderboard of the D+D Real Czech Challenge with a total of fourteen under par.
These are the best 36 holes of his still short career on the HotelPlanner Tour and DP World Tour. He hadn’t reached the halfway point of a tournament with fourteen under his belt nor so high on the leaderboard, his best position after the first two days was fourth place in Abu Dhabi. Although we are still in July, Albert is playing his 17th tournament of the year and one more in the total season. It’s an incredible feat to juggle both circuits. Fatigue isn’t taking its toll for now, and being 23 years old also helps. The goal of winning for the first time on the international stage is a bit closer. There’s still a lot of tournament ahead, but little by little Albert is carving out his place to compete with the best.
It’s Albert’s fantastic week. Exactly a year ago, on 13 July 2024, he won the Alps de Las Castillas with a total of 25 under par. On that same date, this Sunday, the D+D Real Czech Challenge will be crowned. Coincidence? It’s clear that it’s more than just an anecdote, but Albert Boneta’s level in the second weeks of July is something to behold.
The Catalan has made it clear that he likes the entire course and doesn’t have favourite sections. His first top ten in the circuit, precisely on this course, twelve months ago backs him up. If yesterday he excelled magnificently on the first nine holes of the course with a seven-under score in that section, this Friday he focused his efforts on the back nine, gaining five strokes on the Czech course. In just two days, he has already birdied thirteen of the eighteen holes. Not bad at all.
This Friday, he started on the 1st hole at Beroun. He birdied the 2nd and 3rd, continuing the streak from the previous day. However, on the 5th hole, the second par five of the course, came the first and only stumble of the week. “I made a bad swing and paid for it,” admitted the Spaniard, who carded a double bogey to return to par for the day. He closed the first nine with a birdie and, like the first day, turned to the 10th hole one under. Patience paid off again. Five birdies without error on the back nine temporarily lift him to the top of the leaderboard. Four almost consecutive birdies between the 10th and 15th, capped with a late birdie, gave him a total score of fourteen under par.
In the morning session, Adri Arnaus (-6) carded an identical round of 67 strokes to the opening day and comfortably made the cut. He will need to have a real moving day if he wants to dream of a good haul of points in Czechia. Also playing over the weekend in Czech Republic are Víctor Pastor (-5), Quim Vidal (-5), and Rocco Repetto Taylor. The two Andalusians delivered two good cards of 67 strokes to make it into the last two rounds. Both Rocco and Quim achieved it thanks to birdies on the last hole of the day. Excitement until the last moment. The one who bid farewell earlier than desired is the Madrilenian Sebastián García.
