There was a time, not so long ago, when Romain Wattel was hailed as the great hope of French golf. Could he be the messiah we’ve been waiting for? Could he be the one to finally win a Major and add another to the lonely list that only includes the Open by Arnaud Massey? What if…? But no… He wasn’t. Wattel was to golf what Richard Gasquet was to tennis. A good player, very good, he even won a DP World Tour tournament (KLM Open 2017) and broke into the world’s top 100, but he never became a star. He wasn’t even close. In reality, Gasquet achieved more than Wattel, but they were similar in that neither lived up to the expectations placed on them.
Today, the French golfer has given a nod to the passage of time and has taken the lead in the GAC Rosa Challenge after the second round. He shot 64 and took command with a total of -9. The most curious thing is that Wattel is still young. He’s only 34, so it’s not out of the question that he could return to the elite. It didn’t seem likely, true. His last top 10 was at the beginning of 2024, but we know how unpredictable this sport can be. Just ask Richard Bland.
Be that as it may, that’s going too far. For now, he leads in Poland with a one-shot advantage over a group of five players consisting of Swedish Hugo Towsend, German Anton Albers, South African Bryce Easton, and Italian Renato Paratore. By the way, Albers has been appearing in the top positions on the HotelPlanner Tour for several weeks now. Don’t rule out that he might break through one day. He’s 26. Additionally, regarding the chasing group, it’s worth remembering that Paratore is just one win away from automatic promotion to the DP World Tour.
The best Spaniards are Albert Boneta (-6) and Javier Sainz (-6). Both are excellently positioned just three shots off the lead with 36 holes to go. Boneta is managing errors magnificently. He’s only made two bogeys in two days, while Sainz has squeezed every last drop out of the stretch from holes 1 to 7, with a score of seven under par. The Basque is an artistic bullfighter, one who brings out the best of his repertoire when he’s comfortable. He’s found something in that part of the Rosa Golf Club.
Both are in a position to fight for victory over the weekend. Three shots is nothing. Quim Vidal (-4), Rocco Repetto (-4), and Adri Arnaus (-4) haven’t said their last word either. All three are fully engaged in the battle to ascend to the DP World Tour and have already secured points here. In any case, they know better than anyone that the more, the better, and that means getting into at least the top 20. Likewise, Borja Virto (-3) and Sebas García (-3) have made the cut. They still have room to make an impact on Sunday.
On the other hand, Masaveu, Torres, Vacarisas, Borda, Pastor, and Aguilera have had to pack their bags early.
