Álvaro Hernández Cabezuela (-10) has delivered a card of 72 strokes in the third round of the Vierumaki Finnish Challenge and has lost some ground compared to the leader. He has dropped to ninth place, four strokes behind the new leader, the Frenchman Andoni Etchenique (-14). The moving day has been a small step back, but it would be wrong to see it that way. Really, what the Tenerife native has done this week, no matter what happens this Sunday, has been to remove a thorn. He has created a chance of victory. It’s four strokes, it’s difficult, but there’s a window. He had never done anything like this before in the HotelPlanner Tour.
In fact, the second division of European golf had been a headache until reaching Finland, a kind of curse in Álvaro’s career. Before Vierumaki, the Canary Islands player had played a total of 33 tournaments on the circuit always known as the Challenge Tour. Well, he had only made six cuts, his best result had been a 30th place in the Czech Republic two years ago and, of course, he had never gone out on a Sunday with a chance to win, even if they were small. Test passed, step forward and confirmation that this year’s Álvaro Hernández Cabezuela is a much bigger player than what had been seen before. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.
The 28-year-old player had a more than orderly round today. In fact, he had started putting pressure on those above with two magnificent birdies on the first two holes. Then came two bogeys, but he got rid of them with a magnificent eagle on the 9th. At that moment, he was leading the tournament, in command of operations. However, in the back nine, the putt and inspiration cooled. Two bogeys fell for an even-par round while other players were chaining birdies. In that stretch, he lost a lot of ground, but he still has chances to make a mark this Sunday… and he knows it. The HotelPlanner Tour is not Álvaro’s war this year, but it’s not a bad idea to leave his mark.
The other two Spanish victory options also faded in this third round. Adri Arnaus (-8) also signed an even-par round and lost a lot of ground with the leader. Be that as it may, victory is not the only thing that counts. The man from Moià is clear that every point is an extraordinary bounty and he is going to fight for them this Sunday. Anything that finishes in the top ten will bring him closer to that top 20 goal of the Road to Mallorca at the end of the year, those who will get the DP World Tour card. Today he made three birdies and three bogeys.
The one who lost the most on this third day was Quim Vidal (-4). Bad day at the office for the Catalan player. A round of 75 strokes, with three consecutive bogeys to finish and fall to 44th place. His moving day (upwards) must be Sunday. Finally, Rocco Repetto (-7) was the best Spaniard this Saturday at the Cooke Course in Finland. Again from less to more. Demonstrating that he has a bomb-proof mentality. He never gives up a stroke and golf rewards him with remarkable comebacks. From being almost out of the cut, the player from Malaga has already moved up to 21st place, just three from the top 10. Today he made 69 strokes, with six birdies and three bogeys. In almost half of the bogeys he has committed this week, he has made a birdie on the next hole. That bounce-back ability, among other things, is what keeps Rocco among the top 20 in the Road to Mallorca.
Etchenique (-14) has a one-stroke advantage over the Scotsman David Law (-13) and the American Nick Carlson (-13). Two strokes behind is Jonas Blixt (-12), a veteran Swede who has won three times on the PGA Tour. He and Alfie Plant (-11) are the only ones who have gone under 70 strokes every day.
