It is, without a doubt, one of the names of the week in national golf. Raúl Gómez surpassed the Regional Stage this Monday and secured his place in the Final Qualifying for the Open taking place on July 1st.
Just two weeks ago, the young amateur turned 17. Next week, he will compete to play his first Major: “I am very excited, yesterday was already a gift, it will be very difficult to get through the Final Qualifying, but this is a great experience for me. I have the toughest challenge ahead, but I will fight for it.”
Let’s go back to what happened on Monday. Raúl played the Regional Stage of the Open at the Rochester venue, teeing off in the last matches of the day. “There was no livescoring, so I just went out to play the best I could and hoped the result would be enough. I didn’t have any reference until almost the end.” The nerves started to get the better of him: “between the tension and the fact that they were the two most difficult holes on the course, I started with two bogeys. The reality is that I managed to recover very well, stringing together five consecutive birdies. Which was the best of the five? I’d say the last one. I made a great approach from 30 metres that I left close.” A real gem, as the flag was very tight at the start of the green and it was the only chance to leave it short.
However, there was still a lot to play for. Raúl acknowledges two key moments: the first on the 16th hole, the second in the playoff. The Alicante native was three under par for the day, leading without knowing it, and made a double bogey on the 15th, putting him in a playoff situation. He had no margin for error. Everything would be decided on the last three flags. Three pars would send him to the playoff, something better would qualify him without delay, something worse would send him back. At that point, he was aware of the results: “After the double bogey, one of the most tense moments came. The 16th is a par 3, I was fifteen metres from the flag from the tee, and the approach ended three metres from the hole. Without a doubt, I was aware that it was the most important putt of the day. I needed to recover from the double bogey, and that putt was vital. I stood over it, putted, and it went right in the centre. Without a doubt, it was the boost I needed. I made the final two pars and went to the playoff.”
Gómez actually had to wait an hour before the rest of the matches finished. “I went to the bar with my father, drank a bottle of water, and went to the practice field. I’m not someone who gets particularly nervous during these waiting times, and it was clear I would have to play the playoff.”
The crucial moment arrived. Seven players for four spots. The playoff started on the 17th hole. A group of four with Raúl among them and the other three waiting right after. This hole on the course is a short par four of just over 300 metres. Let Raúl himself describe his work: “On the return, I had played this hole well, so I repeated with the driver, which opened up to the right. As I was walking towards the ball, I thought it hadn’t reached the bunker in that area, but as I got closer, I didn’t see the ball, so I peeked and saw it stuck to the edge of the bunker. It wasn’t easy, a very complicated stance, I tried all kinds of positions, one foot in, the other out, but I ended up positioning myself with both feet in the sand. I spent a good while looking for a good position. It was a 30-metre shot, I needed to hit the ball very well. There was a risk of leaving it very short or hitting it clean and going past. I also had doubts about the club, whether to play a 54 or a 58. In the end, I was sure that with the 58, I could reach easily, so I opted for it. If I came up short, there was an escape before the green that could get me in trouble, it was better to go past.”
Then came the moment of truth. The magical moment in one of the most difficult shots in golf: “I positioned myself with my feet in the sand, hit the ball, and… the reality is that it came out perfect, I left it close. From that distance, it wasn’t easy, but I almost didn’t have to putt. I have no doubt it’s the best bunker shot of my life.” A shot that secured his access to the Open Qualifying. In his match, he was the only one to achieve the birdie, ensuring one of the four available spots in the playoff.
Objective achieved. He is 36 holes away from the Open. He has requested to play the qualifying at Cinque Ports: “Last week, I played one of the rounds of The Amateur there, and I really liked it. I shot +3, not the best result, I’ll have to improve it, but I loved it, and it’s fresh in my mind. I’ve requested it, and they’ve almost assured me I’ll play there. I’ll know on Wednesday.”
For those who don’t know, despite this break in recent weeks, Raúl is studying his first year of A-levels and already knows where he will study his degree, Arizona State University. Where Jon Rahm, David Puig… and especially Josele Ballester did.
Without a doubt, Josele is the great reference for the Alicante native. “When I was little, I would come across Josele in all the tournaments in our area. He was the best, the mirror I looked into, well, we all looked at him. He’s five years older than me, and the reality is that he has been my reference, the one I wanted to imitate. Also, when I started the process of getting into Arizona, he spoke well of me. Who knows, but maybe without Josele, I wouldn’t be at the university. We won’t coincide there, but following in his footsteps is great.” He also acknowledges that he gets along very well with the Tejedo sisters, from Valencia, but has barely had the chance to meet Carla Bernat. They will have time.
Before entering university, the player trained at VillaAitana has other goals: “Without a doubt, I would love to qualify for this year’s Junior Ryder Cup. I have three scoring tournaments left: the European Under 18, The Boys, and The British Boys. It’s not easy, but if I get a good result, I can achieve it.” If asked about his medium-term goal, it is to settle quickly in United States, and if asked about his lifelong dream, he says it quickly and without hesitation: to win a Masters… not for lack of setting high goals.
The teenager acknowledges that he started playing thanks to his father, “he’s crazy about golf, and he instilled that passion in me.” By the way, he is his great ally in this adventure and accompanies him to practically all the tournaments he plays.
Regarding his game, he acknowledges that “the driver is the club I like the most, but it’s around the green where I do best. From the tee, I need to be a bit more patient, my coach reminds me a lot. It’s true that I like to play aggressively, and that sometimes penalises me on the tee. It’s a bit of my nature, I’m looking for balance.” In the same vein, he acknowledges that he is not very patient and needs to accept mistakes more naturally: “Even Scheffler misses shots, so of course, I’m going to miss too. I don’t handle it very well, and I need to work on it.”
He acknowledges that his idols are Scheffler and Tiger Woods: “Tiger is the best, super fun to watch, but Scheffler has something. He never misses, you might think his game is a bit more boring, but what he does is incredible. Each in their own way, I love them.”
