The final top 5 of the Magical Kenya Open, with the presence of three Spanish players, translates into a more than interesting booty. Firstly, for the feelings that some players bring, beyond the points, the earnings and the rankings.
Manu Elvira, for example, was in the star match on Sunday and, despite not being able to clinch his first victory in the DP World Tour, he was soon able to make a positive reading. “It was a shame that today some more putt didn’t go in, but I’m very happy with how the week has gone. The balance is very positive, especially considering that I arrived in Kenya hitting the irons quite badly. And this week I hit very good irons, I putted well, good with the wedges and from the tee… Today it couldn’t be, but a top 5 in the DP World Tour always has to be seen on the positive side. I’m very happy and now looking forward to more”, he explains to Tengolf.
Nacho Elvira, on the other hand, with the second place in Kenya, is having the best start of the season of his career in the European circuit, without a doubt. Never after six tournaments had he scored so many points and accumulated so many euros. Like his brother, he leaves with excellent feelings. “I finished very happy this Sunday, because, although I’m not quite comfortable with the driver this year, in the rest of the areas of the game I see myself very, very orderly, almost with the best feelings of the last years, I would say. Also, I also think that I am close to squaring things up with the driver. This Sunday, on this course, where not many drivers are hit, I felt that if I was able to pass hole 9 with a decent result, in the second nine I could push a little because I saw myself hitting the irons very well and very accurate with the wedges”, he comments.
Nacho also finds another fundamental cause in his good performance at the start of the season: “David (Morago, his caddie) is helping me a lot, he has been a great discovery as a caddie and as a person, he is knowing how to bring out the best in me in many situations and I think that is being reflected in the game. Since we played the first week in the Dubai Invitational I felt that, squaring a couple of things, we could do many and very good tournaments”, he finished for Tengolf.
After reviewing the particular world of feelings, let’s go with the hard facts. Manu Elvira, whose first major goal in his debut season on the DP World Tour was (and is) to maintain playing rights, has made a giant leap, advancing to 32nd place in the Race to Dubai, but above all adding already 287 points, which means approximately having already done two thirds of the way (the ‘salvation’ can be established around 450 points). In addition, this Monday he will already be in the top 300 in the world ranking.
Nacho Elvira moves up to 22nd place in the Race to Dubai and let’s say he has already scored half of the points (422) of what would normally be needed to get into the Final in Dubai or this year’s final series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The eldest of the saga is going to get into the top 200 in the world ranking. As for Adrián Otaegui, the other big winner of the day with his fourth place, it is worth noting above all that he is going to gain some places in the world ranking, to be around Number 115 and knock on the doors of the PGA Championship, the second Major of the season. The Guipuzcoan, in addition, finally starts with determination in this 2024 season, which so far was not being very good for him.
