Jorge Campillo is one of our own. He is very much a 7-iron man. Like any true golf enthusiast. It’s the introductory club. The primary reason this sport can become an obsession.
Campillo is very much a 7-iron man. Perhaps for that reason, today he has chosen to dedicate an ode to it. Yes, because with the 7-iron he played some of the best shots of a round in which he carded a 67 and officially declared his bid for victory at the Hainan Classic.
Jorge sits at -12, alone in second, just two shots behind Jordan Gumberg (-14). He has earned a spot in the feature pairing of this tournament that opens the Asian Swing and which cannot be seen on TV or followed with the shot tracker.
For this reason, now more than ever Ten Golf decides to travel back in time and write a report as it was done in the old days, that is, completely descriptive, so the reader is fully aware of what happened. Obviously, this would not be possible without Campillo’s invaluable cooperation.
“The truth is I struck it very well, very solid. I missed two fairways in two days, I don’t remember the last time that happened to me. There was a bit of wind this afternoon,” the Extremaduran says as a summary before getting into the detail.
Hoyo 10: “You start with difficult holes, 10 and 11, into the wind, and I solved them well. On 10 I hit a very good 7-iron and two putts”. Par.
Hoyo 11: “I hit a huge 4-iron straight at the hole, it came up eight metres short and two putts”. Par.
Hoyo 12: “I went for two to the bunker, but I executed a great escape and it left me in a heavy tie for eagle. Stolen (it won’t be the only one)”. First birdie.
Hoyo 13: “It’s an endless par 5. I hit a good drive and a 3-iron for my second because the 3-wood is a bit sketchy as you can lose the ball to the left. I left myself a 5-iron for my third. It wasn’t bad, but I missed the green, it didn’t hold well, bad approach to three metres and I missed it”. Bogey.
Hoyo 14: “It’s a par 3 and it was an easy par”. Par.
Hoyo 15: “I got the wrong club and came up short with the 9 despite a good shot. It was the 8. I putted from the fringe, hit it very hard and went past four metres. I holed a great putt. It’s probably the key to the round”. Par.
Hoyo 16: “It was a textbook birdie. 3-iron to the fairway, wedge to four metres and in”. Birdie.
Hoyo 17: “3-wood of the book, 9-iron to four metres and it didn’t drop”. Par.
Hoyo 18: “A silly bogey. I hit a good 3-wood, although I didn’t strike it very well. It landed in the rough, not very well, and I couldn’t go for the green. Even so, it was a great second shot with the 7-iron. I left it 20 metres short. I bounced the approach where I wanted, I thought it would stop with the wind against me, it didn’t, I went five metres past and missed it”. Bogey.
Hoyo 1: “On this round I played very well. On 1 I hit a very good tee shot and a great shot to the green, about three–four metres and I missed it. Putting uphill here from right to left I find very difficult”. Par.
Hoyo 2: “I hit a good drive and then a hybrid that carried over the green but was above the flag. Good shot. I made a spectacular approach and another steal for eagle. I left it given”. Birdie.
Hoyo 3: “A very good driver, textbook 7-iron to four metres downhill and I holed it”. Birdie.
Hoyo 4: “Driver of the book, 7-iron of the book. Five-metre putt right to left”. Birdie.
Hoyo 5: “Par 3 a bit tense. I aimed at the centre of the green and two putts”. Par.
Hoyo 6: “I wasn’t very lucky here. I didn’t hit the driver very well and left myself a long second. I hit a great 3-wood, along the line it needed, but the green receives uphill, it bounced just on the fringe and stopped dead. If it had bounced one metre further onto the green I would have left it very close for eagle. I left myself a 15-metre uphill putt, I struck it with everything and still I was four short”. Par.
Hoyo 7: “Decent tee with the 3-iron and a great 8-iron. It stayed up on the piano, bad luck. If it had fallen it would have left it beside the hole. Even so, I hit the six-metre downhill putt and it went in”. Birdie.
Hoyo 8: “A terrific shot with the 7-iron, it rolled more than I expected across the green, I went past six metres and holed the putt”. Birdie.
Hoyo 9: “It’s a long par 4. I hit the fairway and then struck a poor 4-iron, left of the left. But I made a spectacular approach, to a metre and in”. Par.
Here you have this blessed ode to the 7-iron and the way Campillo has put himself right in contention to win the Hainan Classic. He has a two-shot lead over the third place, shared by South Africans Thriston Lawrence and Dylan Frittelli.
As for the rest of the Spaniards, Ángel Ayora (-2) joins those who made the cut in the morning, despite not being completely comfortable off the tee. In contrast, Eugenio Chacarra, Nacho Elvira and Pablo Larrazábal missed the cut.
