Alex del Rey (-10) has signed the card for the second round of the Ras al Khaimah Championship as the tournament leader tied with Daniel Brown (-10). We’ll see where he finishes when play is completed, but he won’t be far from the top spot. The Madrid native delivered a sensational score of 66 strokes, with eight birdies and two bogeys. Not even those two mistakes should overshadow a superb performance, no matter how much they hurt, as they came on the last two holes.
Del Rey’s great round was marked by the number 13. He started on the 10th, through the amen corner of the Al Hamra Golf Club, the most difficult part of the course. He saved a great bogey on the 10th and another prodigious one on the 12th. From there, he took off. His exhibition began on the 13th and lasted 13 holes. Don’t bring superstitions to good old Alex. There were thirteen birdie chances in a row, one after another, some very close and others more than reasonable. A festival of good golf and, above all, darts with the irons. In that stretch, he signed a spectacular eight-under-par and positioned himself at -12. The rest of the players had to watch him with binoculars.
It was truly an extraordinary display. The longest birdie putt he made was just under five metres on the 6th hole. From there, all were under two metres. Non-stop great shots. A poor second placement shot on the 8th hole, par 5, and a bad tee shot on the 9th caused two bogeys and a somewhat bitter aroma when signing the card. He must move on quickly because the good far outweighed that final setback. The conclusion is that Del Rey has created a very good opportunity for victory 36 holes from the end. There he is.
The playing conditions today in Ras al Khaimah are a bit more favourable than yesterday. There’s less wind. It picked up on the second nine holes of the morning, but for now, it’s not blowing with Thursday’s intensity. Even so, birdies are not being given away. Ángel Ayora (-2) has signed one of the comebacks of the day and, in doing so, has sent a message. The player from Manilva is much more than a swing to frame. He has grit, self-respect, fights for every shot, and has a strong character. He needed a low round today to offset yesterday’s 75, and he did it. Specifically, he signed a card of 67 strokes and earned a spot for the weekend. One more.
Ayora didn’t finish yesterday’s round with the best feelings. His lower back was a bit tight, and the last shots weren’t exactly the best of his repertoire. It would have been easy to throw in the towel, think about the next week, let go, or play wildly, flipping a coin, if it goes well, great, and if not, no worries, as the season has started well, and there’s still a lot ahead. But Ángel isn’t one of those. His type of golfer fights for every shot and knows how to value making the cut and even a top 40. Better to finish 38th than 39th.
Both he and Juan Ochoa, his coach and caddie, went out on the course today with the idea of making at least four under par. They had set the cut at -1 and weren’t far off. They started well, taking advantage of the least difficult hole from that stretch from 10 to 12. Great shot and great birdie on the 11th. They made two more on the 13th and 18th, but still needed something more to secure the weekend. He missed a great chance on the 2nd and kept putting for birdie, although without very clear chances.
He reached the last three holes needing at least one birdie. There was no safety net. All or nothing. He hit a great shot on the 7th, with the pitching wedge, to less than two metres from the hole. There was the birdie he needed. Far from settling, he got one more on the 8th. Textbook. Just in case. Suddenly, Ayora has come from nowhere to give himself a chance for the weekend. He has to fly very low, and it’s not easy, but the opportunity exists. If the putter supports him, don’t count him out of the winning equation yet.
Great cut also for Rafa Cabrera Bello (-1). The Canary Islander also made a comeback, coming from behind, and scoring three spectacular birdies on holes 12, the most difficult on the course, 14, and 16. This cut, although it may seem a minor objective for a player like Rafa, holds great value. It still needs to be confirmed, although it seems that one under will make it. If it happens, it could well be the turning point he needed. He had been on edge for months because every time he was on the limit to play or not the weekend, it went against him. To make matters worse, last week he was the first reserve for 10 days, and one of the players withdrew after playing two holes. Everything was going wrong. We’ll see if this is where the wind has changed. On the other hand, Nacho Elvira and Alfredo García Heredia have missed the cut.
Beyond the Spaniards, missed cut for Neergaard Petersen and John Parry, while Johannes Veerman (-8), Haotong Li (-7), Frederic Lacroix (-7), and Hammis Brown (-7) have moved up.
