“My game is a farce, I have everyone fooled.” This is the amusing reflection of Alejandro Del Rey (-6) after signing off a fine display around the green on the third day of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. A scorecard of 70 strokes and, for now, a spot in the top 10 in the first Rolex Series of his career.
The words of the Madrid player have a lot to do with what happened today at the Emirates Golf Club. It is obvious that the hallmark of his golf is the drives. It couldn’t be otherwise. His ability to hit 350 yards, dry ones, as he says, cannot go unnoticed. However, it’s time to talk about his short game. Perhaps it is not as ‘famous’ as his bombs, but it exudes the same or more quality.
You have to do magic to come out with par on the first nine holes of the Majlis course hitting only three greens in regulation. Given how the rough is this week and the speed and firmness that the mats are acquiring, it is mandatory to make the approach perfect to avoid bogeys. Del Rey has been very sharp today. His bunker shots on holes 2 and 6 have been a delight, both with chances of going in, the chips on 1, 7 and 9, pure gold and, in addition, when needed, as on 8, the putter has said here I am to save a par from about four meters.
Not even the oldest of the place remember nine straight pars from Alex. That’s why, when the first birdie fell on 10, he clenched his fist and breathed a sigh of relief. The streak was broken on the good side. That first success has boosted his golf. He has played much better from tee to green. Pity the final bogey on 18, although it must be said that the golfer from La Moraleja has been consistent with his decision. It is true that the ball was ugly in the rough, that he had more than 180 meters to pass the lake counting on the wind against, but his approach has been the following: “the placement shot is not easy, if you try to push it you can go to the water, if you leave it at 90 meters it is not an easy flag position to leave it close with the third and as I was approaching today I knew that the birdie was very feasible leaving it anywhere around the green. I have played it with the 4 iron with all its consequences and I have told myself that if it went to the water I was not going to get angry”, he explains to Ten Golf. And so it has been. He has not gotten angry. He has assumed that the shot can be missed and that the strategy was correct.
Del Rey will fight this Sunday for a valuable top 10 in Dubai, something that also aspire Pablo Larrazábal (-4), who is missing this week his proverbial short game, Rafa Cabrera Bello (-4), Santi Tarrio (-3) and Sebastián García Rodríguez (-2). All of them have managed this Saturday not to lose the battle with the field, something that can be considered valuable due to the harsh conditions it presents.
On the contrary, Manuel Elvira (PAR), Adrián Otaegui (+1), Nacho Elvira (+2) and Jorge Campillo (+3) have lost positions in a bad day. Elvira, who played with Del Rey, nothing came out. The day twisted from the second shot of hole 3. He had to suffer. Tomorrow he will have the opportunity to take revenge.
