Around 9:09 in the morning, Japan time, the sky opened over the Gotemba course and it started to pour down just as Iván Cantero teed off at the 1st. Some confusion, some rush, umbrellas up, umbrellas down, and the matter ended in a bogey for the Asturian. It was not the best way to start the round of movement, but the downpour, as it had arrived abruptly, left, and the Spaniard’s game resumed the path of much of the week, very solid. From that point to the end, no more bogeys would fall and a sweeping comeback would take place, with five birdies and an eagle, to the point of signing a 64, the best record of the day.
“After that start with a bogey in which I accelerated a bit due to the heavy rain that started to fall, I started to play very orderly again, hitting many fairways,” the Asturian explained to Tengolf at the end of the round. Sometimes, golf is explained that easily: hitting many fairways… But it’s not that simple, especially if you’re a guy who hits very hard, like Cantero. Be that as it may, the Asturian understands that, as of today, his game has taken a significant leap forward thanks to that circumstance: “The key to the drastic change that has occurred in my game is that, I am hitting many fairways. The drive right now is crazy… I’m hitting very straight and very long and it’s clear that if you go long and straight from the tee you have a lot to gain”. Well yes, that’s very clear.
Iván started on Thursday with a round at par that, without being very bad, put him in a somewhat complicated situation for the cut. But, in addition to hitting hard and straight from the tee, also on Thursday (he hit half of the fairways, but did not get into big trouble), other improvements were added. “With the irons I started the tournament a bit weak, but they have been improving hole by hole. And as for the putt, it has been difficult for me to adapt because I came from Llanes, where I could hardly putt because the greens were bad, but I have been getting the rhythm and I am starting to putt well again, as I was doing”, pointed out the Spanish player.
