Josele Ballester (-11) will compete this Sunday for his second professional victory and his second title in just a couple of weeks. After winning the PIF Saudi International of the Asian Tour at the end of November, the golfer from Castellón has created a very good opportunity at the Crown Australian Open of the DP World Tour, which is being held at the legendary Royal Melbourne Golf Club. A tournament, the second of the 2026 season on the European circuit, where there is a lot at stake…
After his initial rounds of 69 and 68 strokes, the Fireballs player from LIV Golf showcased his best version this Saturday with a display of tee-to-green play, delivering one of the best cards of the day, with 65 strokes. A bogey-free round, with six birdies (four on the first nine and two on the second half of the course), which could have been even better had he not missed the par five on the 17th, where he putted for eagle and ended with a par, or if a few more putts had dropped, like the one on the 18th.
In playing conditions different from the first two days, with moments of rain and no wind, the Spaniard felt good from the start, with a birdie on the first hole that filled him with confidence. “I played very good golf, from the first tee shot I felt really good. I started hitting the ball well and making putts on the first holes, and that gave me confidence,” confessed the golfer from Castellón in the official television broadcast right after finishing his round.
“It’s been a different test each day, the first with a lot of wind, the second with more heat, today with moments of rain, conditions I like… My start as a professional has been somewhat ‘slow’, but I’ve adjusted a couple of things in my routines and alignment, and it was just a matter of time. Tomorrow the tournament is very open, and I’m happy to be competing with such important players,” concluded Josele, who will start tomorrow three strokes behind the leader in search of the big prize.
The winner of this Australian Open, as happened a couple of months ago at the Open de España, will have a special prize of a spot in next year’s Masters at Augusta. And the top three players not exempt for the Open Championship will be able to play next summer’s last major of the season at Royal Birkdale. A double prize to add to the $250,000 cheque reserved for whoever lifts the trophy tomorrow, which has put an important list of stars on alert.
Cam Smith makes birdie at the 3rd and moves to within one of the lead 🔥#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/R1TSEbHOu8
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 6, 2025
Standing out above all is the Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (-14), who, after securing his PGA Tour card for 2026 through the Race to Dubai and ensuring a spot in the Open, seeks to complete much of the work on the DP World Tour before embarking on his American adventure and, incidentally, compete for that ticket to Augusta National. With four birdies in his last five holes, including a huge putt on the 18th, he managed to finish the day as the solo leader of the standings.
Also appearing there is the Australian Cameron Smith (-12), who seeks to be a prophet in his own land and end a terrible year on a high note, in which he was never close to victory in LIV Golf (a tied 5th place in Mexico, six strokes behind the winner, was his best position) and where he failed to make a single cut in the other seven tournaments he played (the four Majors, the Alfred Dunhill, the PIF Saudi International, and the BMW Australian Open). Today he arrived as the leader on the 18th, but complicated his life with a horrible drive to the right, which opened the door to Rasmus.
And alongside the Australian, tied with him in second place, is the Mexican Carlos Ortiz (-12), with a very good 66 this Saturday, and the South Korean Si Woo Kim (-12), with a 65 like Josele’s. Although it’s worth not ruling out names like the Australians Daniel Hiller (-10), Adam Scott (-10), and Min Woo Lee (-10), tied in sixth place.
There wasn’t enough time for Rory McIlroy (-5) to reach the final battle with options, who left a shot identical to yesterday’s next to the bushes on the 17th to make birdie again, and the young Portuguese Daniel Rodrigues (-6) fell out of contention, who after his eight birdies yesterday didn’t manage a single one today and closed his round with a terrible double bogey after dropping with a penalty following a bad start with an unplayable ball.
Rory McIlroy birdies the last to finish -5 ahead of the final round 📈#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/WOZZ2mLgSi
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 6, 2025
For the rest of the Spaniards who made the cut in Melbourne, there were highs and lows this Saturday. Sebastián García (-4), with a good round of 68 strokes, managed to climb nine positions to get into the top 30. Rafa Cabrera Bello (-4), who started in the upper part of the table alongside Josele, didn’t find the necessary momentum to get into the fight and with 73 strokes, two over par, lost more than 20 places. Rocco Repetto (-2) played under par but lost three positions, falling to 41st place, and Quim Vidal (PAR), with 72 strokes, one over par, dropped out of the top 50.
