– Jordan Gumberg (-14) has produced a statement on the second day of the Hainan Classic. It’s what happens when the leader after the first round again returns the best card the following day. He carded 64 at the Blackstone and today has posted 66 at the Vintage. The ‘illuminati’. Across the two days he has made 16 birdies, almost one every two holes. That is why he enjoys a comfortable four-shot lead over Dylan Frittelli (-10), second with his round completed, although his main threat right now is Thriston Lawrence, who sits at -9 midway through his second round. In any case, it would be unusual for Gumberg not to still be leading on Friday
– Gumberg’s career on the DP World Tour at 30 has been fairly modest. He has very few truly standout results, although you could say he has made the most of them. He joined the Tour in 2024. Almost two years ago he recorded his only victory. It came at the SDC Championship in South Africa, also in March, after beating Robin Williams in a playoff. It was, of course, his only win of 2024, but also his only top 5 and his only top 10. Moreover, he has no other top 5 in his entire career on the European Tour. His next best result is a seventh place last year at the Genesis Championship, precisely the finish that allowed him to retain his card at the last moment. He has never played the Playoffs, but the opportunity he had in his first two seasons on the DP World Tour is undeniable
– The huge tree that currently represents Gumberg’s figure should not stop us from looking at the leafy forest formed by the Armada. With the day yet to be completed, seven Spaniards are currently inside the cut. It’s true that none are in the top 10 or stalking the lead, which as we say is very unlikely, but they are well placed to sign off a strong week, one of those that when the year ends you think: some things were decided in Hainan
– Rafa Cabrera Bello (-6) and Ángel Hidalgo (-6) were a shot off the top 10 when they returned their cards. As mentioned, if you look at Gumberg they may seem far away, but in reality they are only four shots adrift of second place. Rafa has indulged himself on the par-5s. He didn’t leave one alive. He birdied all four at the Blackstone yesterday (and they are proper beasts, longer than you’d expect) and today he did the same on the Vintage par-5s. Obviously, he is building his good score on these holes. He shot 69
The same 69 for Hidalgo, with five birdies and two bogeys. It’s the second time this season that the man from Málaga starts a tournament with two rounds under 70. He was keen to enjoy a tournament with some breathing room, since apart from Kenya it has almost always been a constant struggle to make the cut and scrape points. He is clearly on an upward curve, and, what’s more important, he is convinced that a big result is about to come
– Iván Cantero (-5) has also feasted on the par-5s, with a combined seven under par over the two days. The Asturian has signed his third sub-70 round this season. He also shot 69. He also gets a breather, after many weeks clawing for whatever he could to make the cut, but not really able to free himself
– Sebas García (-4) shot 68 and again shows he is going through a very sweet patch of form. The stats don’t lie. He arrives after two consecutive top 20s in Africa and has played under par in nine of his last ten rounds on the Tour. Of those nine, note, eight were below 70. The Madrid man is playful right now, hunting that big week that is circling
– When it comes to shrugging off a weight, as we said in Cantero’s case, nothing like the situations of Rocco Repetto (-4) and Quim Vidal (-2). The former is set to make his first cut of 2026 and the latter is on course, although we will have to wait until the end to confirm that the cut sits at -2. Everything points that way, but it will depend on how the final groups play. Once that backpack has been dropped, all that remains is to fly through the weekend, to let go
– Manu Elvira (-3) will also be around for the weekend after a round of 69, a very popular number this Friday among the Spaniards. The one who missed the cut after a tough day at the office is Adri Arnaus (+1)
