The Volvo China Open returns to the DP World Tour calendar five years later and the big question less than 24 hours before the tournament starts is how many holes are going to be played and when it is going to end. The weather situation looks horrible. It has rained a lot in the last few hours, it is expected to continue raining and the radar warns of threatening storms on the horizon.
The worst of all is that these dark omens loom over the Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzhen, the venue of the tournament, every day: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At this time, the probability of lightning and thunder is 70 to 90 percent on each of the tournament days, except for Friday which gives a slight respite and drops to 50 percent. Good news.
If what the DP World Tour meteorologist says is confirmed, we must prepare for a long week, with interruptions, full of uncertainty, finishing playing at night, waking up at dawn… and without knowing very well what to expect. The most patient golfers, those who can better accept what Mother Nature dictates at each moment, will have a lot to gain. This week is about being ready when it’s time to play, beyond hitting the ball better or worse. Concentration.
Obviously, anything that starts well is good. It’s not about being pressured from the first hole, but being aware that it’s not at all far-fetched that the tournament could be reduced to 54 holes. In China, more than ever, don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
The course, one of the most exclusive in China, located in the south of the country, almost on the border with Hong Kong, has so far held up quite well to the fallen water. It is true that the ball gets muddy at times, but it will be played placing, as is obvious, and for now it is not too heavy. We’ll see what happens as the hours go by.
Hidden Grace has a rather curious characteristic. In the first eight holes of the course, the driver is not hit. Some will do it, as is logical, but as a general rule, the players keep it tucked away in the bag and play 3 wood, hybrids and some long iron, depending on each one’s hitting power. The thing is that the obstacles are placed in such a way that they come into play a lot with the longest club in the bag.
However, from hole 9 onwards, the driver is hit on all holes. Pay attention to 11, a short par 4 where you can reach in one. Surely, it will be one of the corners that offers the most play this week. It would be even more exciting if it were on one of the last holes of the round.
There are ten Spaniards in contention this week: Manuel Elvira, Nacho Elvira, Iván Cantero, Adrián Otaegui, Adri Arnaus, Alejandro del Rey, Pablo Larrazábal, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Ángel Hidalgo and Santiago Tarrio. It is the third time this tournament is played on this course as part of the European circuit calendar and the best results of the Spaniards are a third by Jorge Campillo in 2019 and a third by Álvaro Quirós in 2014. That year, exactly a decade ago, Cabrera Bello finished eighth.
