– The record at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande was 65 strokes, set by the Swiss amateur player, Tom Mao, who signed it this year at the Copa Sotogrande. And it will remain so, as the card of 62 strokes by Guerrier does not count, since it was played with preferred lies and therefore cannot be elevated to official status. No one will be able to surpass that record in the second round, on Friday, as preferred lies will also be in place. The intention of the DP World Tour is precisely not to have preferred lies in the third round, and this will likely be the case if it doesn’t rain again. We will see then if a new record emerges, as it seems likely…
– No one could have expected anyone to surpass the morning 63 of Daniel Brown, but Julien Guerrier came and did it. An afternoon card of 62 strokes and solo lead at the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters. The Frenchman’s statements are more or less what one would expect: “I enjoyed it a lot, it was a round where everything went well, and it’s wonderful to play like that. The only tricky part is maintaining focus and staying in the present because when you reach the 12th hole with nine birdies, it’s easy for your mind to wander. I tried to find the balance between staying focused and enjoying the moment.” But we will stick with the final remark of his analysis, for a bit of home pride: “I don’t know what the secret was, but I love playing in Spain and the Iberian ham.”
This year, almost in every tournament, there is a French player fighting at the top. Some call it the ‘Pavon effect’, and perhaps that’s part of it, among other things. Curiously, last week, at the French Open, it didn’t happen, but this week Guerrier is back to good habits.
– Jon Rahm referred to his drive on the 18th hole at the end of the round. “After the great drive I hit, you can’t make such a bad second shot… You have to take advantage of those situations.” Indeed, the Barrika native had hit a massive 347-yard (nearly 320 metres) drive onto the fairway. The wind was favourable, but you still have to step up and do it. No one has hit it that far, although Alex del Rey and Sean Crocker weren’t far behind (342 yards).
– There have been very low rounds. True. Here we are, talking about the real, genuine, and objective possibility of setting a new course record. But let’s not overlook other facts: more than forty percent of the players (56/126) couldn’t beat the course today. This course offers a birdie opportunity on every hole, as Sebas García explained today, but that doesn’t mean they come easily, especially if the wind blows as it did today. It wasn’t a hurricane, but it was challenging. Up to eight holes on the Cádiz course played above par today, so be careful. On Friday, with much less wind, we’ll tally up again.
– Speaking of wind and Sotogrande. Daniel Brown, with the morning 63, made a very accurate observation: “the first nine are more sheltered, but you get to the back nine and it feels like you’re playing a different course.”
