If golf were not golf but Formula One, Nacho Elvira (-4) would have made a pit stop on Thursday after his third hole at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. There was no need to wait any longer. The car wasn’t working. Read: golf clubs. Something was wrong. It was a matter of adjustments. For better or worse, golf is not Formula One. For worse, because you have to wait until the round is over to make any changes to the equipment. For better, because golfers don’t need engineers, or at least not always, to know what’s going on and even be able to fix it.
The fact is that on Thursday, Elvira saved an epic par round. In his own words, most players wouldn’t have broken 80 strokes the way he played from tee to green. As soon as he handed in his card and celebrated his survival round, the Cantabrian went straight to the practice field, to the pits, and got to work with the clubs. The feeling was that he couldn’t feel the clubhead, and therefore, the ball could go in any direction.
He discussed it with his caddie, David Morago, and they decided there was nothing to lose. The car’s settings had to be adjusted. As you know, Elvira is debuting a new brand this week. After six years, he has switched from Callaway to Cobra. He is happy with the change, loves his new equipment, but needs to adjust it. He did a lot of work in Madrid during the pre-season, as well as the first few days in Dubai, but the practice field is nothing like the competition rounds.
To better feel the clubhead in his hands, they decided to add weight to the irons. It can’t be said that it was a miracle cure, or something like night and day, but it certainly worked much better. Nacho has felt much more control in his shots, still missing of course, because this is golf and perfection doesn’t exist, but the ones he hits well, exactly as he wants, end up where they should and leave him birdie opportunities. He made up to seven today, more than double yesterday. And that was playing in the morning and in perfect conditions. Nacho Elvira shot 68 and not only made the cut but also got into the top 25, with every right to look upwards over the weekend.
Alfredo García Heredia (-4) must be thinking the same. The Asturian signed the same card as Nacho, playing brilliantly on the first nine holes. “Surely I haven’t played this well since Switzerland (where he finished second after a playoff) or the Spanish Open. It’s noticeable that Jorge Parada has been here the first few days and has put my swing in order. We’ve done a very good job,” he says.
His display on the first nine holes was phenomenal. He shot four under, but for the same price, he could have made seven or eight. He started by leaving himself a one-and-a-half-metre putt for eagle on the 10th. And he didn’t even make it… Another great shot on the 11th, textbook on the 13th, for eagle on the 18th, easy birdie on the 17th, without suffering on the 12th or 14th, and, on top of that, the bonus of holing out from off the green on the 15th. It was a golf exhibition.
However, from the 1st hole, problems began. He missed the tee shot, and from then on, the swing wasn’t the same. On the 2nd, after waiting a long time, and his mistake of not staying active, he missed the tee shot and signed a painful bogey. The 3rd also went wrong, and on the 5th, another bogey fell. Suddenly, bad thoughts came to him. Not fear of missing the cut, but his head started doing the numbers. He made two very good birdies on the 6th and 8th, but it was hard to finish.
As soon as he finished his round, he went straight to the practice field to try to straighten out the driver again. In any case, he made the cut and is also in a position to look upwards.
As it stands, five Spaniards have made the cut for the weekend. Iván Cantero, Alfredo García Heredia, and Nacho Elvira at -4, Ángel Hidalgo at -1, and Adrián Otaegui at par. Jon Rahm, Alex del Rey, Jorge Campillo, Manu Elvira, and Pablo Larrazábal missed out.
