– Mondays are interesting days in a golf tournament. Interesting and chaotic. Some play 18 holes, others stick to nine, some just hit balls, some test, test and retest clubs, and there are even those who don’t show up at the golf course at all. Each to their own. Each according to their needs.
– Nacho Elvira appeared at the Emirates before eight in the morning to check some numbers with the putter. Not even 14 hours had passed since his victory at the Dubai Invitational. The wheel keeps turning. He did it with the people from Odissey Golf. He confesses he hasn’t slept at all, not because he went out partying to celebrate the win, but due to the tension of the last day, the kids, the move from the hotel to the apartment that will be the headquarters this week… In short, the hustle and bustle. There is a change of plans. He won’t play the nine holes he had planned for today. That’s already a lot.
– Iván Cantero is hitting the ball very well. The comment sounds familiar. They said the same about him last year in this very tournament, and he came very close to breaking into the top 10. Good feelings. He is working hard on his swing with his coach Jordi García del Moral to eliminate the dreaded world of the snap hook, you know, the shot that comes out short and very strong directly to the left. They had considered correcting the traditionally closed grip of the Asturian, but finally opted for a more conservative measure. The main goal is to extend the hands upwards during the backswing instead of turning them to the right. Things are looking good.
Precisely, Cantero has made the most talked-about equipment change of the Armada this winter. He has left Srixon to sign with Callaway. He carries everything from Callaway: drivers, irons, wedges, putter, ball, and bag. The main changes are the ball and irons, as he was already playing Callaway woods last year.
– Rafa Cabrera Bello is testing new Titleist wedges. He assures they come out a bit stronger. They go two or three metres further. The Canary Islander is happy. “I love those two metres because the difference with the 9-iron is smaller.” By the way, Rafa finds out right there while hitting balls that Nacho Elvira didn’t know how Shane Lowry had finished before hitting his second shot on the 18th. Is it better or worse? Cabrera is clear: “let everyone do what works for them, I know I prefer to know everything because it influences the shot I’m going to hit.” He refers to that exact situation, that is, the last match and playing for the tournament.
– Pablo Larrazábal wants to put in a hybrid to replace his 5-iron. He already did it with the 3 and 4 irons and wants to continue in this line. He says he hits wonderfully with hybrids. Of course, there are no shortage of funny references to age and the years he has been on the Tour. A character through and through.
– Ángel Hidalgo was not at all happy with the driver at the Dubai Invitational. It didn’t respond well to his safety shot from the tee, that is, a low ball and fade. If the club doesn’t respond when you hit your safety shot, that’s bad. Today he dedicated part of the morning to testing heads. Then, he played nine holes and the feelings were good. You have to see the heads of golfers, in both a literal and metaphorical sense.
– Tomorrow there is a meeting of the players with the DP World Tour to catch up with the changes that will be introduced this season. It always provides some entertainment.
– Dustin Johnson was seen this Monday at the Emirates. Also Joaquín Niemann, Victor Perez, Adrian Meronk, or Thomas Detry, to name just a few of the many LIV players present this week. By the way, David Puig had a light training session: putt, play, and some balls on the range. Energy must be conserved.
– Jorge Campillo arrived in Dubai on Sunday and today played nine holes. He has been troubled in recent days with a gout attack. He assures it is very painful, especially hurting in the instep and the sole of the left foot. Now he is much better and will have no problem playing.
– Speaking of LIV and Joaquín Niemann. The Chilean is accompanied by Alberto Ballester, a Spaniard from Castellón and the right-hand man of Josele Ballester, who has also started working in the technical team of the Torque captain for a few months now. It is impressive how every day the Spanish presence in the DP World Tour increases in all sectors.
– And Viktor Hovland, during all this time, has been in a corner of the practice field hitting balls. We wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed all night…
