The Malaga-born Ángel Hidalgo and the two amateurs from Madrid, Jaime Montojo and Luis Masaveu, have made it into the Open Championship, the last Major of the year which will take place from 18 to 21 July at Royal Troon and which, for the record, is the first Major they have all played in their career. They have achieved this, obviously, through the Final Qualifying that was held today over 36 holes at four different courses in the UK, where four places were awarded at each of them (Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire).
When Hidalgo, Montojo and Masaveu, in just 16 days’ time, tee off at the 1st of Royal Troon they will be the 73rd, 74th and 75th Spaniards to have played at least one Major in the history of the majors and Spanish golf. That is something that nobody can take away from them and, as you can see, it is not a club that everyone has access to: only 75 players in over a hundred years of history, since Ángel de la Torre made his debut in the 1920 Open, precisely at Royal Cinque Ports, one of the four venues for this Final Qualifying.
This day usually leaves great stories every year, with nearly three hundred players (288, to be exact) hunting for just twelve places, in a survival of the fittest mode, over 36 holes in a single day and probably more than nine hours on the course, exposed on the other hand to whatever Mother Nature has in store for them there (wind, rain and morning cold are usually the companions of fatigue…). But, in addition, in 2024, the day has been truly crazy for Spanish golf.
Starting with the feat of Montojo, who today signed rounds of 71 and 70 strokes at Royal Cinque Ports, to finish in third position with a total of -3 and who is going to play his first Major still being an amateur player and only 19 years old, Continuing with the epic qualification of Masaveu on the same course, who handed in cards of 72 and 70 strokes (total of -2) and was forced to go out and play a play-off with Englishman Jamie Rutherford and South African Brande Grace (no less…), three men for one place, and the Spanish player solved by sinking a birdie on the second play-off hole.
And finishing, of course, with the way ‘chosen’ by Hidalgo to make the headlines, as the Andalusian player confirmed his presence in the Open by finishing his second round at Dundonald Links with an eagle on the 9th hole, which is a par 4, don’t think otherwise. Indeed, Ángel hit a wonderful wedge from 99 metres and holed it to make a ‘two’ providential and close the day with rounds of 70 and 69 strokes, five under for the day. And so providential: in hindsight it was found that not even the birdie would have been enough to get in directly, having had to go out and play a play-off with three other players for one place, which has a serious element of pure lottery.
In addition, other ‘shots’ have hit the post. Those of Sergio García and Eugenio López Chacarra, for example. García fought to the end to get one of the four places that were also awarded at West Lancashire, but in the end he was two strokes short of the target, in sixth position, with cards of 71 and 70 strokes and a total of -3 for the day. Sergio García and Justin Rose were undoubtedly the two big names of the event and neither disappointed. The Spaniard was close, although he will certainly have to wait for his 100th Major, while the Englishman did get a direct place by winning at his Burnham & Berrow venue with rounds of 66 and 68 and a total of -8. As for Chacarra, he was perfectly placed at the halfway point of the day after handing in an excellent card of 68 strokes at Royal Cinque Ports, which at that time clearly put him within the target. However, a 77 in the second round left him out of all possibility.
Be that as it may, of the ten Spaniards who played today, three achieved the objective, a percentage that, let’s be frank, is truly surprising, especially considering that two of the qualifiers are still amateur players. A real celebration of Spanish golf. In addition to Sergio and Chacarra, Josele Ballester was not far off either, handing in cards of 74 and 69 strokes to end up beating the course (total of -1) and in thirteenth position at West Lancashire. Borja Virto, Joel Moscatel, Marcel Fonseca and Quim Vidal were unable to achieve the objective, although the overall performance was, it must be stressed, top-notch.
