The Nin9rs Games return to the scene this week with the V Bizkaia PGAe Open, a tournament played from 19 to 21 June at Meaztegi Golf. Fourth event of the season, a new course, new line-ups and a question that is already starting to repeat itself with a tone of challenge, urgency and almost an X-Files air: is there anyone capable of stopping the Xorkyo Frogs?
The team captained by Mario Galiano arrives in Bizkaia with a flawless record. Three tournaments played and three wins. A clean sweep. First they struck at Izki Golf, then they confirmed their dominance at the Campeonato de Madrid de Profesionales, at La Dehesa, and completed the hat-trick at the IV Open de Ciudad Real, where Alfredo García Heredia won the individual tournament and led another collective display by the frog team
The dominance is beginning to take on very serious overtones. This is not a good run, but a trend. In Ciudad Real, despite some significant absences, Xorkyo once again found a way to win. That is probably the most worrying fact for the rest: it not only wins when it fields its top players, but also when it draws on its depth. And it does so convincingly
Now Meaztegi arrives and the V Bizkaia PGAe Open presents itself as a new opportunity for the rest of the teams. Someone will have to step up if they don’t want the championship to start being coloured by Xorkyo too soon. The overall standings already show significant gaps, although there is still a long season to go and the Nin9rs Games have plenty of room for plot twists. But it’s time to move. And it’s time to do it now. It is true that the most important thing is to be among the top eight to get into the big final. Once there, at Isla Canela, it will be another story
The Xorkyo Frogs present a very strong line-up this week, with Vasco Alves, David Borda, Mario Galiano, Borja Martín y Javier Sainz. In other words, competitive edge, experience and reliable players to keep defending the lead. Alfredo García Heredia, a main protagonist in Ciudad Real, is not in the line-up, but the team retains more than enough muscle to fight for everything again
The chase will attract a lot of attention. Atlas by Golf Lleida, second in the overall standings after the Manchega event, once again bring a very serious formation to the course with José Luis Adarraga, Emilio Cuartero, Kevin Esteve, Carlos Pigem y Gerard Piris. There is talent, know-how and players capable of adding a lot. If anyone wants to challenge Xorkyo’s dominance, Atlas looks obliged to try from now on
Dacar Iron Masters also arrive with ambition, another of the teams that have positioned themselves best at the start of the season. Their quintet at Meaztegi, with Daniel Berná, Scott Fernández, Antonio Hortal, Pedro Oriol y Juan Salama, have plenty of reasons to look up without complexes. It is one of the most recognisable and competitive line-ups of the week
Codex Golf Linces should not be overlooked, appearing with a high-profile roster: Alfonso Buendía, José María Olazábal, Álvaro Quirós, Alejandro Rodríguez y Joseba Torres. Nor Valencia Vikings, with Carlos Abril, Javier Balbastre, Jordan Gibb, Rubén Lafuente y Liam Murray, or Mermaos by Aiuken, which brings together Vicente Blázquez, Luis Claverie, Javier Colomo, Francisco Lagarto y Carlos Suneson
The format of the Nin9rs Games continues to give each tournament a lot of life. It’s not only about who wins individually, but how many players make the cut, how many score each day and how the whole unit performs. That is where Xorkyo has built its advantage: players who win, players who contribute and teams that almost always place their resources where they need to be
Meaztegi will now deliver the next verdict. The Vizcayan course hosts a new battle within the national circuit with many important names, teams needing to make up ground and a leader who no longer hides. Quite the opposite. It goes out onto the course with a target on its back and with a clear psychological advantage: up to now, everyone has tried to catch it and no one has succeeded
The V Bizkaia PGAe Open starts this Friday. The frog leaps again. The rest have three days to prove that they are not invincible
Line-ups for the V Bizkaia PGAe Open
Andalucía Penguins
Alberto Domínguez, Zak Karkaletsos, Gonzalo Leal, Enrique Marín y Pedro Marín.
Atlas by Golf Lleida
José Luis Adarraga, Emilio Cuartero, Kevin Esteve, Carlos Pigem y Gerard Piris.
Codex Golf Linces
Alfonso Buendía, José María Olazábal, Álvaro Quirós, Alejandro Rodríguez y Joseba Torres.
Dacar Iron Masters
Daniel Berná, Scott Fernández, Antonio Hortal, Pedro Oriol y Juan Salama.
Dhamma Blue Barbarians
Hugo Esposito, Luis Gregorio Ferrández, Sigot López, David Salgado y Esteban Vázquez.
Eggs Golf Marbella
Christian Asensio, José Manuel Garzón, Juan Ángel González, Víctor Mouttet y Diego Torne.
Galicia Pulpos
Thomas Artigas, Diego Moreno, Luis Manuel Portela, Ignacio Sánchez-Palencia y Antón Vázquez.
Golden Lions by Adidas Canarias
Víctor García, Álvaro Hernández, José Manuel Pardo, Rubén Pardo y Agustí Quinquilla.
Madrid Warriors
Sandro Barrio, Francisco Javier Calvo, Javier Herrero, José María Isbert y Pedro Rabadán.
Mermaos by Aiuken
Vicente Blázquez, Luis Claverie, Javier Colomo, Francisco Lagarto y Carlos José Suneson.
Valencia Vikings
Carlos Abril, Javier Balbastre, Jordan Gibb, Rubén Lafuente y Liam Murray.
Xorkyo Frogs
Vasco Alves, David Borda, Mario Galiano, Borja Martín y Javier Sainz.
