They’re only 21 and 19 years old, but they can already boast of having a story to tell their grandchildren. Hopefully, many more will come in the future, but today’s at Royal Troon are already unforgettable. We’re talking, of course, about Luis Masaveu (+2) and Jaime Montojo (+3), two Spanish amateurs who have made their debut on the big stage with astonishing confidence and determination.
Masaveu will be able to tell the youngsters that he signed the same result as Jon Rahm in his debut at the Open Championship. That he even left strokes on the course and that he wasn’t even happy with his tee to green play, let alone his putt. He will tell them that he struggled to feel comfortable with his swing, and the kids will respond, of course, grandpa, it’s only natural, you must have been eaten up with nerves. And yes, the tension has weighed heavily, especially at the beginning.
The story gains momentum as the holes go by. There’s a significant turn at the 7th. The wind calms down, Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, his caddie, announces it and reminds him to lower his pulse, as he’s going too fast. Masaveu will admit that he was so nervous that he had almost forgotten to practice his swing. On the 8th hole, he makes a great shot and on the 10th, finally, everything fits. He feels the swing as he likes it again. He hits a great shot and makes the first birdie.
The grandchildren are already drooling, but the best is yet to come. Hole 16. Luis and Gonzalo are unsure whether to hit the driver or an iron off the tee. They’re not sure, but he’s eager to hit the green in two. He wants that opportunity no matter what. It’s Gonzalo who, seeing his determination, tells him to go with the driver, don’t even think about it. He hits a great shot, but misses to the right, into an unplayable rough. So unplayable that they don’t even try to get it back on the fairway. They have to drop.
They throw 15 meters back, still in the rough, and still have a long iron left. They know it’s going to come out very loose and they bet on the 5. It’s the shot of the day and, probably, of the year. He leaves it a meter away for birdie. Yes, after dropping with a penalty. Spectacular. Masaveu is not entirely happy because of the three putts on the 17th, but he wouldn’t change a thing. Time will put things in perspective. It’s been a great round and he’s made the cut.
Montojo, on the other hand, will sit by the fireplace with his grandchildren and tell them: I still have the video in my phone’s favourites, an old relic that the kids will have never heard of. In those days, to communicate with someone, you just have to think about doing it and the conversation will start.
Jaime will tell them that he called his friend Josele Ballester, who made his debut at the Open the previous year, to ask him what to expect on the 1st tee, and Josele, honestly, will confirm: you’re going to be nervous, no doubt about it, deal with it. And indeed, he was, especially on the way to the 1st tee. However, he will tell the little ones that he hit a great tee shot and that helped him calm down and then comes the main course. The second shot of his life in a Major.
Montojo will get excited, as the story deserves, and will remind them that he had 122 meters to the flag and that he first considered a 9 iron. He wasn’t quite sure because with the wind against and the height, he might not make it, so he opted for a soft 8 iron. The shot of his life. At least, until that moment. At least, until today. The shot is perfect and the ball goes in on the last round. Eagle. -2 on the 1st of the Open. Madness.
Jaime will tell the boys that he doesn’t remember anything about what happened in the next three minutes. Fade to black. Jumps of joy, hug with his brother Luis, his caddie, a run… He didn’t know what to do. His face was the very image of happiness. He will also tell them that before entering the green to pick up the ball from the hole, his brother Luis gave him the best possible advice: “now lower your pulse”. And he did.
Jaime will show them the video on his phone so that his grandchildren know he’s not making it up and they will say no, they see him very small there, that just by imagining it in their brain, they see it in virtual reality, as if they were in Troon. What a joy.
To top off the story, Montojo will tell them that he finished +3, a great round at the Open, one stroke off the provisional cut and with one idea burned into his mind: “now it’s time to make the cut, tomorrow go for it all”.
The two Spanish amateurs have starred in the great stories of the Armada at the Open’s debut. The rest, apart from Jon Rahm (+2), will have to work hard and row a lot this Friday to make the cut, which could well be at +5: Nacho Elvira (+5), Ángel Hidalgo (+6), David Puig (+9) and Jorge Campillo (+9).
