You can fool Adrián Otaegui (-1) once. Twice, if you try very hard and do it very well, maybe. Three times is impossible. The golfer from San Sebastian has managed to turn around a bad start at the PGA Championship and finished under par. It’s his second best start in a Major after last year’s Open Championship and his lowest result on a Thursday in a PGA. Let’s put these data into perspective to highly value his card of 70 strokes today at Valhalla.
The day started for Otaegui with a deception. The Spanish player has felt the putting green of the Kentucky course at a very different speed than what he has found later on the field. Specifically, much slower. For this reason, in his first birdie opportunity he has had, hole 10, he has gone two meters over in a twelve putt. He put on a poker face, not revealing too much what was going through his head, but it was clear that something had not squared, as he had thrown it as he had wanted. He also missed the return and signed the bogey.
Immediately afterwards, a very similar situation. His tee shot on the 11th, par 3, is not very good, but the ball is very well placed for him, frank, at the entrance of the green on the right. He has about 30 meters to the flag and decides to putt. There is no better sign that the ball was perfect. Again, the deception. He overdoes it. Even worse than before. He goes four and a half meters over and misses the return. He frowns. That’s it, he says. It’s time to adjust and forget the feelings of the putting green. Valhalla no longer deceives Otaegui.
From there, the player from Goiburu has putted very well, by his standards. He made a great birdie on the 12th and missed a very good opportunity on the 13th. On the 15th, the first long putt he has thrown again he leaves it given. On the 16th, another long putt, he almost makes it. Adjustment completed and the hoax revealed.
Otaegui finished his round very satisfied with his reaction. “It’s always nice to go from less to more. I finished very well, it was a plus to make the birdie on the 8th, my penultimate hole, with a good putt (about six meters). I’m happy,” he assured after signing the card. After all, it’s his fourth best round in a Major. The demonstration that his game is in a very good situation.
Adrián will continue to his own, thinking only about catching greens and leaving birdie options. It doesn’t seem like a bad plan in a Major.
