Jorge Campillo (-4) has had a more than notable debut in the PGA Tour as a full member. The golfer from Cáceres has handed in a card of 67 strokes on the first day of the Mexico Open at Vidanta and has placed himself in the upper area of the classification, only two strokes from the provisional lead shared by David Lipsky, Cristóbal del Solar and Henrik Norlander, all of them with -6.
Let’s remember that Campillo is playing his first tournament on the American circuit as a full member, after earning his credentials last year through the Race to Dubai. Not bad for starting to write a story and much more after how the round started, with a ball in the water from the tee of the 10th.
Something like this can leave anyone in shock for a while, especially considering that the feelings of the golfer from Norba had not been precisely the best during the practice rounds. Anyone could have doubts, but the reality is that Jorge has known how to make a clean slate wonderfully. Starting with a great shot after dropping, almost 190 meters from the hole, to save a great bogey on that hole 10.
Immediately afterwards, he saved another good par at hole 11, par 3. He hit a good shot from the tee, aggressive, over the cloth, but he went over and had to face a delicate recovery. He did it wonderfully to get a par without suffering. Who knows if that +1 after two holes has been the basis of everything that has come after. It is more than likely, as for the same price he could have started something worse.
The reality is that Campillo has been superb today around the green and with the putter. Stellar. In fact, the six greens he missed after hole 10, he recovered, some with much merit bunker shots, others with good approaches and several with tense putts of three meters, like on the 16th, or two meters like on the 8th. Spanish hands in pure state. Masterful short game. From tee to green he has not been so fine, but he has had the skill and success to fail on the less bad side when it was time.
Among so many recoveries, he has also known how to take advantage of the birdie options that have been presented to him. He has almost not let any pass, at least none of five meters down. He opened the can of birdies with a very good putt of three meters on the 14th and repeated with another on the 18th, after catching the green in two. By the book. Birdie on both par 5s.
From there, he linked several pars and finished the round in an exceptional way with three birdies in the last four holes. Great shot on hole 6, another par 5, a meter and a half from the hole, given on the 7th with a phenomenal approach and great putt, the longest of the day, about three and a half meters on the 9th to close the round. A job well done in conditions that were not very difficult, although the day was not placid either. The wind blew and it had to be dealt with.
Campillo was in the top 10 at the time of handing in his result. The afternoon shift is still to finish and things can change. As for the head, the three aforementioned players lead followed by Andrew Novak, Cameron Champ and Thorbjorn Olesen with -5. Nicolai Hojgaard, one of the favourites, has started with a result of three under par, while Tony Finau, defending champion and highest ranked in the world ranking of the tournament, has made -2.
