Ángel Hidalgo (-7) was not entirely confident when he arrived in Kentucky this week. After taking a first look at the course and noticing significant changes in preparation compared to last year, with shorter rough, tees that hardly penalise mistakes, and soft and slow greens, he had the feeling that the ‘big hitters’ had a significant advantage. However, the truth is that in the first 18 holes of the ISCO Championship, he has not only been able to stand up to them but has also put on a display of play that puts him squarely in the group of contenders for victory.
Things started in the best possible way for the Marbella native. He started his round from the 10th tee of the Champions Course, at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville. And in just six holes, he was already four under par with an eagle on the par five of the 11th and two birdies on the 13th and 15th. His only mistake of the day, a bogey on the 16th, did not seem to affect him at all, because on the 17th he returned to four under with his third birdie of the day. And in his second nine, three more birdies, on the 2nd, 3rd and 8th, to place himself in fourth place tied with seven other players.
“I played pretty well, to be honest. It’s true that I wasn’t sharp with the wedges, but I took two par fives in two, I made two putts both times, and I made a chip, I gained four strokes on the par fives. Two good shots on the 2nd and 3rd, another on the 17th… It’s going to be more about not getting overwhelmed when the birdies don’t come out. But happy,” admitted Hidalgo just after finishing his round to Ten-Golf.
The truth is that the Marbella native was very precise from the tee (12 out of 14 fairways) and in greens in regulation (15 out of 18), without needing a great display with the putter, for a round of 65 strokes that under normal conditions should be worth a lead were it not for the performances of Rico Hoey (-8), Hayden Springer (-8) and, above all, an alien named Pierceson Coody (-11). The leader signed a card of 61 strokes, with eleven birdies and no mistake. In his round, six consecutive birdies, between holes 5 and 10. The best round of his career by three strokes. So, as expected, to win this week in Kentucky, a shamefully low score will be needed, even more than the 22 under par with which the playoff was played last season.
Going low early @ISCOChamp 💪@PGATOURU alum @Pierceson_Coody shoots the lowest round of his TOUR career by 3 shots. pic.twitter.com/rdx9s6bFG3
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 11, 2024
The other three Spaniards present in this tournament, which shares dates with the Genesis Scottish Open and is presented as a great opportunity to score points for the middle class of the PGA Tour and as an option to make a gigantic leap for the 50 participants from the DP World Tour, have played under par, but are far from the lead: Rafa Cabrera Bello (-3) and Manuel Elvira (-3), with 69 strokes each, barely making the cut, and Iván Cantero (-1), who will have to come back tomorrow to continue playing at the weekend.
