The best Spaniard after the first round of the Swiss Challenge is Santiago Tarrio (-6). The Galician has delivered a card of 65 strokes at Golf Sempach to get within two strokes of the leader David Horsey (-8). Santi has achieved the best round of the year on his return to the HotelPlanner Tour. Tarrio is finding it challenging to rediscover his best form, but undoubtedly rounds like this Thursday’s are the start of the journey back to the top division of the European circuit. He has plenty of time and is currently in 65th place on the Road to Mallorca. He is just one good result away from starting to connect with the positions that grant access to the Final in Alcudia.
The Galician started with a bogey, but it was the first and only slip in his round. He recovered brilliantly with three birdies in the next four holes and reached the rain break with another success in the bag and three under in total. The suspension not only didn’t harm him but gave him the final push he needed, and he made three consecutive birdies between holes 15 and 17 to climb onto the tournament podium. It is worth remembering that since Rafa Cabrera Bello‘s victory in this event in 2008, none of our players have even finished on the podium. Even more credit to Santi’s start.
Meanwhile, Víctor Pastor (-3) has delivered a card of 68 strokes in the first round of the Swiss Challenge. A round that places him in the top 25 at the start. It might seem like just another round. However, this Thursday marks an unprecedented achievement in the career of the Cordoban. In the five years he has been on the circuit, it is the first time he has made nine consecutive rounds under par.
The four days of the Challenge de España, of course, the four from a few days ago in the Challenge de Cádiz where he finished second, and this first one in Lucerne. On April 21 in Abu Dhabi was his last round falling to the course. Last week Víctor matched his best result on the circuit, missing out by just one stroke to Rocco Repetto Taylor. Only a wonderful putt from the Malagueño prevented the contest from being decided in the playoff.
The circumstances are not comparable, but when Victor achieved the same result in the Challenge de España three years ago, his next round was 80 strokes in Scotland. An eleven-stroke difference between one and the other. Moreover, back then Pastor went through thirteen consecutive tournaments without making the cut. Missing out on victory weighed heavily on him. At 30 years old, he seems to have reached that point of maturity. Anything can happen in the second round, but at least the reaction compared to what happened in 2022 is completely different. In some way, he has shaken off certain ghosts of the past.
There is another significant fact regarding Pastor’s season, who, by the way, is currently 16th and would obtain one of the DP World Tour cards. This is his 22nd round under par so far this season in the HotelPlanner Tour. He had never beaten the course so many times at this point in the season.
Among the rest of the Armada, the good start of Borja Virto (-4) and Eduard Rousaud (-4) stands out, with a round of 67 strokes placing them among the top twenty in the tournament. Also within the provisional cut are Álvaro Quirós (-2).
Those who will need to improve if they want to make the cut in Switzerland are Javi Sainz (PAR), Adri Arnaus (+2), Sebas García (+2), Quim Vidal (+3), and Carlos Pigem (+3).
