Lucas Vacarisas takes the lead in the Challenge de Espau00f1a and leads alone with 8 strokes under par at the Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri with Ireland’s Conor Purcell one stroke behind and Ulenaers, the winner of the Challenge de Cu00e1diz, three strokes behind.
Vacarisas, player barcelonu00e9s member of the ProSpain Team of the RFEG and current Campeu00f3n de Espau00f1a, was playing his first season in the Challenge Tour, which came after his victory in the Alps in Seville last year; last week he finished in 18th place and continued cu00f3modo this week on a course in which he has learned to recover from the most complicated situations. He went outu00f3 for the 10th and made bogey, ahole that I do not like, last Friday I made triple bogey and I have a bad memory, so I had to get out of the hole as well as possible and followu201d; and so he has done it, leaving the round with 9 birdies, 5 of them consecutive from 2 to 6 for a total of 64 strokes.u00a0 u201c I’m happy because I recovered well from the start and managed to get a good round. This is a pretty fair course, if you play well, you get rewarded. u00a1I wish we would play many more weeks here! And in these conditions because the course was really good. Today was a great putting session, I started with my confidence a little low, but I changed the way I putt and I’m much more comfortable. I didn’t make any serious mistakes and I knew how to take advantage of the opportunities I had, although I could have made some more birdie with options, but I am very satisfied with my round.
Last year I played the Alps Tour and I think it is a fantastic circuit to start, I had a great start and the truth is that I learned a lot. I have only been playing on the Challenge Tour for a few weeks but in each tournament I gain more experience and I feel that I am learning and improving. Here I’m enjoying every round and trying to get the best out of my game every round. .
Ireland’s Conor Purcell is the closest of the five, having finished the first round with 8 birdies and a bogey for 7 under par, but five strong players are hot on his heels on 6 under par: Cape Town Challenge winner JC Ritchie, Britons Marco Penge and Jordan Wrisdale, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier and Daan Huizing, the Dutchman who beat Eduard Rousaud in the Irish Challenge play-off.
Just three strokes behind the leader was last week’s winner, Kristof Ulenears, who maintained his good pace of play with 5 birdies and no mistakes on this course where he is so comfortable, for 67 strokes: u201cI have kicked phenomenal, I am very happy with how I have played. I think today is the du00eeda that mu00e1s quietest I have gone out to the field all week, after a du00eeda of rest and beach, I have charged the batteries and I’m ready for three du00eedas mu00e1s golf u201d.
Mau00f1ana Wednesday, at the end of the second round will be made the cut in the classification, which will pass the top 60 and tied, which will be those who fight for the title in the final two days, Thursday and Friday.
The Challenge de Espau00f1a is sponsored by RealFederaciu00f3n Espau00f1olau00a0deu00a0Golf – Loteru00edas y Apuestas del Estado and Real Federaciu00f3n Andaluza de Golf, and with the collaboration of the Consejo Superior de Deportes, Allianz, AON, EDP Solar Halcu00f3n Viajes, Kyocerau00a0(official printing services), u00a0Iberostaru00a0(Official Hotel), Solu00e1n de Cabras and Hospital Viamed Novo Sancti Petri. The organizer is u00a0JGolf. The Challenge de Espau00f1a supports the celebration of the Solheim Cup 2023.u00a0
Photo by Lucas Vacarisas by Getty Images
