It is difficult not to resort to surfing similes when talking about Rafa Cabrera Bello, a great fan of this sport, but after his exhibition last week at the Open de España and his great debut at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, it is clear that the Gran Canarian has caught the good wave and does not intend to let it go. Cabrera Bello finished one stroke behind the leader, Frenchman Julien Guerrier, after a 68 in the first round, a result that gains luster if one takes into account the complicated playing conditions at the Real Club Valderrama.
“You have to have a lot of respect for the course, but I come full of confidence and those good feelings I was having in the swing and in the ball I’m managing to capture them, take them to the course and get a result,” explained the best Spaniard in the leaderboard. “If I don’t trust myself after a victory I don’t know when I’m going to do it. There are a lot of tough shots, but I have a very recent memory of things going right, so I go for it. I take the hit that I think is right and they’re going well.”
The wind that blew during the day on Thursday enhanced the merits of the Spaniard, fully aware of the difficulty of the day.
“Today may be one of my best rounds at Valderrama, it’s already difficult to play under par in good conditions, with this wind even more so. The greens were fast, hard, you couldn’t get lost. There were some good shots that ended badly, I was able to hold on, I took advantage of the opportunities I had and the putt helped me a lot today”.
As a contrast in the stellar match, Jon Rahm had a complicated start and was accumulating ballast in the first half of the round. Although he never lost his face to the round and his performance improved significantly as the holes went by, the putt did not accompany him and he was unable to make up ground. Even so, the demands of the Real Club Valderrama leave the door open for the player from Barrika despite his initial 78, as there are only ten players under par so far.
“All the strokes are worth because if the wind blows tomorrow the cut will be high,” explained Rahm with an irreproachable attitude. “This is a course I like, I want to play well and the result makes me feel bad for me. I have not made any birdie, I have not been able to start at any time, when I had options, I have kicked well and have not entered”.
In the lead, Julien Guerrier was impeccable from tee to green and sprinkled his round with some long distance hits on the firm greens of Valderrama, a plus always welcome on the San Roque course. The Frenchman, third last week at the Spanish Open, seems to have caught the same wave as Rafa Cabrera Bello and, after saving his card, is aiming for higher goals.
“After last week, I’m calmer. Now I’m playing to make a low round, not to save the card and that’s what’s important,” recapped the French golfer.
Of the rest of the Spaniards, it is worth mentioning the hard-fought rounds to par by Alejandro Cañizares and Pablo Larrazábal, always combative and with a good track record at Valderrama, and the performance of Nacho Elvira and Sebastián García Rodríguez, who finished with +1.
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INSIDE THE ROPES
Patience, key at Valderrama
That has been the word most used by the players, especially by those who have already played Valderrama on several occasions. Aware of the difficulties that this course usually presents, patience continues to be a fundamental ally when the wind blows.
Alejandro Cañizares and Sebastián García Rodríguez are two good examples, as both finished their rounds on par and +1 respectively.
“In this course a round of +3 is not pretty but it is not rare. You know that if you don’t lower your arms and stay focused, as soon as you make a couple of birdies you get into the top positions, something that doesn’t happen in any other tournament of the year,” said Cañizares, who knows Real Club Valderrama to perfection.
For his part, the Madrid-born Sebas Garcia said that “today’s game would have been for -4 or -5 in any other week, but here it is +1 and to leave very happy. In these two years on the Tour I have learned to have patience and head, and on days like this they are absolutely necessary”.
Jon Rahm clings on to what happened in Chicago
To find a result so big in the career of the world number one you have to go back a long time, but the Barrika player does not lose hope of getting into the fight with 54 holes to go.
“If anyone can, it’s clear that it’s me. Something similar happened in Chicago, playing the BMW Championships at Olympia Fields, when after two rounds I was +6 and I could have been fighting on Sunday to win the tournament. Tomorrow I will have to play under par and I have options for sure”.
Only ten players under par
The fierce conditions of the first day of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters were well reflected in the standings. Only ten players managed to get under par on the course.
Among them, Soren Kjeldsen stands out, three strokes behind the leader with one under par. The Dane can boast of the resume obtained in previous editions of the tournament. He has played six times and has made the cut on all occasions. His best result was a second place in 2010 and he has always finished in the top 50.
In addition, Kjeldsen won the Volvo Masters in 2008, was second in 2007 and finished in the top 25 in five of the six editions he played. In the 2016 Spanish Open, held at this same venue, he finished fourth. He is an expert in the demanding Valderrama course.
Tickets can still be purchased to enjoy this year’s edition of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, and the flexibility of the offer allows you to choose between individual access for each day, season tickets or passes for the weekend, with preferential rates for children under 14 years, federated or people with reduced mobility.
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