Matteo Manassero is the first leader of the Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol thanks to a brilliant start of 64 strokes, 8 under par. The young Italian has taken full advantage of a course that fits his game like a glove and that can give him a ticket to the Augusta Masters. Eduardo de la Riva is second at three strokes and Pablo Larrazábal, seventh at four. The leader of the Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol, Matteo Manassero, was happy after completing the 18 holes with Miguel Angel Jimenez and delivering the best card of the day, with 64 strokes, nine birdies and a bogey. The success with the putt has allowed him to lead the tournament with a three-stroke advantage and to present himself as a clear favorite for the victory. The Italian needs a great result in Aloha to be eligible to play the Masters in April.
In the chasing group is Eduardo de la Riva, tied with Ryder Cup player Niclas Fasth, Lloyd Kennedy, Hennie Otto, and Anthony Wall in second position. The Catalan maintains the excellent game he exhibited at the end of last season. One stroke behind is Pablo Larrazábal, 68 strokes (-4), and five strokes behind, 69 (-3), Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Nacho Garrido and Santi Luna.
Ignacio Elvira, the young Cantabrian who got a place in the qualifying round of the Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol, is in 27th place with 70 strokes, two under par.
Tomorrow the fight is expected to be tough to get into the top 65 and ties that will make the weekend cut.
Matteo Manassero, 64 strokes (-8): “This course suits my game very well, you don’t have to hit long but place the ball, I only hit the drive on the fifth hole. It’s the first time I’ve played it and I liked it a lot, plus it’s always a pleasure to play with Miguel Angel Jimenez, it’s a lot of fun. Last year I was lucky enough to play with him in more tournaments and I love to share a match with him. Our way of playing is similar and I learn a lot.
I played very well, I made a couple of putts of 6 and 7 meters that were key to get such a low round.
My goal at the moment is to get into the Masters at Augusta and for that I have to do very good results this week and next week, now I am outside the top 50 of the World Ranking. Otherwise, I’d like to have another good season and if I can, get another win.”
Eduardo de la Riva, 67 strokes (-5): “I have started very well, I am happy. After three months without competing, you arrive at the first tournament with doubts, but I’m playing very well, like last year, I have the same good feelings.
I had many birdie opportunities, and I was able to take advantage of them, I only made three putts on one hole. I had played here the two previous Andalucia Opens and although I made the cut I didn’t have good results, but I know the course, here you have to be calm, use the drive a little, put the ball in the fairway and hit very good shots with the pitch and the sand, you also have to hit good long shots on the par 3’s. The playing conditions are perfect, the greens are very good, hard.
This year I can play the European Tour tournaments held in Spain for the world ranking, as well as the Alps Tour and Challenge tournaments. If my game is good, I will go to the School.
Yesterday I sprained my ankle running and it bothers me a little when I walk, but not when I swing, I’m doing fine.”
Pablo Larrazábal, 68 strokes (-4): “I didn’t play my best golf but it was correct. The course is there to make few if you put it on the fairway and I have done it, I leave with the feeling that I have left strokes on the course.
It was a pity about the bogey on the last hole, but I’m four strokes behind the leader and I’ll have to keep a close eye on him. It was a good round to start with.
If you put it on the fairway you have options on almost every hole, you leave yourself a lot of 9 iron shots, wedge, but if you are not fine from the tee, it is very complicated.
Both Eduardo and I learned to play in the old El Prat, which was a course of this type where you had to place the ball. Eduardo has plenty of quality to be on the Tour and we will have to motivate him, surely seeing all his teammates competing here will encourage him to train hard and fight for a place on the Tour”.
Niclas Fasth, 67 strokes (-5): “It’s the first time I’ve played at Aloha and I really liked it. It’s a beautiful course where you have to place the ball. I was very pleasantly surprised.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 69 strokes (-3): “Minus three is not bad, it could be less but any result under par is always good. On the front nine I played rudimentary, the odd three-putt hole, and yet I played better on the back nine.
My round of minus 3 doesn’t look good playing with Manassero who shot eight under par. It’s a pleasure to play with this guy.
Aloha is a course that rewards you if you play well, but if you don’t go straight, it punishes you, here it shows that the courses don’t have to be long to be competitive, sometimes you have to play with more strategy than punch. Courses like this one give us an option to those of us who don’t hit a lot like me, the youngsters get up to 40 meters out of me”.
Pellegrini, one more fan in Aloha
Malaga’s coach, Manuel Pellegrini, a great golf fan, enjoyed the first day of the Andalusia Open at the beautiful Aloha course where he was seen following the match between Matteo Manassero and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
The Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol has the main sponsorship of the Consejería de Turismo, Comercio y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, the Patronato de Turismo de la Costa del Sol, the Diputación de Málaga, ACOSOL and the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa del Sol Occidental. Kyocera, Ocho Golf, Ping, Srixon, Luxury Spain, AMG, Hotel Barceló Marbella and Helicópteros Sanitarios are official suppliers, and Urania and Hummingbird are also collaborating. The Malaga champion Miguel Ángel Jiménez is a promoter of the tournament, through one of his companies of the MAJ Group.
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