Xavier Guzmán has accumulated all the merits to be baptized as the lynx of Doñana. The Catalan golfer, who has been living in Huelva for a few years, precisely on the course that has hosted the LXX Spanish Professional Championship, has stealthily executed, but showing his jaws and claws at the most appropriate moments, a majestic triumph that allows him to reedit the success already achieved in 2013.
This edition became from very early on an all-out duel of former champions, the aforementioned Xavier Guzmán -fine, accurate, brilliant for many moments, no less than 44 consecutive holes without making a mistake- against an Alfredo García Heredia with a double champion of Spain (2011 and 2014) and with an obvious desire to expand his service record with successes.
The Asturian, an example of solidity during the first half of the championship, when he watched the others from his vantage point as leader, nevertheless collided with a Xavier Guzman carried by a succession of spectacular hits, increasingly cheered by the local fans, passionate about cards of 6 under par, in the second and third rounds, which carried him to a lead that he had to maintain in the last and final day.
The income accumulated on the basis of good rounds of birdies and, above all, absence of errors, was a true declaration of principles on the part of the lynx of Doñana, four strokes ahead of Alfredo García Heredia that turned the last match into a duel of cinematographic characteristics.
The tension, however, was palpable in the atmosphere from early in the hot morning. Both with an insurmountable difference in practice with respect to the rest of their qualified rivals, Xavier Guzman and Alfredo Garcia Heredia established a tight mutual marking that took on showy edges when the Asturian, a cyclone at the start, signed two birdies on his card (holes 2 and 4) that reduced the initial difference of 4 strokes to parameters where the excitement and spectacle acquired maximum prominence.
Stiffness, pressure, nervousness, stress, anguish and even uncertainty were concepts that suddenly appeared on the fairways and greens of the beautiful course of Doñana Golf, issues reflected in two consecutive errors by Xavier Guzmán on holes 7 and 8… however, not only reproduced, but even increased, by Alfredo García Heredia between holes 7 and 9.
A ball under a tree before dropping on hole 7; the ball sent to the water and a defective putt on hole 8; another missed putt on hole 9… bogey, double bogey and bogey flooded Alfredo García Heredia’s scorecard, rendering his possible ability to react useless in practice.
It is true that there was still a long second round, 9 holes of possible alternatives, but the distance re-acquired again by Xavier Guzman -again 4 strokes ahead- constituted a wall of enormous proportions even for a Vicente Blázquez who, taking advantage of Alfredo García Heredia’s faintness, placed himself at his level in the classification, more meritorious second place for someone who has performed at a very good level throughout the tournament.
“The double bogey on hole 8 killed me,” Alfredo García Heredia summed up disconsolately before leaving for Barcelona to play the Open de España, his next commitment.
“It’s been a very good week, I’m leaving very happy. I have worked and even won the star match this last day. This is the way to continue progressing,” said Vicente Blázquez with satisfaction.
“The key has been patience. So, what a nice way to finish -birdie on the 18th hole, with a putt from 5 meters-, what a nice way to thank Doñana Golf and my family for the trust they have placed in me”, said the man who can now boast of being two-time champion of Spain Professional with the look and word of a Doñana lynx.
FINAL RANKING
1.- Xavier Guzmán, 278 (72+66+66+66+74)
2.- Vicente Blázquez, 283 (69+71+72+71)
+Alfredo García Heredia, 283 (68+68+72+75)
4.- Carlos Balmaseda, 284 (71+69+71+71)
5.- Víctor Casado, 286 (69+68+76+73)
+.- Gerard Piris, 286 (70+70+73+73)
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