The effervescence of Thursday, where scenes of authentic popular fervor were experienced, was disrupted yesterday at the Madrid Country Club, where Jon Rahm did not perform at the expected level. The Barrika player’s round over par made him close the second day of the Acciona Open of Spain with a disappointing card of 72 strokes (+1), which leaves him with -3 at the halfway point of the tournament. It was not in the plans of the Madrid fans for their great idol to be almost lost in 45th place in the classification, eight strokes from the lead, owned by Matthew Pavon. The Frenchman took advantage of the more favorable conditions of the morning session yesterday to leave a -11 in the clubhouse, coinciding with the largest outbreak of public in the tee of the 1st hole, where after two in the afternoon Rahm had his appointment yesterday with the second round of the tournament.
The first exit was deviated to the right, the graphic example of what he was going to find throughout his round. Rahm hit only four fairways over 18 holes, where he watered the course with putts missed from all lengths and drops. Rarely did we see the León de Barrika so foolish, although many of the putts were made with sense. «Something like this had never happened to me in my life: throwing away so many good putts and that no one entered. The ones on 5, 6, 7, 8 have hurt me… Hits that seemed like they were going to go in, well thrown, but nothing…» assessed, visibly upset, the winner of the Augusta Masters.
A strange round with a single birdie and two bogeys, and which never finished starting despite the tireless encouragement of the public. Rahm looks touched, but not sunk and he looks impatiently at today’s day. «I am eight shots behind the leader, but nothing is lost. If I get close to -10 it could give me a chance, why not? Now what happened to me today can happen to someone else,” he concluded, before the Spanish press, hoping to find a “harder and more demanding” field conducive to a comeback.
Alfredo García Herediaa player who usually shines brightly at the Spanish Open, yesterday concentrated on what Rahm was unsuccessfully looking for: the birdies. The Asturian accumulated seven in total without failure to become the best lap of the day. An important boost to his chances of dreaming of something truly important on Sunday, at the moment from fourth place just two shots from the head. “Let’s see what happens, because I’m playing well and I’m not ruling anything out,” said García Heredia, who on Thursday had competed with discomfort after a serious cut on his hand. At -9, he is one hit away from Will Besseling y Shubhankar Sharmaalready two of the aforementioned Pavon.
Likewise, the good Spanish news was completed thanks to two local players, Alexander of the King y Gonzalo Fernández Castaño. Del Rey, one of the big hitters on the circuit, finished seventh with -7. «Here in Madrid you have to always be on the street and take the greenes, which as the days go by will get harder. The flags are demanding and getting them close from the rough is very complicated.