Angel Hidalgo delighted the home fans with a six-under-par 65 for a two-shot first-round lead at the 2024 acciona Open de España.
On an otherwise tough day of scoring at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, the big-hitting Hidalgo demolished the front nine in just 30 strokes and maintained his score despite a late wobble.
His nearest challengers were Julien Guerrier, Sepp Straka and Sam Bairstow after rounds of 67, with three-time champion Jon Rahm in the group a further shot back.
Hidalgo spun his opening approach close and reached the par-five 2nd in two before holing from seven feet.
A well-judged chip from off the front of the 7th set up the first of three successive birdies, rounded off by a 20-foot putt at the 9th.
Even his par at the 10th came after he almost holed out from a bunker and a right-to-left birdie putt at the 11th took him seven under.
He had to escape from the trees to save par at the 14th but a booming tee-shot and controlled approach set up an eighth birdie at the 15th.
He was on track to match his career-best round of eight under but found sand at the next and sent his tee-shot at the 17th a long way right, leading to consecutive dropped shots.
His pitch at the last just failed to release down the slope – playing partner Dylan Frittelli learned from the shot to hole out for eagle – but Hidalgo said: “I played really, really good today. It’s a long time since I stroked the putts as well as today.
“Unlucky the last few shots, two bad swings with the irons, but pretty happy and looking forward the next three days.
“I holed an important [par] putt on 6, I think that was the key for the next three birdies – this course has this type of stretch that you can make a few birdies in a row.
“Obviously if I make three pars to finish I’d probably be more happy but yeah, it’s good.
“It’s different [playing at home], I’m not going to lie. You feel the love, you feel the support. Yeah, it’s incredible playing at home, and I wish that we could play more tournaments here.”
Guerrier, who tied for sixth at this tournament last year, had set the earlier target with a battling 67 built around an eagle at the 7th and three birdies in four holes after the turn.
The Frenchman bogeyed the 14th but got the shot straight back at the next and said: “I’m very happy about this form. The course maybe suits my game, it looks like. I’m very happy to be here.”
Straka went out in 33 with birdies at the 5th, 7th and 9th and responded to two bogeys straight after the turn with three more birdies.
“The front nine I didn’t feel like I could miss a shot,” the Austrian said. “I kept hitting it close, didn’t make any putts at all, shot three under.
“Then missed a bunch of fairways, got some in some tough positions and had to fight for one under on the back.”
Englishman Bairstow joined the group with a closing birdie, his fourth of the day in a round also featuring an eagle and two bogeys.
Rahm – winner of his home Open in 2018, 2019 and 2022, the latter two at this venue – sandwiched birdies at the 4th, 8th and 13th with bogeys at the 3rd and 16th.
But he finished in style with a 27-foot birdie putt at the penultimate hole before a perfect drive, chip and putt at the last.
“I made really good par putts on six and 11 that saved the round,” he said. “Had a great finish and I find myself with a great score that is rather, I would say, unexpected.”
Rahm was alongside compatriot Adri Arnaus and China’s Ashun Wu at three under.
Two more Spaniards, amateur Luis Masaveu and Rahm’s Olympic teammate David Puig, were at two under alongside England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Sam Jones of New Zealand.
Defending champion Mathieu Pavon and South Africa’s Louis de Jager were in a large group at one under.
– Edited report from DP World Tour website
Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
