The tee times have been announced and one match is bound to steal the limelight. Jon Rahm’s campaign to win a fourth crown at the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid and surpass Seve Ballesteros will kick off on Thursday at 14:00 on the first tee. Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, the tournament’s defending champion, and Austria’s Sepp Straka will join the Spaniard on the first two days at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
Pavon was unstoppable last year as he cruised to his first professional victory. After 186 attempts, something clicked and he hasn’t looked back since. His victory at Torrey Pines in February, one of the most prestigious stops on the PGA Tour, is proof that all he needed was a win to unleash his obvious potential.
The threesome is completed by Straka, a two-time winner on the American circuit, who shared second place last year at The Open alongside Rahm himself. The big-hitter comes to Madrid slightly in the shadow of the stars in the field this year, but don’t be fooled; he is capable of going all the way.
Another of the biggest groups will, without a doubt, be that of Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Nacho Elvira. At 9:00 on the 10th tee, the fireworks will be guaranteed. Two of the hot favourites for the title are going head-to-head. Fleetwood is already familiar with the layout – he played here two years ago – while Lowry is making his bow in the Spanish capital. The Englishman made the cut on his last visit, and only some struggles with the flat stick prevented him from making a splash. Lowry is enjoying one of his best years as a pro, with a win on the PGA Tour (Zurich Classic of New Orleans), a sixth place at The Open, where he led until Saturday, and a top 10 at the Tour Championship just one month ago. He has pocketed $1,600,000 for his efforts. Their match will be completed by Spaniard Nacho Elvira, an ever-present in Madrid, who has just made three cuts in a row, including a noteworthy 17th place at the Irish Open to go with his win in Belgium in May, the second of his DP World Tour career. His knowledge of the course will be more than the sum of his playing partners’. All he needs is a good Thursday to give him the confidence that is good enough to be in the mix all weekend.
Another match to keep an eye on will be that of Tyrell Hatton. The Englishman will share his morning with Matteo Manassero and Jorge Campillo. The Italian is back. After bursting onto the scene early last decade, Manassero then endured a long spell in the doldrums that finally seems to have come to an end. He is in fine fettle and his September so far makes for impressive reading: sixth at the British Masters, third at the Irish Open and fourth at the Wentworth. Given his form, he is undoubtedly one of the top five favourites for the throne. However, it remains to be seen if the ghosts will return if he is in contention come Sunday. Hatton’s adaptation to a course he has never set foot on before this week could prove critical. He has all the class required to top the leaderboard on Sunday, but his lack of knowledge of the layout is a significant handicap compared to someone like Rahm. Campillo will, once again, be hoping for a solid performance at home. This year he earned his PGA Tour card, but things have not gone as well as he will have hoped across the pond. Maybe he can find the spark he is looking for at Club de Campo. Their match gets underway at 09:00 on the 10th hole.
