The last day of the ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid has two great Spanish stories in store for us, whose protagonists have a chance to make headlines if they are able to maintain their form. Alfredo García-Heredia and Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño have earned the right to dream of going all the way on Sunday, when they will tee off four and five shots behind the leader, respectively.
The former always seems to come to life at this tournament and at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid; last year he finished sixth and, were it not for a bad third round, he could have given Jon Rahm something to think about. García Heredia is playing some fine golf this week, although he still believes he can do better: “I don’t know why I always play so well here, it must be because I tend to work more on my swing with my coach at this time of year. But I’m actually very comfortable here. Hopefully tomorrow I can have a final round like in 2022, it could be enough to win. Even so, I have room for improvement, but it’s very important to get good results on the days when you don’t feel that comfortable with the course, and that’s what happened today”.
The Spaniard is somewhat unusual for a golfer or an elite sportsman in that he is a passionate reader and fisherman, and he wants nothing to do with golf when he is off the course. He says he did not even watch a single shot at the recent Ryder Cup. He is a player with a low profile, but he enjoys playing in front of so many fans, and he won’t be intimidated on Sunday: “I don’t get particularly nervous, I’m aware that anything can happen tomorrow. It’s true that I’ve been playing well, but I can also have a bad day. Obviously, I prefer to do well, but I don’t put myself under any more pressure than is necessary”.
What is certain is that two days ago he would not have imagined being in this situation when he cut his hand on just the third hole of the tournament: “I’ve made a full recovery, there’s just a scar there, and luckily I was able to keep playing because the pain didn’t stop me continuing and it got better every day”.
The other big story for home fans is that of Madrid native Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, a player who has seven DP World Tour titles under his belt, the last of which came 10 years ago. However, this year he does not have a card for the European circuit and will be looking to return in 2024. He is playing in this ACCIONA Open de España thanks to a last-minute invitation, and although it is a tournament that he has not always fared well at, he is having a whale of a time this week with the fans firmly behind him: “today I admit that the nerves cost me a few bad shots, but in general I played well again. It’s normal for that to happen because I haven’t been on the leaderboard for many years and this is all a learning process for 2024 Q-School, but I’m really happy and can’t wait for tomorrow”.
Gonazalo’s strength this week has been his ability to bounce back from mishaps, of which there are obviously many after so long away from competition, and today the first few holes proved critical: “holing the birdies on the 4th and 5th was key to keeping the round going, because I had started hitting some horrible shots and those putts calmed me down”.
The ovation on the 18th, after he made his final birdie, was an exciting moment for the Madrid native, who is enjoying a dream this week that he does not want to wake up from: “they’ve done a great job on this final hole, although I hit the drive of my life and didn’t reach… Really, this week I’m enjoying the crowds, playing well in front of my friends and family, so it’s unforgettable”.
Gonzalo used to characterise himself as a player that got the job done when he was in position to win, his seven titles are a testament to that. But Sunday is uncharted territory, even for him: “Why not dream about winning? I’m playing well, there are 18 holes to play and anything can happen. It’s true that I haven’t been in the fight for the title for some time, but I hope I haven’t lost that knack of playing well in the key moments. We’ll find out tomorrow. What is certain is that I will give my all. I’m excited and have the bit between my teeth because I have everything to win and nothing to lose”.
These two players are the Spanish Armada’s biggest hopes on Sunday. However, also keep an eye on Larrazábal, Del Rey and Otaegui, who tee off on -9 and are bidding for an epic comeback.
