Two way tie in Madrid

Both England’s Chris McDonnell (picture) and Spain’s amateur Jacobo Pastor fired 66 5 under par to take lead of Peugeot Tour Alps de Madrid. Spain’s duet is one stroke behind, Luis CLaverie and Antonio Hortal.

The first half of the season is now completed and the goal for leaders is to maintain their position and for challengers to try to disturb the ranking. Chris McDonnell plays his first season on Alps Tour and won his first win in Slovenia last May. He needs more points to flirt with top 5 and this week in Madrid could be the one.

“I made a great start, I was getting used to how the course is played, this is my first time here and this is a great but difficult course. Balls are flying really far so I made a great mistake on hole 5, went over the green and the ball seemed to have gone forever, for a double bogey. I recovered well with the eagle on 7, hit two good shots and holed it from 10 feet and made another birdie on 8th. I am not hitting the best tee shots and that is what happened on 11th that I couldn’t do up and down to save the par; I holed a log 25 feet putt on 12 for birdie, chiped to 3 ft on 14th for birdie and 10 feet putt on 15 for birdie too.
This is my first year on tour and I am enjoying it a lot, never thought I would start so well. I think the Alps Tour is great for you development, really well organized and you learn to travel and organise yourself as a golf pro. It is great”.

Spain’s co-leader, Jacobo Pastor is not a spring chicken. His amateur career is solid and he has been playing great for 4 weeks now back to Europe.

“I am studying Sociology at Charleston University and just arrived to play 4 great weeks in a row, tired but great: British amateur, where I lost in quarter finals, World Amateur Championship that we got a gold medal as team and finished 2nd at the Biarritz Cup last week. I will finish University in december and I will turn pro then. It is not sure yet but I may go to the Tour School this year, I will have to think about it.
I arrived tired but did not want to miss playing in one of the best golf courses in Madrid. I have played pretty solid, birdied the first hole, 10th, missed 12th, hit 2 good shots on 14 and 15. I hit a bad driver on the 1st for bogey and then I made a good series of birdies on 3, 4, 5 and another one in 9 to finiosh a great solid round.
My idol is Seve, and actually I hit a shot on hole 5 “on his memory”, I was on the left side, on the trees, 100 meters to the flag and I hit a 4 iron from a little sport rollin up to 4 meters and holed it and I though about him.
I would like Tiger to win the British Open, just to see what happens then…”

By Agathe Séron.
Quotes : Carmela Fernandez Piera.