Adrián Otaegui, the golfer of even-numbered years – four of his five wins have come in an alternative sequence since 2018 -, A new chance of victory was created after the third day of the Italian Open. The San Sebastian native repeated a card of 69 strokes to position himself in fifth place, one stroke behind the proven Siem, Rozner – 62 strokes on Saturday – and Sharma, and the beardless Sebastien Friederich. As an added bonus there are two places for the British Open among those who do not yet have a ticket for the Royal Troon like Otaegui.
The Spaniard, who won the Volvo Open of China in April, got into tune as the afternoon progressed. All the doubts of the beginning, alternating bogeys and birdies until the 7th hole, became determination from that moment on. He played with his head and took advantage of the successes where he had to.
The day of the move, with wind and the grass on the greens growing very quickly, did not invite success at the Adriatic Golf Club Cervia in Ravennathe scenario towards which the tournament has changed after the agreement with Marco Simone of Rome and the Ryder Cup 2023. However, veterans like Siem, armed with a great putt and without the consequences of the hip operation that has had three months out of the competition, or the young Gregorio de Leo (66) managed to take advantage of it.
Spaniards with options to imitate Rozner – the contrast of playing games early with the last ones is shameless – it could be Adrian Arnaus, four of the leaders, and why not, the young Ángel Ayora, who after Saturday’s 69 has fallen to five.
