Hidalgo homes in on emphatic victory at Spanish Open
Home hope Angel Hidalgo has extended his lead at the Spanish Open where Joe Dean was leading an English trio in what appears to be an increasingly vain pursuit of the Spaniard.
Hidalgo followed his opening 65 with a 67 on day two at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid to move four shots clear of second-placed Dean, whose 65 contained five birdies, two eagles – including a chip-in at the fourth – and three bogeys.
Sam Bairstow was a shot further back on five under, tied for third with three-time champion Jon Rahm, United States Ryder Cup player Patrick Reed, Frenchman Julien Guerrier and another Spaniard in Alfredo Garcia-Heredia, while the luckless Tommy Fleetwood was four under.
Fleetwood opened with three birdies in the first five holes, but the momentum was sapped from his round after his tee-shot at the ninth struck the pin and rebounded 50 feet, leading to a three-putt bogey – he made just one birdie and one bogey the rest of the way.
Hidalgo, who made five birdies with just a solitary dropped shot, said: “Yesterday I was completely blind, I was just hitting the ball and I don’t know why it was directly to the pin. But today I played really good.”
Australia’s David Micheluzzi went round in 71 for a 140 that leaves him eight shots off the leader. Compatriot Jason Scrivener improved on his opening-round 74 with a 70 to finish on 144. Hayden Barron was on 148 with Andrew Martin on 153.
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