Golf

Jorge Campillo takes lead at Andalucia Masters as McKibbin slips back

Only Irish player in field struggles to a 73 but tournament leader claims spotlight with a 65, for total 15-under-par 129

Jorge Campillo of Spain tees off on the ninth hole on day two of the Andalucia Masters. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty
Jorge Campillo of Spain tees off on the ninth hole on day two of the Andalucia Masters. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty
Philip Reid
Fri Oct 18 2024 - 19:50

Jorge Campillo — competing in the 31st event of a season where the Spaniard has juggled a rookie card on the PGA Tour with playing on the DP World Tour — remained bogey-free through the opening 36 holes of the Estrella Damm Andalucia Masters at Sotogrande to carry a four-stroke lead into the weekend.

As Jon Rahm provided the star billing in completing his required fourth appearance on the European circuit to enable him retain ambitions of featuring in next year’s Ryder Cup, with the world number 14 three-putting the last for a second-round 66 for 136 to sit in tied-sixth, it was 38-year-old Campillo who claimed the spotlight with a 65 for a total 15-under-par 129.

Campillo’s round featured five birdies and an eagle two on the Par 4 11th to earn him a four strokes lead over England’s Dan Brown, while Tom McKibbin — the only Irish player in the field — struggled to a 73 after starting with back-to-back bogeys to reach the midpoint on 140 in tied-35th.

Although Campillo has three career wins on the DP World Tour — in Qatar, Morocco and most recently at last year’s Kenya Open — none have been achieved in Europe or on home soil in Spain:

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“I’m feeling good and, although I have played a lot of events, I feel like I am playing better recently. I just love playing golf. I don’t feel tired and I’ve been putting the ball in play off the tee, hitting my irons great and then making the short putts,” said Campillo, playing for a ninth straight week in Europe since shifting back to the DP World Tour at the Danish Open after his season’s work stateside.

“Last year at the KLM Open I was in this position after 36 holes and ended up finishing 29th, so I know there is a lot of golf left to play and I don’t know what’s going to happen over the weekend.”

For McKibbin, who had opened with a first-round 67, the second day of the tournament — in a season where he has six top-10s and remains on course to claim one of the 10 available PGA Tour cards for 2025 — provided a tougher examination with those two opening bogeys putting him on the back foot.

The 21-year-old Belfast man got his rhythm going with birdies on the fifth, sixth and 14th only to finish poorly with back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.

On the Challenge Tour, Dubliner Conor Purcell followed up his opening round 63 with a 69 for a midway total of 10-under-par 132 to sit in tied-third, just one shot adrift of co-leaders Wenyi Ding and Ben Schmidt in the Hangzhou Open in China, the penultimate event of the season.

Purcell is 12th on the Challenge Tour order of merit with the leading 20 players following the Rolex Grand Final next month securing full DP World Tour cards but is targeting a strong weekend in his efforts to move up the rankings.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times