David GonzalezThree weeks can be a long time in professional golf. Long enough, certainly, for Joseba Torres to go from wondering how much of his season remained to sitting three shots clear at the Hainan Open following a bogey-free, ten-under-par 62.
The 24-year-old Spaniard took Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club apart on his first competitive visit to China, collecting ten birdies and leaving a sizeable collection of established professionals looking at a leaderboard that made rather uncomfortable reading.
For Torres, though, the significance extends beyond one exceptional Thursday. Having climbed from 122nd to 64th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings over three weeks, he arrived in Hainan knowing another strong result could transform the closing stages of his season.
He has two weeks to make up another 19 places and reach the Grand Final. Judging by his opening effort, he has decided that subtlety is overrated.
From the Rankings Bubble to the Hainan Open Lead
Torres was not even certain of playing in China until last week.
He entered the Abu Dhabi Challenge ranked 71st on the Road to Mallorca, outside the qualification places for the Hainan Open. A 16th-place finish in Al Ain Region lifted him seven positions to 64th, securing his place in the field.
That was a useful piece of work. What followed in Sanya was considerably more emphatic.
A round of 62, without a single dropped shot, has given Torres a three-stroke advantage over four players tied for second. More importantly, it has presented him with an opportunity to make serious progress towards the Grand Final.
Golf’s season-ending mathematics can be an unforgiving business. A player can spend months working towards a qualifying position, only to discover that the final few events have become an increasingly desperate scramble for points.
Torres, however, appears to have found a certain freedom in his predicament.
“Three weeks ago I was 122nd in the Rankings, and I started playing good.
“I played great last week to make it to China and this week I don’t have much to lose, so I’ll try to go full throttle. Tomorrow won’t be as easy as today, so I’ll try to be patient.
“My approach will be to keep going. It’s not going to be like this every day so just be patient.”
Full throttle and patience are not always comfortable companions on a golf course, but Torres managed to combine them rather effectively in his opening round.
Ten Birdies, No Bogeys and One Rather Useful Chip-In
Starting from the tenth tee, Torres wasted little time making an impression.
A birdie on his opening hole settled any early nerves, with another arriving at the par-three 14th. Then came the sort of scoring sequence that makes the rest of the field wonder whether somebody has accidentally moved the tees forward.
Five consecutive birdies, beginning at the 17th and continuing through the third, took the Spaniard to seven under par.
After briefly interrupting proceedings with a par at the fourth, Torres birdied the fifth, sixth and seventh to reach double figures under par.
Ten birdies in 16 holes is an extraordinary return at any level of professional golf. Doing it without surrendering a shot elsewhere made the performance even more impressive.
His early escape from trouble helped establish the tone.
“Everything worked out today,” he said. “I played very good, made a few putts.
“I missed one shot on the first and was in the rough, then I chipped it in so I think everything worked out.
“I had a good group today, it very easy going. It was very fun today.”
It is difficult to argue with that assessment. Most golfers would describe a day involving ten birdies and a chip-in as reasonably satisfactory, although considerably stronger language might be heard in the clubhouse afterwards.
Yet the round was not simply an exercise in attacking every flagstick. Torres still needed to protect his score during the closing holes.
A good par save at the eighth kept the card clean before a lengthy putt at the ninth completed a round in which his short game proved every bit as valuable as his approach play.
Iron Play Gives Torres the Platform for 62
For all the attention attracted by ten birdies, Torres was particularly pleased with the quality of his iron play.
Strong approach shots repeatedly presented scoring opportunities, while his putter ensured enough of them were converted.
“I started playing very well,” he added. “The first hole gave me a good birdie opportunity and then I just kept going.
“I hit some very good shots on my back nine and then I made some good putts on eight and nine that are very tough holes, so very happy with the finish.
“I think my approach to the green and iron game was very good, and then I made some putts. I don’t think you can shoot ten under without making any putts so putting was very good.”
There is a refreshing simplicity to that last observation. Ten-under-par rounds generally require rather more than merely hitting the ball in the correct direction.
Torres produced the combination every professional seeks: precise enough from the fairway to generate opportunities, sharp enough on the greens to take advantage and sufficiently composed to recover when a hole threatened to become awkward.
The challenge now is maintaining that approach without expecting another 62 to arrive on demand.
Four Players Lead the Pursuit in Sanya
While Torres enjoyed a near-perfect introduction to the Hainan Open, the chasing pack ensured the tournament remains very much alive.
Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen, South Africa’s Justin Harding, China’s Mingrui Ma and England’s Callum Farr all finished the opening day at seven under par, sharing second place.
Thailand’s Newport Laparojkit sits alone in sixth after a six-under-par 66.
A three-shot lead after 18 holes is an excellent position, but hardly an invitation to begin engraving the trophy.
With four players sharing second, Torres has little room for complacency. His competitors have already demonstrated an ability to make birdies around Sanya Luhuitou, and another low-scoring round from the chasing group could quickly change the complexion of the tournament.
That makes the Spaniard’s comments about patience particularly relevant.
He does not need to reproduce Thursday’s scoring exhibition every time he steps onto the course. He needs to build on it without allowing the expectations created by a spectacular opening round to dictate his decisions.
The Road to Mallorca Stakes Rise
The second round begins at 7:00am local time, with Torres scheduled to tee off at 8:20am alongside Slovakia’s Tadeas Tetak and South Africa’s Ryan Van Velzen.
For the leader, the immediate objective is straightforward enough: keep the ball in play, continue giving himself chances and resist the temptation to chase a repeat of his opening score.
Beyond that lies the considerably larger prize of reaching the Road to Mallorca Grand Final.
Torres entered the week needing to climb 19 places in the Rankings. His opening 62 has created a promising opportunity, although the points that matter will ultimately depend on where he finishes rather than where he stands after Thursday.
There is also something rather appealing about the way his fortunes have changed. Three weeks ago, he was 122nd. Last week, he was doing enough to earn a ticket to China. Now he has given himself a three-shot lead with 54 holes remaining.
Golf rarely allows such rapid progress without demanding something in return.
For Torres, that bill begins arriving on Friday morning.
