David GonzalezJoseba Torres had every reason to admire his opening 62 at the Hainan Open. Ten under par is generally a pleasant way to spend a Thursday. Yet by Friday evening, the Spaniard was rather more satisfied with a 67.
And with good reason.
Strong winds, heavy rain and increasingly soft playing conditions at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club turned his second round into a considerably more demanding examination. Torres responded with seven birdies, two bogeys and a five-under-par score that took him to 15 under for the tournament.
The reward was a four-shot lead heading into the weekend, although darkness forced the suspension of play with seven groups still to complete their second rounds.
For the 24-year-old, the number on the scorecard told only part of the story.
A five-under 67 that felt better than ten under
Golf can be a peculiar business. One day, the course offers up birdies with remarkable generosity. The next, the same stretch of grass seems determined to make every shot a negotiation.
Torres experienced both versions in the space of 48 hours.
His opening ten-under-par round had established a commanding position, but Friday demanded something different. The wind strengthened, rain arrived and the course became increasingly soft, making distance control and maintaining momentum that much harder.
“I know yesterday I shot ten under, but the five under today felt even better because the conditions were very tough,” Torres said.
The contrast mattered. After producing such an impressive opening round, there was always the question of how he would respond when conditions became less accommodating.
His answer was another excellent score, this time built as much on patience and recovery as attacking golf.
Early birdies, awkward weather and a strong finish
Initially, Torres appeared intent on continuing precisely where he had left off.
Three consecutive birdies from the second through the fourth gave him an immediate lift, and another at the seventh kept the momentum firmly in his favour.
But the weather had other ideas.
As wind and rain made scoring increasingly difficult, Torres recorded his first bogey of the tournament at the ninth. A birdie at the tenth restored some order before another dropped shot at the 11th interrupted his progress.
Neither mistake developed into anything more costly.
With the course playing longer in the wet conditions and the fairways offering little assistance, Torres found enough control to remain in contention for another low round.
A birdie at the 15th moved him forward again, and a final gain at the 18th completed a 67 that left his nearest challenger four strokes behind.
“I had to be patient, and I was able to make a few putts on the last few holes to play a good round today.”
His assessment of the closing holes was refreshingly realistic. The driving was not always to his satisfaction, but the putter did enough to keep the score moving in the right direction.
“I played well the whole round, made some poor drives at the end but made some good putts which I’ll keep in mind for tomorrow.”
Pulkkanen leads the Hainan Open pursuit
Torres has given himself a useful advantage, but the chasing pack contains several players close enough to make the weekend interesting.
Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen sits second at 11 under par after returning a four-under 68, leaving him four shots behind the Spaniard.
England’s Callum Farr occupies third place at ten under, with compatriot Chris Wood another stroke back in fourth.
Five players share fifth on eight under par: Dutchman Wouter de Vries, Singapore’s Gregory Foo, England’s Charlie Forster, France’s Julien Sale and China’s Charles Wang.
Those positions remain provisional until the outstanding second rounds are completed.
A four-shot advantage is substantial, particularly after two rounds of scoring as strong as Torres has produced. It is not, however, an invitation to become comfortable with 36 holes still potentially separating him from victory.
And Torres appears to understand that perfectly well.
Road to Mallorca points offer a bigger reward
Beyond the immediate prospect of winning the Hainan Open, Torres has an opportunity to make a significant move in the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
He arrived at this stage of the tournament sitting 64th in the season-long standings. With increased ranking points available this week, victory could lift him into the top 15.
That would represent quite a leap, although Torres is determined not to become distracted by calculations before the golf has been played.
His position also offers a certain freedom. With ground to make up in the Rankings, there is little reason to approach the weekend defensively simply because he has established a healthy lead.
Maintaining the quality of his approach play and putting will be important, particularly if the weather continues to complicate matters. Friday demonstrated that even when a few drives go astray, he has enough confidence in the rest of his game to keep producing birdies.
And there is still plenty of quality behind him.
Saturday brings the next examination
The unfinished second round will resume at 8:00 am local time on Saturday, with the third round scheduled to begin no earlier than 9:30 am.
For Torres, the immediate objective is straightforward: recover from Friday’s demanding conditions and return ready to protect, or preferably increase, his advantage.
The Spaniard has already shown he can produce outstanding golf when scoring opportunities are plentiful. More importantly, he has demonstrated that his game can withstand a much less cooperative golf course.
Whether that translates into a victory remains the question for the weekend.
For now, Torres has rather more practical concerns.
“Now I’m going to rest and try and keep dry.”
