Julien Guerrier posted a course record nine under par round of 63 to join home favourite Jorge Campillo at the top of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters leaderboard after the third round.

The Frenchman had already made five birdies in his first ten holes before firing two eagles in the space of three holes at the 12th and 14th to move to 19 under par alongside Campillo at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Spaniard Campillo, who entered the third round with a four-shot lead, made birdies at the second, fourth and seventh to make the turn in 33 and extend his lead at the top in San Roque.

The three-time DP World Tour winner made another gain at the 12th before parring his way home to sign for a 68 and make it 54 holes without a blemish on his card, and the 38-year-old has now set his sights on a first victory on home soil ahead of tomorrow's final round.

Englishman Daniel Brown sits in third position on 16 under par, with countryman Jordan Smith a shot behind in fourth, and the duo carded matching rounds of 67.

Five-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard sits on 13 under par in fifth place, while two-time Major champion Jon Rahm posted a four under par 68 to move alongside Englishman Andy Sullivan on 12 under in a share of sixth.

Player Quotes:

Julien Guerrier: The key is the short game because it's where I made my score. I hit two great shots on the par fives and a little bit of luck as well. I was not playing exactly to that spot, but it finished well. It can be a rollercoaster out there and a tournament is not a sprint it's a marathon, so I just try to enjoy every moment.

I love playing in Spain and I will just try to play my game and stay focused focussed tomorrow. I’m looking forward to playing with Jorge (Campillo) tomorrow and the atmosphere is going to be fantastic. It will be a good day and hopefully the weather is great.

Jorge Campillo: I played quite solid apart from nine I hit all the other greens, so it was stress free. I hit some great shots coming in, but I didn't make the putts. I felt I was hitting great putts so hopefully tomorrow I can make some more of the putts.

I was feeling good all day. I was pretty calm all day. I hit the ball well so that helped and tomorrow I will try to do the same thing.

It's always great to win in your home country. The weather is great this year and this golf course is beautiful, so I'll try to win. I want to try not to think about the score and just play my own game.

Jon Rahm: It wasn’t quite enough today. I felt like I was good off the tee but still made too many mistakes. I missed a short putt on four and three putted on 14, two mistakes which were avoidable out there. I definitely left a few out there today.

I can’t be thinking of winning tomorrow but it’s a green light to go at everything and hopefully make lots of birdies and some eagles. I’m going to need a crazy low round and hope the leaders slip up a little bit tomorrow but hopefully I can get close and give them something to think about down the stretch.

The presence of 17 Spanish golfers in this week's Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters of the DP World Tour is a testimony of Spanish professional golf quality. The fact that there are 14 caddies from our country carrying bags at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande reinforces this fact.

“When I started we were just three or four Spanish caddies,” recalled Iñigo Urquizu, who is working this week for Santiago Tarrio and has been assisting some of the best European golfers for a dozen years.

“The figure of the caddie is becoming more professionalized and players want to have more prepared people, such as pros that decided to become caddies,” adds Urquizu about the transition from competitor to ‘squire’ that almost all Spanish professional caddies have gone through. 

Until a year ago, Gonzalo Vicente, caddie of the flamboyant winner of the Spanish Open, Ángel Hidalgo, was still fighting to climb positions in the national and European tours.

“Caddying today it is a very beautiful job that requires more and more training and is much more sought after. I am delighted to be here,” said Vicente.

David Morago, Nacho Elvira's caddie, is also part of the new generation of caddies that keep a close relationship since their amateur times in the national teams.

“Traveling every week with friends helps a lot on and off the golf course,” Morago explains. “I didn't think I was going to have such a good time and I'm learning a lot here,” added Morago.

The caddie for the second of the Elvira brothers on the DP World Tour, Gabriel Matey, is also enjoying this learning process.

“I've been caddying professionally for six or seven months and the truth is that the Spanish caddies’ welcome was amazing,” said Gabriel Matey, Manuel Elvira's caddie.

Adolfo Juan Luna returned with Iván Cantero after working for the younger Elvira.

“My first experience was in 2018 with several players and Iván in the Challenge Tour. Now I'm back and we've been together for three weeks. The experience is wonderful in a very healthy environment,” Luna pointed out.

Competitions and shared trips serve to strengthen ties between players and caddies.

“I've been with Alex del Rey for two years and we've known each other all our lives. We have played together and shared many years in golf,” explained Borja Navarro.

For others, like Job Sugranyes, another of the veterans with 11 years of caddying experience, the commitment to the player and the profession goes through long years of ups and downs with the support of teammates.

“I'm very lucky to be in that group of Spanish caddies. Many of us have known each other for a long time and I am very happy to be able to share the experience with them,” said the caddie of Italian Matteo Manassero, winner of the recent Jonsson Workwear Open eleven years after his previous victory at the 2013 PGA BMW Championship.

The group of 14 Spanish caddies at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Open is completed by Jesús Legarrea (Jorge Campillo), Pedro Linhart (Adri Arnaus), Alberto Calvo (Andrea Paván), Hugo González (Eugenio Chacarra), Kisko Pérez (Sebastián García), Raúl Quirós (Pablo Larrázabal) and Carlos González (Alfredo García-Heredia).

“We are a close-knit group. We have a great time and being able to share this is spectacular. Let's see if more Spaniards are encouraged to become caddies. The more the merrier,” said Carlos González.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.

Jorge Campillo delighted the home crowd as he moved into a four-shot lead after posting a bogey-free seven under par round of 65 on day two of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

The three-time DP World Tour winner built on his opening 64 with another low round as he moved to 15 under par at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, four shots ahead of Englishman Daniel Brown in second.

The Spaniard, starting from the tenth, managed to get up and down for a valuable par save at his first hole before holing out for a magnificent eagle on the 11th to reach the top of the leaderboard. A tap-in birdie at the par-five 14th followed before Campillo saved par from 12 feet on the short 17th to keep his card clean.

After taking advantage of the long par-five second hole to get to 12 under, Campillo holed a putt from 56 feet at the par-three fourth for another gain, receiving huge roars from the home crowd. The 38-year-old picked up his fourth birdie of the day on the sixth before a nine-foot putt at the last saw him sign for a sparkling 65 and make it 36 holes without a blemish.

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson carded a six under 66 to move into third position alongside Englishman Jordan Smith and Julien Guerrier of France on ten under par.

Two-time Major Champion Jon Rahm also climbed the leaderboard after he posted a round of 66 to move into sixth place with fellow Spaniard Angel Hidalgo, eight-time DP World Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger, South African Jayden Schaper and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay on eight under.

Jorge Campillo: I made a good putt on ten to save par and then the eagle on 11 was a great way to set the tone. It was a tough pitch shot but that’s the best part of my game. I hit it perfectly and it went in the hole which was nice.

I’m feeling good and although I have played a lot of events, I feel like I am playing better recently, and I just love playing golf. I don’t feel too tired and shooting 15 under over 36 holes doesn’t feel tiring for me.

I’ve been putting the ball in play off the tee, hitting my irons great and then making the short putts. Last year at the KLM 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.

Daniel Brown: It was good today considering how windy it was out there. I wasn’t expecting it to be this windy and it was certainly tricky out there. I knew the pins were going to be a lot tougher today and I think the scores have reflected that. It was just a case of being patient today and although I dropped a couple of shots coming in, I’m pleased overall.

You have to assess where the good misses are, and you don’t want to short side yourself with a tricky chip downwind or downhill into a tucked pin. It’s important to play smart and I feel really good ahead of the weekend. My game is comfortable and I’m swinging it nicely out there.

Jon Rahm: It was a really good round of golf. I was solid off the tee and gave myself a lot of chances and my iron game was great. I hit two approaches to tap-ins and my ball striking was good which is what you need in windy conditions. I rolled in a couple of nice putts and it was a shame to drop a shot on the last hole.

I need to keep making birdies tomorrow and you have to go low here whether it’s windy or not. Hopefully I can repeat today’s round and maybe go even lower.
 
Scott Jamieson: The front nine was very kind to me today and I took advantage of the fresh greens which were beautiful this morning and thankfully I managed to roll in some nice putts. I putted well all day, and I gave myself lots of chances on the front nine with my approach shots. I wasn’t quite as good on the back nine tee to green, but I holed some important putts to save par.

The goal is to break into that top 70. I had a really strong start to the season so to not make it into the playoffs would be a real shame, I’m going to give it a big push over the next couple of days to make sure I’m there. There is still so much to play for because if I have an exceptional week here and another exceptional week in Korea, all of a sudden the goals can change and you can find yourself heading towards the top of the Rankings.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.

Jorge Campillo got off to a brilliant start at the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters carding a bogey free eight under par first round to sit third two strokes behind the leader, Frenchman Julien Guerrier, and one behind Englishman Daniel Brown.

A strong western wind was the main challenge on the Sotogrande layout softened by several rainy days. The receptive greens favoured spectacular scoring such as Guerrier’s ten unblemished birdies or Brown’s nine.

This is Campillo’s ninth straight week of work as he aims to move into the top 50 on the DP World Tour Rankings to earn a spot in the Dubai finale and even a PGA Tour card, as he did last year by finishing in the top ten. 

“I love playing. I don’t like the travelling, but I have no choice. I was advised not to go to the Dunhill and finished 18^th. The more I am told to rest, the better I seem to play.”

“I am playing well enough to be up there. I fell a bit short on the PGA Tour; it was a matter of small mistakes, but I am playing quite well.”

The 38-year-old teed off calmly on the afternoon shift under a gusty wind not believing that he could get close to the leader. 

“If I had been told that I would post this score, I wouldn’t have believed it. I played solid, and chipping in on 9 gave me momentum going into the back nine.” 

Eugenio Chacarra (-4) and Alejandro del Rey (-3) also stood out amongst the Spanish players on the opening day of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.

France’s Julien Guerrier tops the leader board after posting his career record of birdies in a round.

“I had a great time. Everything worked my way and it’s wonderful when you play like that. The hardest part is staying in the present, because when you stand on the 12^th with nine birdies it’s easy for the head to wander. I tried to find the balance between staying focused and enjoying the moment. I don’t know what the secret was, but I love playing in Spain and I am a fan of Iberian ham.”

Jon Rahm, the best ranked Spaniard, had to work hard to stay in contention.

“I hit it good off the tee but made too many mistakes with my irons. If you don’t hit it solid under this wind, you are in trouble, and that’s what happened to me on the first fourteen holes. I tried to keep it low, but failed to control the ball. On 18 I had 116 yards to the pin downwind and missed the green... a real crime!

The way I drove the ball today, I should have given myself plenty of birdie chances instead of struggling for par.”

Despite his disappointing start  ̶ tied 39^th in -2 with compatriots Ángel Hidalgo, Nacho Elvira, Sebastián García and Alfredo García Heredia, amongst many others ̶ there was a positive finish to his round.

“The last five holes were better. I didn’t feel that different, but focused less on technique and more on being precise. I finished with a perfect birdie on 9, and hopefully I can build on that tomorrow.”

INSIDE THE ROPES

A super-perfect round
The first-round leader of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters 2024 displayed a top level of golf that can be summarized in two facts.

The first, a real rarity, Guerrier hit all the greens in regulation, which means he didn’t need a single up and down.
The second is his career-best number of ten birdies on a bogey free card.

Ángel and Jon
Jon Rahm and Ángel Hidalgo are playing together for the second time, in a less tense situation than last month in Madrid.

“Ángel is a great boy and good fun to play with. He plays some incredible shots. Let’s see if tomorrow we can have as much fun only with better scores.”

Unofficial course record
Despite the wind, three players (Julien Guerrier, Daniel Brown and Jorge Campillo) beat the course record of 65 set by Swiss amateur Tom Mao in the 2024 Sotogrande Cup. But Guerrier’s 62 will not count in the records because of preferred lies.

Coussaud’s hole-in-one
Frenchman Ugo Coussaud scored a hole-in-one on hole 8, from 175 yards with a 6 iron. Coussaud carded a roller-coaster opening round of 70 (-2) with five birdies, five bogeys and a hole-in-one.  

Eagle on 18?
Nobody has ever managed to eagle this demanding 470-yard par four, but a beautiful osprey is a regular visitor to this hole, as was confirmed during the last bird census carried out on the course at the end of September.

The census is one of the many environmental initiatives undertaken at the Club in recent years in order to preserve and promote wildlife on the course.

Tickets for the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters are available, with discounts for members of the federation (and their families/friends) and free access for children under 13, and can be purchased here.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, an event in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai made possible by the essential contribution of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, is sponsored by Estrella Damm and the Junta de Andalucía, jointly funded by the EU and was declared Event of Exceptional Public Interest by the Government of Spain.