Angel Hidalgo denies fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm a fourth Spanish Open title
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Your support makes all the difference.Jon Rahm was denied a record fourth Open de Espana title as compatriot Angel Hidalgo claimed his maiden DP World Tour win in a play-off.
The pair finished level at 14 under par after Rahm birdied the last two holes but after his wayward tee-shot at the second extra hole, Hidalgo chipped close and holed a short putt for victory.
English pair Tommy Fleetwood and Joe Dean and Scotland’s Grant Forrest were in a group of six players tied for third on 10 under.
The win was just reward for 26-year-old Hidalgo, who had led since his first-round 65 and delighted his home crowd with a swashbuckling style of play.
He recovered from successive bogeys at the fifth and sixth to go bogey-free the rest of the way with three birdies, the most memorable after a sky-high flop over a huge greenside bunker at the 14th.
He said: “To be here and win the tournament is unreal. Oh, my gosh, it’s amazing.
“I played a pretty smart game and I stroked the putter really well so yeah, I’m happy. And especially with Jon, probably he’s the most important player in the last 20 or 30 years in Spain.”
Rahm, who overcame illness in the build-up to the tournament, said of Hidalgo: “May he enjoy it. Winning at home, winning a Spanish Open with all the support that there has been, you could tell how much he felt it and how important it was for him.
“Thinking that on Tuesday morning I was in hospital in another country, on the other side of the Atlantic, in the end, I’m happy. It’s a pity to have lost in the play-off (but) I can’t say it has been a bad week.”
David Puig, the third member of the all-Spanish final group, led by three at one stage on the front nine before fading to end up 10 under.
Forrest’s closing 64 was Sunday’s best round by two clear shots, with Fleetwood and American Sean Crocker shooting 66 to share third place. Sweden’s Jens Fahrbring was the other player at 10 under.