Staff WriterVictor Pastor did more than just keep a clean card today at Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri—he lit up the leaderboard with a six-under-par 66 and, in the process, took a two-shot lead into the final round of the Challenge de Cadiz.
It wasn’t just another round—it was a statement from a player who knows these fairways as well as the family beach holidays that first brought him here.
A Fast Start, a Solid Finish
Pastor dominated the early going, making four birdies in his first five holes. That sort of start can give a man wings—or send him straight into a watery grave.
Pastor wobbled only slightly, with a bogey at nine, but then roared back with four more birdies from 11 to 14, putting him at 11 under par and two strokes ahead of the pack.
“I played very good today,” he said with a calm confidence that sounded like he meant it.
“It was less windy than the first two days and I took advantage of that this morning with four early birdies. I was hitting my approaches close to the hole and my game was solid.”
He stumbled on 17 with a bogey, but a gritty par out of the bunker at 18 told you all you needed to know about his mental state.
“Today I was feeling calm and confident with my game. I’ve been hitting it very well all week and my putting was solid. I’m going to give it my best shot tomorrow.”
A Course That Knows Him Well
Novo Sancti Petri is no stranger to Pastor’s ambitions. He finished second here at the Challenge de España in 2022, and you could almost hear the echoes of that final day in every measured step he took today.
“I only live two hours from here and I used to come here on holiday when I was younger. It’s a special venue for me and I came very close to winning here in 2022,” he said.
There’s something about unfinished business that can turn a solid round into something special—and Pastor looks like a man who doesn’t want to come up short this time around.
The Chasers and the Challenge Ahead
Of course, this is golf—there’s no room for coronations before the final putt drops. Rocco Repetto Taylor, Oihan Guillamoundeguy, and Sweden’s Hugo Townsend sit one shot back, and there’s enough firepower behind them to keep Pastor honest.
South Africa’s Justin Walters and Spain’s Mario Galiano Aguilar are within striking distance at eight under, while a logjam at seven under—featuring the likes of Baard Skogen and JC Ritchie—means there’ll be no letup on Sunday.
Will Sunday be worth the Wake-Up Call
So, is it worth setting the alarm for tomorrow’s final round? Absolutely. Pastor’s got the lead, but more importantly, he’s got the scars from 2022 and the calm of a man who knows these fairways by heart.
If he can hold his nerve, he just might be adding his name to a trophy that would mean more than most.
And if he doesn’t? Well, that’s golf—and it’s never more compelling than when a hometown kid is trying to finish what he started.
