Staff WriterGolf on Spain’s southern coast has never been a stranger to drama, and Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri delivered a gusty opening act.
The course, designed by the late, great Seve Ballesteros—who had a soft spot for fairway flair and punishing bunkers—showed its teeth late in the day.
But Quim Vidal, the 24-year-old Catalan with a swing smoother than a Rioja Reserva, tore into it early with a seven-under-par 65 that left most of the field choking on sand.
Starting on the tenth tee, Vidal took one look at the calm morning skies and turned into a birdie-producing machine. Five red numbers in a row to open his round. That’s not a start—it’s an ambush.
“I’m very happy with how I played today and it’s a great score in these conditions,” he said. “The wind was very strong, especially on the back nine.”
By the time the breeze began rattling flags and egos in equal measure, Vidal had already laid down a blueprint for scoring.
When conditions toughened, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he added three more birdies coming in, offset by just one bogey—a blemish so small it probably needed a magnifying glass to spot.
Local Hero, Global Ambition
Vidal’s seven-under total gives him a one-shot cushion over fellow Spaniard Rocco Repetto Taylor, whose name sounds like a Bond villain but whose game was anything but sinister.
Repetto Taylor hung tough in the shifting afternoon gusts, but it was Vidal who looked most at home, both on the course and in the country.
“I love playing at home and these are my favourite events,” Vidal said. “The weather is great, the food is amazing, and we get such good support from the home crowds. It’s good to be back.”
And back he is. The lad already notched his first HotelPlanner Tour win earlier this year in India, at the Delhi Challenge—proving he can handle the heat, the travel, and the pressure.
But now he’s hunting something bigger: a DP World Tour card. Only the top 20 on the season’s Rankings graduate, and Vidal’s eyes are locked on the prize.
“I’ve had a strong start to the year, and I got my first win in India. I’m in a strong position on the Rankings but it’s important to keep playing well because my target is to earn a DP World Tour card at the end of the year.”
When Seve’s Spirit Stirs the Wind
Sancti Petri is a charming brute of a course—one minute offering generous landing zones, the next a slap across the face with a crosswind.
The back nine, especially, felt like it was engineered by a mischievous Seve on a windy day. Shot shape mattered. Trajectory mattered. Patience mattered more.
Vidal, by his own admission, doesn’t love the wind. But he played like he’d been raised on a kiteboard.
“I kept my ball under the wind on the back nine which was very important today,” he said. “I don’t enjoy playing in windy conditions, but I felt comfortable on this golf course, and I managed my game very well.
Everything seemed to go right for me this morning—I hit it well off the tee, I was close with my irons and short game, and I putted great too.”
Translated: the man couldn’t miss if he tried.
The Chase Pack: Young Guns and Quiet Threats
Lurking two shots back are Frenchman Oihan Guillamoundeguy and Sweden’s Robin Petersson, both at five under, and showing no signs of backing off.
One shot further adrift, on four under, is Spain’s Mario Galiano Aguilar—who probably knows every bounce of this layout—and Sweden’s Ollie Jacobsson, a clean-swinging operator who could make some noise if he finds a rhythm with the putter.
With names like those stacked up behind him, Vidal can’t coast through Friday.
Worth Your Seat on Sunday?
Vidal tees off at 2pm tomorrow alongside England’s Jamie Rutherford and defending champion Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen.
It’s a tasty pairing—equal parts steady, explosive, and unpredictable. If the wind blows again, we’ll find out who’s got the spine to hold their line.
Is this tournament worth your Sunday seat? Absolutely. It’s shaping up like a paella—spicy, layered, and full of local flavour.
Quim Vidal is the headliner for now, but don’t blink—this leaderboard has a habit of changing with the wind.
Pay attention when Quim tees it up—he’s cooking something special.
