In brief
Daniel Hillier holed the 187-yard par-3 17th on Thursday and won a BMW iX5 valued at 140,338 euros (about $157,000), according to the European tour.
Grant Forrest, Connor Syme and Eugenio Chacarra each shot 5-under 66 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, with Sergio Garcia one shot back.
Chacarra broke the third toe on his left foot last week and has not decided whether he will play the second round, according to his own comments after the round.
An ace on the 17th
Daniel Hillier, a 28-year-old New Zealander, made a hole-in-one on the 187-yard par-3 17th during the first round of the Spanish Open on Thursday. He struck his 8-iron poorly, but the ball pitched pin high, took one hop to the left and rolled in. The ace earned him an all-electric BMW iX5 SUV valued at 140,338 euros (about $157,000), according to the European tour, and the car was available only to the first player to make a hole-in-one on the hole that week. Hillier said he had not known a car was on offer. Hillier, who won his national open in March just days after getting married, said he thinks it was his fifth career hole-in-one.
“To be honest, I toed it quite a bit. Wasn't too happy with the strike.”
The leaders and the field
Hillier's 4-under 67 left him tied for fourth after the opening round. Grant Forrest, Connor Syme and Eugenio Chacarra shared the lead at 5-under 66 at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, with Sergio Garcia one shot back. Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen shot a 67 without a bogey, and Spain's Angel Ayora played in the same group as Hillier and Garcia. Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed had a frustrating return from injury and finished at two over. Defending champion Marco Penge shot a 73, leaving him alongside Reed.
- Connor Syme
- -5 strokes to par
- Grant Forrest
- -5 strokes to par
- Eugenio Chacarra
- -5 strokes to par
- Daniel Hillier
- -4 strokes to par
- Shane Lowry
- -1 strokes to par
- David Law
- 1 strokes to par
- Patrick Reed
- 2 strokes to par
Data from the article text
Chacarra plays through a broken toe
Chacarra broke the third toe on his left foot by stubbing it in the dark last week, and the injury leaves his participation in the rest of the event uncertain. He made two eagles and four birdies in his 66, and he said walking the course was the hard part. Chacarra, who lies third in the Race to Dubai and is closing in on a PGA Tour card, said he had not decided whether to tee it up for the second round.
“It doesn't really hurt when I'm swinging, which is why I could make a score.”
He added that he would talk with his team before deciding, because the pain he felt over the final holes was hard to justify.
“If it was another event, I wouldn't be teeing it up this week.”
Lowry and Garcia chase Ryder Cup places
Shane Lowry opened with a one-under 70, making four birdies, and sits tied for 21st, four shots off the lead. He dropped shots at the third, eighth and 13th holes. Lowry is fourth in the European Ryder Cup standings after winning the Irish Open last month, and he is playing four of the final five DP World Tour events, with India next week. Garcia, 46, has not represented Europe since 2021 and has told captain Luke Donald that he wants to be involved in the team for Limerick.
“I told [Donald] that I'm going to do everything possible to see if I can get into that team and I also told him that if I don't get into that team, I'll help in any way I can.”
Law's fight for a top-100 finish
David Law opened with a one-over 72 after dropping three shots in his last five holes. It is his ninth week in a row on tour, and the Aberdonian has climbed to 95th in the Race to Dubai ranking after six straight cuts. He told The Scotsman that his body is nearly done.
“The physical side is completely out of the window as I am spent.”
Law is in the field for next week's DP World India World Tour Championship, but he is still sweating over a place in the season-ending Genesis Championship in Korea, along with Daniel Young, Euan Walker and Cameron Adam.
Other tours
Jacob Bridgeman opened with an eight-under 63 to take the lead at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, one shot ahead of England's Jordan Smith. On the HotelPlanner Tour, Liam Nolan shot 67 at the Hainan Open and sits five strokes behind Spain's Joseba Torres. At the Aramco Korea Championship on the Ladies European Tour, Lauren Walsh shot 70 at New Korea Country Club, five shots behind Czechia's Patricie Mackova, who shot 65 to lead by two.