“This Sport Doesn’t Reward Quickly” – Hervella Claims Speedy Open Victory!

Tournament Overview
Beijing Time, May 26th, the Speedy Open concluded in Belgium. Nacho Hervella secured his second DP World Tour championship title with a total score of -18. Nicolai Højgaard, Joakim Lagergren, and Thomas Pieters finished one shot behind in second place. Joe Dean and Matthew Jordan tied for fifth with a total of -16.

Paying Off at Last
Hervella’s victory was a reward for his outstanding performance in the 2024 season. He narrowly missed a cut by one stroke and finished as runner-up in the Kenya Open. This triumph comes two years after his first and only previous DP World Tour title win.

Starting the day, Hervella birdied the first hole, extending his overnight four-shot lead to five. However, he found himself in the rough on both the 7th and 10th holes, conceding a shot each time to drop two bogeys. He recovered with a birdie on the 13th hole, offsetting those errors. Hervella finished the final round with a 71-par score.

The win didn’t come easily for Hervella. He had two iron clubs break during warm-ups, and the tournament was delayed by 23 minutes due to rain. Nonetheless, he demonstrated immense determination. Through tears in his post-victory interview, he said, “I’m very happy. I’m a bit emotional because I know sometimes the effort you put in doesn’t show. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Hervella’s younger brother recently joined the DP World Tour, and he hopes this victory will inspire him. “It’s special,” he remarked. “It’s special; you have to work hard. I try to teach him that this sport doesn’t reward quickly; you need patience. So hopefully, he can learn something from this and keep working hard.”

Spotlight on the Field
Sam Batesov started poorly with a +3 in the first round but rallied in the following three rounds, making 18 birdies and just one bogey. Despite his impressive recovery, his initial setback kept him out of the top spots, finishing tenth overall with a total of -14.

Ross Fisher began the tournament with near-perfect rounds, grabbing 5 and 8 birdies with no bogeys. However, he faded in the last two rounds, carding a 1-over in the final round.

Matteo Manassero showcased consistent play throughout, with scores of -3, -3, -4, and -3 respectively.

Richard Mansell birdied the third and fourth holes but dropped shots with bogeys on the ninth and sixteenth, slipping four places to finish tied for 13th alongside Fisher and Manassero with a -13 total.

Ryder Cup Europe captain Luke Donald attracted much attention from the start, though he appeared weary in the final round, recording five bogeys and a 1-over score. He ultimately placed 24th with a total of -10.

(European Tour Golf)