CATALONIA CHALLENGE 2026
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On moving day, Pablo Ereño put on one of the tournament's standout performances, starting with six birdies in the first seven holes and carding a virtually flawless round, once again demonstrating the enormous confidence he's been displaying this season. "I simply tried to play my golf, and the truth is, I started very well," Ereño explained. "I left the ball perfectly on the 1st, made very good birdies on the 2nd and 3rd, and from then on, I tried not to slow down.".
The Madrid native, a member of ProSpain, admitted to feeling particularly satisfied with the consistency he displayed throughout the day. “I played really well. I hit 17 greens and only missed the last hole, so I’m very happy.”.
After two weeks this season battling for victory in Cape Town and Durban, Ereño finds himself back in a position to attack heading into the final round. “In Cape Town and Durban, I was one or two strokes behind the leader in the penultimate group. I know I can play well in that situation, so tomorrow I’ll just try to play my game and see what happens.”.
Maturity to resist
Beyond the brilliance of his start, one of the aspects that most satisfied the Madrid native was how he managed the difficult moments of the round, especially in the final stretch. On the 17th hole, after a great shot to the pin, he ended up three-putting from mid-range on one of the most challenging greens on the course. “I thought I had hit a really good putt, but it went about two meters over,” he explained. “Then the second putt was also looking good and it didn't go in. These things happen, that's golf.”.
Far from losing his composure, Ereño managed to close out the day with a great par on the 18th after getting stuck next to a root after his tee shot. “The best thing was to stay calm. Golf is tough, and some days things go better than others. The important thing is to keep playing with the same strategy; I stick to the same one: go 9 under or 2 over.”.
The Madrid native also highlighted the difficulty of the pin positions in the final stretch. “The pins on the last few holes were very angled and much less accessible. I think I played exactly the golf I needed to play.”.
The family's drive
Ereño will face the final day especially motivated by the presence of his family in Fontanals. “It motivates me a lot that my father and sister have come from Madrid, and my sister even from Chicago,” he confessed. “It helps me a lot to have them here. I don't feel like I'm playing just for myself, I'm also playing for them.”.
Before the decisive day, the Madrid native already has a clear roadmap. “I have my recovery and stretching routine. This afternoon I’ll rest well, go to bed early, and tomorrow I’ll go all out.”.
Hamish Brown wants to repeat his performance at Fontanals
The tournament leader is Dane Hamish Brown, one of the players with the best recent record on the HotelPlanner Tour and a great connoisseur of Fontanals Golf, where he already won in 2023 during the second phase of the Tour School.
Brown carded a solid 65 (-6) on Saturday, with eight birdies and one bogey, to reach 18 under par. “It was a good round, the wind wasn't too strong and I was able to take advantage of my opportunities. I felt like the ball was responding really well and everything was going smoothly.”.
The leader now hopes to finish the job this Sunday. “It would be fantastic to win here. I love this course and tomorrow I’ll try to do exactly the same.”.
The Challenge de Catalunya is supported by the HotelPlanner Tour, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Fontanals Golf Club, the Catalan Golf Federation and the Higher Sports Council, as well as Allianz, AON, the Girona Provincial Council, Fontanals City Council, Ríos Renovables, BCD Group, Kyocera, Volvo, Bodegas Juan Gil, Mahou, Solán de Cabras, Revel and Titleist, and organized by JGolf.
SOURCE: Tournament Organization
