Spain Challenge 2026

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American Dan Erickson carded a 7-under-par round to take the sole lead at the Challenge de España with a total of 11 under par, two strokes behind Briton Jamie Rutherford. The highest-placed Spaniard is Asier Aguirre from Navarre, a member of ProSpain, who sits five strokes off the leader. Two days of top-level golf are expected at Isla Canela Links, where admission is free for all fans. A unique opportunity to experience the best of European golf up close and see what could be the world number one of the future.

American Dan Erickson is very clear about it: “I’m staying on the HotelPlanner Tour,” because this is where you learn to play on very different courses and where you have to start winning. Perhaps the example of Koepka, a winner of this tournament in its early days, has something to do with it; what is clear is that, after alternating between this circuit and the DP, he has decided to stay here.

“I played some really good golf today, very clean. All areas of my game were very solid, and I managed to make some birdies,” the American said. “I have to admit that at the beginning of the round I wasn't very focused (he started with two birdies and two bogeys), but from the 8th hole onwards I focused and everything went smoothly (7 birdies from the 8th). The key today was patience and discipline. You have to play without forcing things because you can run into problems; with patience, you end up finding the opportunities. I'm mainly going to play the HotelPlanner Tour. It depends a lot on how it goes and my position in the rankings, but I'm almost certain I'll stay here.”.

In second place is Briton Jamie Rutherford, who, after many attempts and second-place finishes, achieved his first victory last year at Cape Town. And to get into contention for his second, he shot a 67 today for a total of 9 under par.

Asier Aguirre overcomes the 5 and passes his first cut

One of the biggest stories in Spanish golf is that of Asier Aguirre, who is in tenth position with a total of 6 under par after signing 67 strokes, overcoming a double bogey in his second round with two fantastic birdies to finish and get into the fight.

The golfer from Navarre is happy because, after a hard-fought battle, he has made the first cut of his season, and he did so at the Challenge de España, facing a hole that has been particularly challenging from the start, the 5th. “Yesterday I made a triple bogey and today a double. I hope it keeps improving. Tomorrow I'll play it with an iron! Apart from that hole that's a bit off, which I'm not keen on, I've actually played very well. I made six birdies and had a good round. I'm hitting the ball really well, giving myself good birdie opportunities, and my putting is good. I'm managing to get a good return on my putt these days, which is great. At the beginning of the season, I wasn't playing well, to be honest, and now I'm playing better, so making the first cut makes me very happy and motivated to keep going.”.

Hole 5, a 414-meter par 5, has been the biggest challenge of the past two days, one of the most difficult, requiring more than three players to take nine strokes to complete it in the first two rounds. However, according to the statistics, the most difficult hole so far is hole 8, a 450-meter par 5 that is normally being played as a par 4 during the tournament.

Asier Aguirre, Pablo Ereño, Santiago Tarrío, Javier Barcos, Emilio Cuartero, Javier Calles and Albert Boneta are the Spaniards who have made the cut, which was set at -1. A total of 64 players will play the last two rounds and fight for the Challenge de España in Isla Canela.

The standings remain very tight and everything points to an exciting outcome in the last two days of the Challenge de España, where the wind will once again play a decisive role in the fight for the title.

The Challenge de España is supported by the HotelPlanner Tour, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, the Junta de Andalucía, the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation and the Higher Sports Council, as well as Allianz, AON, BCD Sports, Kyocera, Volvo, Scalpers, Pesasur, Nevadabobs, Bodegas Juan Gil, Mahou, Solán de Cabras, Revel, Asociación Armadores de Punta del Moral, Licor Mediterráneo and Titleist, under the organization of JGolf.

SOURCE: Tournament Organization