The 2026 Spanish Men's Absolute Championship, the Gonzaga Escauriaza Cup, has come to a close at the magnificent facilities of the Real Club Sevilla Golf with a resounding victory by Gonzalo Baños, who put the finishing touch on an outstanding week by winning with a four-stroke advantage over his closest pursuers.

The Andalusian player went into the final round sharing the lead with Vicente Mestre, but he resolved the duel with an impeccable performance. His 68 (-4) card, composed of five birdies and a single bogey, proved unbeatable for the other title contenders.

Even so, the first stages of the round did not seem to foreshadow such a clear outcome, as Baños dropped a stroke before the 7th hole, but he reacted in the best possible way and strung together five birdies in the following nine holes to open a definitive gap in the standings.

Behind them, Iván Enguita, Nicolás Vidal and Mateo Hidalgo staged a chase that was unsuccessful, but the three finally shared second place with a total of 278 strokes after signing rounds of 68, 69 and 71 strokes respectively.

A spectacular premiere

The 2026 Spanish Men's Absolute Championship began with the participation of 120 players, including several golfers from American universities, and made clear from the first day the enormous equality that exists between the favorites.

Mateo Hidalgo and Gonzalo Baños shared the provisional lead after both carding 68 strokes (-4), although they achieved it via very different paths. The Madrid native built his result with a round full of twists and turns, starting with a bogey and culminating in a spectacular eagle, while the Andalusian opted for consistency, recording six birdies and two bogeys.

Just one stroke behind was a large group of six players with 69 strokes (-3), on a day in which up to twenty golfers managed to beat the course designed by José María Olazábal.

Vicente Mestre burst into the fight

The second day kept the excitement intact and concluded with another tie at the top of the standings, this time between Mateo Hidalgo and Vicente Mestre.

Hidalgo retained his lead thanks to a solid round of 69 (-3), while Mestre staged a remarkable comeback to take the top spot. The Catalan carded a 68 (-4), showcasing his remarkable ability to recover from a double bogey on the 18th hole—his ninth hole of the day after teeing off on the 10th. Far from being discouraged, he responded with a flawless back nine, carding five birdies and no bogeys.

Both players reached 137 strokes (-7), three less than their immediate pursuers: Alex Navarro, Nicolas Vidal and Gonzalo Baños.

The final duel was set.

The third day kept the uncertainty at its peak and resulted in a new shared lead, this time between Vicente Mestre and Gonzalo Baños.

The Catalan defended his position with a round of 69 (-3), the result of five birdies and two bogeys. However, the most outstanding performance of the day belonged to Gonzalo Baños. The Andalusian recovered lost ground with a spectacular card of 66 (-6), adorned with eight birdies, which returned him to the first position he had already occupied on the opening day.

Just one stroke behind the leaders was Mateo Hidalgo after signing for 70 strokes (-2), while Marcel Fonseca and Nicolás Vidal shared fourth place, three strokes from the lead.

The third round also established the required cut in the standings, which 63 players passed, leaving a final outcome that ended up falling into the hands of Gonzalo Baños.

FINAL RESULTS

1. Gonzalo Baños (68, 72, 66, 68) 274 strokes

2. Iván Enguita (72, 71, 67, 68) 278 hits

.- Nicolás Vidal (71, 69, 69, 69) 278 strokes

.- Mateo Hidalgo (68, 69, 70, 71) 278 strokes