Grant Forrest finds rhythm in Madrid
Grant Forrest is making moves in Spain again. The Scot sits alone at the top of the leaderboard at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid after a solid Friday. He shot a 68 to reach nine under par, extending his one-stroke advantage heading into the weekend. This isn’t a fluke for Forrest. Per reports, he has finished tied for third in this national open twice before, specifically in 2021 and 2024. He hasn’t missed a cut in his last six tries here either. That kind of consistency is hard to find on any tour.
The leaderboard is crowded. Connor Syme and Joel Girrbach are right on his heels. Others like Eugenio Chacarra, Joe Dean, and a group of players including Victor Perez and Jeff Winther are also lurking just a few shots back. It looks like a heavy battle is brewing for the title.
Drama with a broken toe
The real story might not be the lead, but the pain. Eugenio Chacarra is fighting through a massive injury. The Spaniard broke his toe recently after a freak accident involving a glass of water. Despite the injury, he shot a 66 to help lead the pack. But the physical cost is high. According to Yahoo Sports UK, Chacarra is unsure if he can keep playing. He told the DP World Tour, “It’s not good, suffering a lot. It’s been tough; not sure what is going to happen tomorrow. I need to take care of myself. Obviously, I got a good round, but how I feel physically is not great.”
He is clearly struggling to walk. He mentioned that the pain during the final 12 holes was intense. He even said, “The pain I had on the last 12 holes, I don’t know if it is worth it as I have a lot to play the next couple of weeks.” If he pulls out, it would be a huge blow to the local crowd. He is currently in a position to overtake both Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed in the Race to Dubai rankings if he wins.
Big names fall in Madrid
It has been a rough week for some of the sport’s biggest stars. Patrick Reed missed the cut after a 73 on Thursday and a 71 on Friday. This is a massive setback for his season goals. According to Golf Monthly, this failure to make the cut could even knock him off the top spot in the Race to Dubai rankings. He was leading that race since February, but now the pressure is on.
Other big names are also struggling. Justin Rose missed the weekend by just one shot. Bubba Watson also failed to make the cut after a 75-70 performance. Even Jayden Schaper is seeing his early season momentum fade.
