There’s a major championship race in the works over in Europe and this one might be worth some attention.
Tommy Fleetwood is your current points leader in the Race To Dubai but he has the Spanish Armada, so to speak, right on his heels.
That would be Sergio Garcia, No. 2 behind Fleetwood and Americanized Spaniard Jon Rahm checking in at No. 3.
Things could get tighter at this week’s Italian Open.
First and foremost, defending champion Francesco Molinari picked up where he left off last year at the Golf Club Milano. He’s one of six, yes six, players tied for the lead after the first round with seven-under par 64s.
Garcia is right behind them, two shots back with a 66 while Rahm’s 67 got him into the early action.
Garcia made big news this week, announcing his split with long-time sponsor TaylorMade, effective the end of 2017. In addition, Sergio and wife Angela (Akins) announced that she is expecting their first child.
Big week for Sergio and the Masters champion responded with a good opening effort.
What made it even more interesting is that both Garcia and Rahm are paired with Fleetwood for the first 36-hole and Fleetwood struggled somewhat with a first round 71, even par on a course that was yielding a lot of birdies.
Garcia kept the heat on Fleetwood on day two, finishing with a 67 that got him to nine-under par, just four behind early pace-setter Marcus Fraser. Fraser set the second-day target for Molinari and the rest of the field with a career-round 62 that got him to 13-under par in the clubhouse after 36.
Rahm couldn’t keep race with his countryman. He shot three-under and was seven-under at the halfway mark. Fleetwood got it going with a 66 that helped him make the 36-hole cut. He’s five-under going into the weekend.
