Chacarra battles through pain barrier as Forrest leads in Madrid
Grant Forrest. Picture: Getty Images
Eugenio Chacarra battled through to the pain barrier for the second day running to keep his victory hopes alive in the Open de España in Madrid.
The Spaniard can leapfrog Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed to top the Race to Dubai if he claims his third win of the season despite battling a broken toe on his left foot at the Club de Campo.
The Madrid native (26) looks capable after he birdied three of his last five holes to shoot a two-under 69 and go into the weekend just two shots behind Scotland’s Grant Forrest, who shot 67 to lead by a stroke from compatriot Connor Syme and Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach on nine-under.
“Obviously having the crowd with me helps me go through it,”said Chacarra, who revealed that being unable to feel his toes due to the medication he’s taking was “a weird feeling.”
He added: “Today was way better than yesterday. I did a great job with my team last night. The medications are getting through. I played a little more pain-free.
“I think overall we had a good Friday and happy to have a chance for the weekend.”
Chacarra was playing alongside Shane Lowry and Race to Dubai leader Reed.
While the American missed the one-over-par cut by a shot, Lowry bogeyed the 18th to shoot a level par 71, leaving him eight shots off the pace in a tie for 34th on one-under.
The Offaly man turned in level par, but after back-to-back bogeys at the 10th and 11th left him just inside the cut mark, he brilliantly birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th to reach the fringes of contention, only to drop a shot after a poor tee shot at the 18th.
Tom McKibbin will turn his attention to next week’s DP World India Championship after he shot 73 to miss the weekend by two shots.
On the HotelPlanner Tour, Galway’s Liam Nolan shared 10th place at halfway in the Hainan Open at Sanya Luhuitou.
The Barna man (26) carded a two-under par 70 to get to seven-under when play was suspended due to darkness and trails leader Joseba Torres by eight strokes.
The Spaniard’s five-under 67 gave him a four-shot leadover Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen on 15-under as he bids to break into the top 15 in the Road to Mallorca standings who will be awarded DP World Tour cards.
Nolan lies 12th in the card race and can move up further before next week’s Hangzhou Open, which will decide the top 45 who will contest the Grand Final in Mallorca.
Gary Hurley, 53rd in the rankings, now needs a strong performance at Hangzhou West Lake Golf Club next week to reach the season-ending finale at Club de Golf Alcanada from October 29 to November 1.
The West Waterford man (33) struggled to a second-round 81 to finish seven shots outside the projected cut mark on five-over.
On the Ladies European Tour, Sara Byrne is just six shots behind halfway leader Miyu Yamashita of Japan at the Aramco Korea Championship.
The Douglas golfer missed just one green in regulation but settled for a three-under 69 after taking 33 putts.
At three-under, she was tied for 22nd behind 2025 AIG Women’s Open winner Yamashita, whose 68 gave her a two-shot lead over Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist and Korea’s Sung Hyun Park.
Anna Foster shot 70 to share 31st on two-under, but Lauren Walsh bogeyed three of her last five holes to shoot 76 and miss the cut by a shot, while Aine Donegan’s 72 left her on eight-over.
Meanwhile, former Ryder Cup player Max Homa was just two shots behind leaders Keith Mitchell and Jacob Bridgeman as he seek his first win since 2023 in the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
The former world number five shot a three-under 68 to share third with Zach Bauchou, Ben Kohles and Mac Meissner.
Mitchell carded a 65 and Bridgeman shot a 68 to lead on 11-under at Yokohama Country Club.
