Eugenio Chacarra is the leader of the Spanish Open with a broken toe and can retire

How to be the leader of the Spanish Open with a broken toe. Eugenio Chacarra is one of the few golfers who can respond to that challenge, and the player from Madrid demonstrated it on the first day at the Villa de Madrid Country Club. Chacarra shot 66 strokes, five under par, in an opening round that he closed with a limp and with obvious expressions of pain on his face. Last week he suffered a distal fracture of the third toe of his right foot. He had returned to the United States after competing in France, his luggage was strewn in the living room of his house, and when he got up to drink water at night he tripped and hit the corner of the couch. Just playing the Spanish Open motivated him to travel again and compete. And so well that, despite the pain, he scored eagles on holes 7 and 14, plus four birdies and three bogeys.

"I have made the effort to play because it is the Spanish Open. If not, I would not be playing. I have suffered a lot in the last 12 holes and it bothers me every time I put my foot down. It hurts less when I swing. I am going to see the doctor and my physiotherapist and see what happens," he commented. At stake is not only this Open, but the end of the season. Chacarra is third in the Race to Dubai, the European circuit classification, only after Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy, and with four tournaments ahead (India, Korea, Abu Dhabi and Dubai) he has a chance of winning first place before moving to the PGA Tour. "I can't guarantee that I will continue because I am playing a lot this season. I would be very sad to retire, but it hurts a lot," he explained.

One stroke behind him was Ángel Ayora, -4, also with a double of eagles, on holes 4 and 14, and the sharp driver from the tee, the thermometer that marks the temperature of his game. "I've gone back to hitting it from the tee like I used to, because in recent weeks I've been struggling with the driver. I know that if I'm in position from the tee, especially on this course, the return is going to be good. If you're missing fairways, with the trees and the rough, it's difficult to give yourself chances. If I'm on the fairway, it helps a lot to hit the green and make two putts. If not, you're screwed, you're going to suffer. If the driver is in its place and I keep order, I'll be on top," explained the Malaga.