Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño (+1) managed to come out of the first round unscathed after the first head-to-head combat with the unforgiving Olgiata Golf Club course in Rome, a long course with a heavy rough and where it’s really difficult to create good options for birdie.
The golfer from Madrid shot a 72 in the first round of the Italian Open, with two birdies, both on par 5s, and three bogeys, and is currently positioned in the middle of the rankings, knee-deep in the fight to make the cut.
The cut lies around PAR at the moment, which means he’ll have to win the battle against the course this Friday to avoid problems, although it’s not impossible for the cut to be establish at +1.
Gonzalo opted for a conservative strategy on the tee shots, and it ended up working out quite nicely. He hit more fairways than average in the tournament, although afterward, with the long clubs in hand, he wasn’t able to create many clear options for birdie.
