Ángel Hidalgo Ties Record with 12 Birdies at the Irish Open
STRAFFAN, Ireland – Ángel Hidalgo delivered a memorable performance by matching the record for birdies in a round on the European Tour, with an impressive total of 12, which allowed him to climb to second place with a score of 63 strokes, nine under par, in the third round of the Irish Open on Saturday. Meanwhile, Frenchman Adrien Saddier took the lead in the tournament with a round of 68. The fan favorite, Rory McIlroy, also stayed in contention after a bogey-free round of 68 strokes. The world number 2 is four strokes behind Saddier’s total of 15 under par, with a cumulative score of 201 strokes at The K Club. McIlroy shares fourth place with Joakim Lagergren, after the Swede lost his initial lead with a round of 73 strokes. Lagergren’s irregular round included four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. Alfredo García-Heredia placed third, three strokes behind the leader, after achieving two eagles in his round of 67. Hidalgo’s outstanding round included seven consecutive birdies, finishing one shot behind Saddier. The Spaniard became the ninth player to achieve a dozen birdies in a single round of a European Tour event.The only other player to have achieved 12 birdies at The K Club is Darren Clarke, who set a course record with 60 strokes at the 1999 European Open.I really felt at times like I was playing on the PlayStation, to be honest. Every shot went straight into the hole.
Ángel Hidalgo
