Angel Hidalgo What's In The Bag And Player Profile
By: Derek Clements | Mon 30 Sep 2024
Angel Hidalgo held his nerve at Club de Campo in Madrid to win the Open de Espana, denying Jon Rahm his fourth victory in the tournament. But boy did he make it difficult for himself.
Double major champion Rahm birdied the last two holes, including a six-footer at the last to move to 14 under par. Hidalgo was left with a four-footer to win his first DP World Tour title but pushed it and the pair had to head for a sudden-death playoff.
They returned to the tee at the short par-four 18th. Hidalgo found the front of the green while Rahm hit his drive into the rough. Rahm was first in with his birdie, leaving Hidalgo needing to holing a six-footer to keep it alive and this time he drained it and back they went again.
Second time around Hidalgo found the fringe of the putting surface while Rahm went long and left and failed to hold the green with his second shot. Advantage Hidalgo, who duly chipped to 30 inches. It meant Rahm had to hole his third to keep the playoff going but he ran the ball four feet past and had to settle for a par, leaving his 26-year-old opponent to tap in for a life-changing victory.
Unsurprisingly, he was in tears at the end as he was embraced by his parents on the 18th green. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
He said: "It is absolutely insane. I was relaxed all day, I don’t know why. And even when I missed that short putt on the 72nd I still felt good. That was for everybody who believed in me and stuck with me.
"I kept my focus, holed a lot of putts and to beat Jon Rahm is special. Two years ago I was on the Alps Tour and three years ago I was here supporting Jon so to win it is just unreal. To win in front of my parents and my coach is just amazing.
"I am sorry my brother is not here but I think he will be crying more than me right now."
The pair had gone head-to-head in an all-Spanish final group with David Puig. It was the first all-Spanish final group at the national Open since 2019, when Rahm won comfortably ahead of Rafa Cabrero Bello and Samuel Del Val.
Player Profile
Angel Hidalgo was born in Marbella on April 28, 1998 and played his early golf at Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, encouraged by his grandfather and father, also named Angel and a golf professional.
He won the Spanish Amateur in 2016 and 2018 and was part of the Spanish National Team that represented his country at the European Amateur Team Championship three times, winning it in 2017.
In 2018, he played for Europe in the Bonallack Trophy in Qatar and at the St Andrews Trophy in Finland, where Hidalgo, who was three-down after five holes in his match against Todd Clements, battled his way to victory, helping the Continent of Europe claim the trophy for the first time since 2012 and for the sixth time in the match's history.
Hidalgo won the bronze for Spain at the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy.
He turned professional in 2018 and started playing on the Alps Tour and the Challenge Tour in 2019.
On the Alps Tour, he was runner-up at the 2020 Toscana Alps Open before winning the Ein Bay Open and the Memorial Giorgio Bordoni in 2021.
In 2021, he was third at the Sydbank Challenge before winning his first Challenge Tour title at the 2021 German Challenge.
In 2022, he shot a 63 in the opening round of the Andalucia Master at Valderrama to share the lead. He carded eight birdies, and narrowly failed to chip in for another on his final hole which would have seen him equal Bernhard Langer’s 28-year-old course record. He finished fourth in the tournament, to finish 91st in the season rankings and secure his card for 2023.
He began the week in 88th place in the Race to Dubai and 398th in the world rankings. This win takes him to 18th in the Race to Dubai and secures his place in the end-of-season playoffs.
Prior to winning in Spain his best finish in 2024 came at the Jonsson Workwear Open, where he finished fifth.
Last 10 Results
Open de Espana - 1st
BMW PGA Championship - T57th
Amgen Irish Open - CUT
Omega European Masters - T67th
Betfred British Masters - T39th
Czech Masters - T28th
The 152nd Open - CUT
Isco Championship - T16th
Italian Open - T33rd
KLM Open - T27th
Key Stats
Driving Distance - 298.73 Yards
Driving Accuracy - 57.72%
Greens in Regulation - 66.34%
Sand Saves - 47.12%
Putts Per Round - 28.95
Scoring Average - 70.88
End of Year World Ranking
2020: 1,142
2021: 212
2022: 312
2023: 431
Current Ranking: 162
What's In Angel Hidalgo's Golf Bag?
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed LS (9 Degrees)
Mini Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver (11.5 Degrees)
5-Wood: PING G430 Max (18 Degrees)
Hybrid: PING G430 (22 Degrees)
Irons: Cobra Limit3D
Wedges: Cobra Limit 3D (PW), Cobra SB (50 Degrees, 56 & 60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
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Tags: WITB Tour Pro player profile in the bag
