The 2021 Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid promised to be an ‘all against Jon’, as the Barrika native arrived in Madrid as the number one player in the world, the defending champion and, as if that were not enough, with goal of equalling Seve Ballesteros’ three-title haul at the tournament firmly in his sights.
He was the hot favourite, and he started as if he meant business, with a first-round 63 in front of over 30,000 fans. However, as the rounds progressed, his game began to desert him, particularly at the weekend. A long, emotional season and the US Open win meant Rahm came to Madrid running on empty and he was unable to deliver on expectations. He would eventually finish 17th after a poor weekend (72, 69), six shots adrift.
Two Spaniards sat atop the leaderboard after all 72 holes were complete. With Rahm not firing on all cylinders, Adri Arnaus and Rafa Cabrera took it upon themselves to entertain the local fans. They would end up in a thrilling playoff for the title.
Victory eventually fell to Rafa Cabrera. It was a fourth European Tour title for the Canary Islander and he had finally won his home event, something he had longed for ever since finishing fourth as a 17-year-old amateur in 2002. “Since I was little, and even more so since that tournament, I’ve been dreaming of putting my name on this cup. Also, as a naïve 17 year old, I’m sure I thought I would have won it much earlier and many times, but even though it’s been a long wait, at least I have done it here”, said the Canary Islander, trophy in hand.
It was no walk in the park, though. Not only did Cabrera have to fend off charges from a number of great players, he also had to battle against his own demons; a four-year spell without a win and the ghosts of recent months in which his game seemed to have all but abandoned him. He overcame all these challenges, as well as a double bogey on the first hole of the final round that lost him a lead he had enjoyed for the previous 18 holes.
For his part, Adri Arnaus again proved what a great player he is and the ease with which he can connect with the fans through his ever-aggressive game, which produced two eagles on the final day to push Cabrera to his limits. At the time, the Catalonian was in search of his first European Tour win, which may have taken its toll when he found himself leading on his own with three holes to play.
In the end, Cabrera conjured up a stunning birdie on the playoff hole and finally put his name on the trophy. That of Adri Arnaus will surely follow sooner rather than later.
