All the threes with Oriol and Amador at the Catalan Open
Oriol Mas won the 2023 Catalan at Hcp1 to claim the trophy for the third consecutive year.
During his eight rounds (the 2021 Open was played over 36 holes due to Covid-19) in that three year stretch, Oriol has broken par every time. Five of the eight have been sub-50 rounds.
Oriol's first round has been the highest in each of the years - 51 (his worst round across the three tournaments) at Platja d'Aro two years ago and 50 at Lloret and Hcp1.
Low round of the eight was the superb 44 second eighteen at Lloret in 2022. A 47 second round at Platja d'Aro the previous year was a vital component of his two stroke win while he scored 46 in Round 3 at both Lloret and Hcap1.
Mas held the lead right through the 2021 tournament, by one stroke after 18 holes and by two at the conclusion. By contrast, he has trailed after the opening round in 2022 and 2023, by one at Lloret and by three at Hcap1 last month.
That brilliant 44 at Lloret last year catapulted Oriol into a seven stroke lead (his highest overnight advantage of the three) while his 48 at Hcap1 left him tied for the 36 hole lead.
His ultimate winning margin at Lloret was ten strokes while he won by three at Hcap1.
While Oriol Mas was completing his hat-trick, 2019 overall winner Amador Rodriguez accumulated a three-timer of his own - a trio of successive victories in the Catalan Senior Open.
Amador won on the countback in 2021 at Platja d'Aro. He had a stroke to spare at Lloret last year while he enjoyed a three stroke cushion at Hcp1.
Rodriguez has dipped under par in five of his eight rounds in the 2021/23 era, breaking 50 on two occasions with 49s in the first round at Lloret and on Saturday afternoon at Hcap1.
Amador's 49 opener for a three stroke lead saw him dominate the Platja d'Aro, albeit his only over par round of the eight was recorded in Round Two. Ahead by two overnight, a level par 54 saw the World Senior Strokeplay champion home by one.
Conversely, Amador trailed by one after the initial round at Hcap1 before tieing for the 36-hole lead and eventually triumphing by three.
