Angel Hidalgo names 22-yo LIV Golfer who challenged his 2024 Open de Espana win more than Jon Rahm

Modified Sep 30, 2024 12:35 GMT

Angel Hidalgo beat Jon Rahm to win the 2024 Open de Espana (Image via Getty)

Angel Hidalgo made two back-to-back birdies in the playoff on Sunday, September 29, to win the 2024 Open de España. Though he beat tournament favorite Jon Rahm in the playoff, he had expected another LIV golfer, David Puig, to win it in regulation play.

Hidalgo fired a 1-under 70 in the final round of the 2024 Open de España to aggregate at 14-under after regulation play. Rahm shot 68 and joined Hidalgo for the playoff. While both made birdies on the first extra hole, Rahm missed the birdie on the second hole, handing the win to Hidalgo.

During the winner's press conference, Hidalgo said that he thought Puig would win by a good margin, considering the strong start he had on Sunday.

"To be honest, on the eighth tee, I thought David Puig is going to win the tournament by eight because he was hitting amazing, and John Jon and myself made a few mistakes," he said.

Puig had a brilliant start to the day, and by the seventh hole, he was at 14-under with four birdies. However, things took a turn from there as the 22-year-old golfer made five bogeys in the next ten holes, and a birdie on the final hole helped him to shoot even par.

Reflecting on his game, Angel Hidalgo expressed satisfaction with his performance in the final round, especially against Rahm in the playoffs.

"I played a pretty smart game and pretty good game and I stroked really got putter, so yeah, I'm happy. And especially with Jon, probably he's the most important player in the last 20 years or 30 years in Spain," he added.