01탈락 예감했던 순간 찾아온 반전… 집념으로 만든 주말 진출권
스페인에서 열린 대회에 출전한 에디 페퍼렐이 탈락 위기를 극복하고 극적으로 주말 라운드 진출권을 따냈다.
페퍼렐은 경기 후 인터뷰에서 사실상 탈락을 예감하고 집으로 돌아갈 마음의 준비를 하고 있었다고 고백했다. 하지만 그는 마지막까지 집중력을 잃지 않고 타수를 지켜내며 커트라인 기준 타수(on the number)로 컷 통과에 성공했다.
벼랑 끝에서 살아남아 반전의 계기를 마련한 페퍼렐이 남은 주말 라운드에서 순위를 어디까지 끌어올릴 수 있을지 팬들의 관심이 모이고 있다.
02Original (English) — DP World Tour
With seven holes to play in his second round at the Open de España presented by Madrid, the omens weren’t looking good for Eddie Pepperell.
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Coming into the week as a late invite and needing a good showing to stand a chance of finishing the season inside the top 100 on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered and with it the ability to play almost a full DP World Tour schedule next year, a missed cut looked odds-on.
After an opening two-over-par 73, he double-bogeyed the tenth - his first - on Friday and despite recovering one of those shots at the par-five 14th, bogeys at the 17th and first appeared to have ended his hopes.
But to his credit, he found something when he needed it most as he made four birdies, including one on his final hole, to card a one-under-par 70 that saw him progress through to the weekend on the number at one over.
"It's part of why we love the cut, right? It's so integral to golf," said an exhausted but elated Pepperell.
"This time for me, I was on the right side of it. So, delighted to have made it happen.
"I was pretty resigned to be going home to be honest after 12 holes today through my round, but hung in there and yeah, made it happen."
.@PepperellEddie birdies the last to make the cut play the weekend 🐥The Englishman is currently 101st in the rankings and fighting to keep his DP World Tour card.#OpenEspana | pic.twitter.com/LIo5JiW4Tk
His finish under pressure bore some resemblance to his performance at last year's Final Stage of Qualifying School, when he birdied his final four holes to earn his playing rights on golf's global tour in 2026.
But, even with all that was on the line and no guarantee of further starts before the regular season ends in South Korea later this month, Pepperell insisted he was just pleased to have surprised himself after being hit by a neck injury in recent weeks.
"I guess there's playing for things like playing rights and stuff as well, but that's not been truthfully on my mind that much," he added.
"I've been injured, so that's kind of been the big thing, just trying to play through some of the discomfort there, which I managed to do well last week [at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship] and so far this week.
"Although I haven't played very well this week, so yeah, I just wasn't expecting to have the final six holes I just had.
"I'm not thinking too much about that stuff. I could have thought about that for three years now at this point. It just drives you mad. I'm still just trying to play better golf."
Such was the nature of Pepperell's finish, holing a ten-foot birdie putt across the par-three ninth green in fading light, his wife and caddie, Jen, couldn't hide her happiness after a draining day.
"Well, usually when she jumps up and down and screams, I tell her not to do it," said Pepperell.
"But I think on this occasion, I can forgive her for sure!
"I'd hit a great putt on the hole before which lipped out and just told myself to hit a really good putt from ten foot. A cup outside the right, it's a favourable putt for a right-handed golfer.
"I've hit so many bad ones of late, certainly feels like it, so to hit a good one when it matters most was comforting."
With the chance now to climb the leaderboard over the weekend, Pepperell is just pleased to have given him a shot to earn Race to Dubai points and with it bolster his playing opportunities next year.
Before then, a treat for the Pepperells: tapas.
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