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LIV Golf’s Fireballs GC member, Luis Masaveu, is just one off the lead after the first round of the €300k Challenge de España, HotelPlanner Tour event in Girona.
The Spaniard carded one eagle, seven birdies and a single bogey to sit one off the pace at Fontanals Golf Club, one shot back from Dane Victor Sidal Svendsen, who posted an eight under par round of 63.
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22-year-old Masaveu, starting on the first, birdied six of his opening ten holes before dropping shots on the 11th and 16th, but made further gains with an eagle on the 13th and a birdie on the 17th.
The youngster, who joined Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC team earlier this year after replacing fellow Spaniard and recent DP World Tour winner Eugenio Chacarra, is currently 44th in the LIV Golf League Individual Rankings.
It’s a Fireballs tradition now! 🏆
Say fuegito on 3, 2, 1! 😁 pic.twitter.com/i5cJiF4PoK
— Fireballs GC (@fireballsgc_) March 9, 2025
However, he has already tasted silverware this year, with the Fireballs claiming victories in Adelaide, Hong Kong, and Singapore to sit second in the LIV Golf League Team Rankings.
Prior to turning professional last year, Masaveu had two amateur titles under his belt, was a semi-finalist at the 2024 U.S. Amateur and has also collected the Low-Am trophy twice at the Spanish Open, in 2022 and again in 2024.
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Sitting alongside Luis in the Challenge de España is Slovakian Žan Luka Štirn at seven under par.
Nine players share fourth place on six under par, including Frenchman Clement Charmasson, Oliver Gillberg and Albin Bergstrom from Sweden, German Anton Albers, Spaniard Javier Sainz, Finn Lauri Ruuska, Scotland’s Euan Walker and Englishmen Alfie Plant and Tom Shadbolt.
Former Cleeks GC Member Kalle Samooja opened up with a one under par 70, after turning down a start on the Asian Tour’s $2 million International Series Japan, opting for the familiarity of the €300k HotelPlanner Tour event.
The second round of the Challenge de España gets underway Friday at 8:00am local time, with leader Sidal Svendsen teeing off at 8:30am and Masaveu at 8:50am.
Main Image: Getty Images / Aitor Alcalde
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