South African Yurav Premlall dazzles at El Prat with a record-breaking round of 63
South African Yurav Premlall (-19) has a commanding lead in the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship thanks to a course-record round of 63, five strokes clear of Stefano Mazzoli (-14). Eugenio Chacarra and Alejandro del Rey are the best-placed Spaniards heading into the final round, both on nine under par.
With an outstanding performance, ten birdies and just one bogey, the 22-year-old South African has a clear chance to claim his first victory on the DP World Tour thanks to a superb round of 63: best round of the day, his personal best on the Challenge Tour or the DP World Tour, and a course record.
Premlall stood out from a very young age as an amateur. At just 15, he qualified for the South African Open Championship and became the youngest player to win on the Betway Big Easy Tour, a feeder circuit for the South African Sunshine Tour. In 2024, he won the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Sishen on the Sunshine Tour.
“It is a bit of a blur to be honest. I mean that is generally what people say when a round like that comes to be honest. It was really nice, the last few days have been really solid golf tee to green as well, maybe not so good off the tee, but the putter has got hot over the last two days which I have been waiting for. My team, my dad, have all put in a big effort to get me into this place, so it is just really rewarding to see it come through,” he said.
“It is something I have been working towards since I got a card last year. Very few people know how rough it has been trying to get into this position, the work I have done to try and have a chance at winning, let alone whatever happens tomorrow happens, but just to be able to have such a good chance to get a job done is really rewarding.”
In the top ten are Eugenio Chacarra and Alejandro del Rey, who finished tied at nine under par.
Eugenio Chacarra carded a 67 and, despite the gap to the leader, will go all out tomorrow.
“Obviously, I’m going to need to play a very good round, but with the Spanish crowd behind me, feeling good about my game and my putting looking pretty solid, you never know what might happen.”
“Going first is never easy. And I like coming from behind. I’m going to be aggressive and brave. I don’t know if it’ll be my day or not, but I know that if I start well on the first few holes and they see my name at the top, they’ll find it hard to hold on. Hopefully I can start tomorrow as I’ve started today and see if it goes well.”
Alejandro del Rey finished the round with a 68, very satisfied with his game.
“I have no complaints, I’m doing things right, but I know where I stand and victory is quite a long way off on a course like this, where I think I’ve played three flawless rounds of golf.”
IN THE RUNNING
Lead, record and prize
Yurav Premlall was the star of the day at El Prat.
With his spectacular round of 63, he is the main contender to claim the Nexo Course Record, a special prize of $50,000.
The Nexo Course Record awards $10,000 to the player who sets the course record in each tournament, but if no one achieves it, the prize rolls over to the next event. It should be noted that, when preferred lies rule is applied as is likely to happen tomorrow due to rain, the results do not count towards the record.
Andrew Johnston’s hole-in-one
Englishman Andrew Johnston, popularly known as “Beef”, scored a hole-in-one on the 13th, a par-three, from 180 metres with a six-iron.
Johnston became very popular among Spanish fans after winning the Open de España in 2016, his best season, in which he finished tied for eighth at the Open Championship and reached 26th place in the Race to Dubai.
Quim Vidal, the sole representative of the Real Club de Golf El Prat over the weekend
Friday was not kind to the players from the Real Club de Golf El Prat, as five of the six who started the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship failed to make the cut, set at -2. Quim Vidal was the sole survivor, and so far he has not carded a single round over par.
The Catalan, who is playing his first season on the DP World Tour, had already warned in the build-up to the tournament of the difficulty of this pink course at the Real Club de Golf El Prat. Yurav Premlall, the clear leader after 54 holes, would do well to heed this advice.
“It can always happen that a player has the week of his life and pulls ahead, but as long as the leader doesn’t reach the ninth hole with more than a four-stroke lead, anything can happen. You can’t let your guard down for a single moment.”
Vidal’s goal for the final day is very clear. It’s all about continuing to enjoy playing in front of his home crowd, friends and family, and picking up as many points as he can to retain his playing rights for 2027.
Tickets for the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship (with a 25% discount for federation members, 50% off for young people aged 13 to 17, and free entry for children under 13) can be purchased here. Throughout the tournament, the ticket office at El Prat will be open.
The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, a DP World Tour tournament included in the Race to Dubai as the first event of the European Swing, is held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club de Golf El Prat. It is sponsored by Estrella Damm and will kick off the Road to 2031 Ryder Cup, a journey that will end at the 2031 Ryder Cup to be held at Camiral.