Forrest leads Spanish Open by one as Chacarra stays close with broken toe

Grant Forrest will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Open de España after a second-round 67 moved him to nine under at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

The Scot began Friday tied for the lead and finished the day ahead of compatriot Connor Syme and Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach, both at eight under. Syme followed his opening 66 with a 68, while Girrbach shot 66 to join him in second.

Forrest’s round extended a strong record in Spain’s national open. He finished tied third in 2021 and 2024 and had made the cut in all six of his previous appearances. His rounds of 66 and 67 now give him another chance to contend over the final two days.

Eugenio Chacarra remains close despite playing with a broken toe. The Spaniard shot 69 on Friday and sits two shots behind Forrest at seven under, tied with England’s Joe Dean. The DP World Tour’s official video of Chacarra’s closing holes confirmed both the injury context and his second-round score.

Dean’s bogey-free 67 kept him in the group immediately behind the leaders. A further shot back, Martin Couvra and Victor Perez were among the players tied sixth at six under. Couvra’s 66 moved him fifteen places up the leaderboard, while Perez posted his second consecutive 68.

Sergio Garcia also reached the weekend at four under after rounds of 67 and 71. The DP World Tour noted that he has made the cut in all fifteen of his appearances in the tournament, a run that began with his national-open debut in 1996.

The cut brought a different outcome for Justin Rose and Patrick Reed, who finished at two over and missed a weekend place. Forrest’s advantage remains narrow: two players are within one stroke, two more are within two, and the third round will determine how much of that lead survives.