“You never know what can happen,” said Angel Hidalgo a few days ago. The Spaniard who defeated Jon Rahm in a playoff last year was looking to defend his title, the first time in his career. Instead, Hidalgo faced arguably one of the most challenging weekends of his professional career. He missed the cut and was left heartbroken yet inspired.

“It wasn’t the week I was hoping for. It was my first time defending a title, and being able to do it in Madrid was really special. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy the weekend. It hurts, of course, but that’s golf… it teaches you just as much in the tough moments as it does in the good ones,” he wrote in his Instagram carousel post, which featured 2025 US Open Champion (tennis) Carlos Alcaraz and Jon Rahm among others.

“And obviously, it was really special to share these two rounds with the Ryder Cup GOATs 🐐🐐 @jonrahm @shanelowrygolf. Besides some great golf, we definitely had plenty of laughs 😂,” he continued. Other notable players in the event were Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry, and Sergio Garcia, among others.

“Huge thanks to the fans 🙏🇪🇸 Playing in Spain, and especially in Madrid, is always a privilege. There’s no better energy or crowd all year ❤️,”  said the 27-year-old on his Instagram. “Time to keep working, learning, and moving forward. There’s still a long road ahead.”

This year, he just had to replicate his skills, but fate had it different for him this time. He started well, with birdies on the 7th and 18th holes, but his second round faltered. A disastrous par-3 11th saw him land his tee shot under a tree. That forced an extra stroke from him, which resulted in a double bogey.

What followed were two more bogeys, and they were enough to do the damage. Hidalgo was left at three-over par and out of contention by the cut line. His early exit was one of the tournament’s most surprising results, as he was one of the fans’ favorites.

There are lessons for Hidalgo to learn, but it sure is not without disappointment.

Just before the tournament, he had acknowledged the challenge ahead, knowing completely well that it would not be easy. Speaking at the Tuesday presser, he was excited about teeing it off at home. “Playing at home is special,” he said, “and it always gives you confidence.”  This confidence stemmed from his extraordinary win last year at the same event.

Hidalgo’s dominance was felt from the first round. He opened with a six-inder 65 despite windy conditions, and maintained his lead till the very end. The tension was at its peak when he was set to face Jon Rahm in the final round of the tournament. The round went to a playoff, with Rahm losing to Hidalgo as the latter easily shot a two-foot putt on the second extra hole. That win was Hidalgo’s first at the DPWT and also made him the fifth Spanish winner in six editions of the event.

“I hope he enjoys it. Winning at home, winning the Open de España with all the support there was. You could see how he felt and how important it was to him. I hope he learns from these moments and that he enjoys it,” Rahm said last year.

This missed cut hurt more because recently he was giving some good performances on the course.

Through 26 events across the DPWT and the PGA Tour, he recorded nine missed cuts and just three top-10 finishes. His recent notable performance was at the Amgen Irish Open, where he was tied for third, and then at the Belfred British Masters (T13). His OWGR ranking had come down significantly earlier this year from 162nd to 200.

And while Angel Hidalgo still has a lot to learn and a long way to go, there is another player whose cut shocked the golf world.

Shane Lowry’s Spanish Open ends in heartbreak

As Angel Hidalgo had something to prove, by defended his title at Madrid. So did Shane Lowry. After helping Europe at a crucial time for the Ryder Cup win, his cut at the Spanish Open shocked many.

The 2019 Open Championship winner missed the cut narrowly by a single shot at one-over par (75-68). Lowry’s opening round of 75 saw bogeys on six holes offset by just two birdies. They left him nine shots behind the leaders, and a spirited second-round 68 was not enough to secure a position in the weekend rounds.

The missed cut came down to a heart-stopping moment on the 18th hole, when Lowry’s 15-foot birdie putt slid past the cup. He was visibly disappointed, but in the end, he, too, just like Hidalgo, accepted his fate.

“Gutted to miss the cut but gave it my all today after a slow start. Great to spend a couple of days with Rahmbo [Jon Rahm] & Ángel [Hidalgo] at their national open. National opens are the best, and this week in Madrid didn’t disappoint,” he wrote on his social media.