Some players read the greens. Some players pay attention to the wind. Ángel Ayora smells the grass. The Spanish rookie made his peculiar practice on the golf course go viral at the 2026 Italian Open and then supported it with anything but casual play on the golf course.

The DP World Tour broadcast crew immediately filmed Ayora during his game and asked him to explain the incident.

"A friend of mine told me a few days ago that smelling the grass is good for… well, I don't know, but it's good smelling the grass. That's why I did that. Simple!" Ayora said in an interview, captured and shared by the DP World Tour on X.

It was a fun moment, but the way Ayora played with his club that week was far from being funny.

He started off with a 5-under 66 and then backed it up with a bogey-free 8-under 63 in the second round, getting to 13-under par and trailing tournament leader Joaquin Niemann by two shots.

The second round was particularly important because of who was observing. Ayora shot his Friday round side by side with Luke Donald, Captain of the European Ryder Cup team, and managed to produce a perfect round card without losing a stroke.

This sort of play is right in line with what has become a trend for Ayora throughout the season. He is the leader on the DP World Tour for the number of top-10 finishes in 2026, and he ranks second in their fantasy rankings for the tour.

But Ayora is not the only player creating a stir in Turin this week. The leaderboard going into the weekend is full of talent, and the guy above him is playing some of the best golf of the competition.

Joaquin Niemann Leads the 2026 Italian Open

Niemann entered the weekend owning the solo lead at 15-under par, two shots clear of the field after rounds of 64 and 63 at Circolo Golf Torino.

His Friday 63 was a statement round. Niemann eagled the 1st hole and strung together three consecutive birdies into the turn, finishing without a single bogey to firmly separate himself from the chasing pack.

England's Matt Wallace fired a course-record 9-under 62 to pull into a tie for third at 11-under alongside Tom Vaillant and Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, sitting four back. The leaderboard is tight, and the pressure heading into the weekend is real.

Niemann arrives at this position riding strong recent form, having finished T7 at the U.S. Open earlier this month.

With $3 million in prize money on the line and a historic DP World Tour trophy at stake, he enters the final two rounds in prime position to close it out.

Can Niemann hold off Ayora and a charging leaderboard to claim the Italian Open title this weekend?

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta