Injured Eugenio Chacarra Shoots 66 In Spain But Broken Toe Could Still Hurt Him - In More Ways Than One

Eugenio Chacarra gave another example of why 'beware the injured golfer' is a saying in the sport as he shot 66 at the Open de Espana despite limping around with a broken toe - which could still yet cost him a chance to win his national open.

It's a special tournament for Chacarra with the event being staged at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and the 26-year-old being born and raised in the Spanish capital.

So as a local, the proud Spaniard has even more appetite for his national open this week - but sitting in third in the Race To Dubai standings he also has the chance to cut the gap or even overhaul Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed.

With McIlroy not playing in Spain and Reed struggling to a two-over 73 in his first round, Chacarra's battling five under put him second on the leaderboard and in a great position to cut the 600-point gap on the Race To Dubai leader.

He could even move to the top of the Race To Dubai standings with a win, which makes the fact he may have to pull out due to his broken toe even more painful - in more ways than one.

Chacarra broke his toe in a freak accident at home, kicking his own sofa while up in the middle of the night, and said the pain was so bad heading to the event that if it wasn't his national open he wouldn't have even teed off on Thursday.

To start so well despite the injury probably makes matters even worse now for him, with not only that national title but also the very real prospect of moving up the Race To Dubai standings looking within his grasp.

But Chacarra is scheduled to play in all four remaining events of the season after Spain, heading off to India and Korea before the play-offs in the Middle East, so a decision has to be made.

"It's just been tough," Chacarra told the DP World Tour after his round.

"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow but I need to take care of myself and obviously I got a good round but just how I feel physically it's not great.

"It's just hard. It's a struggle. It doesn't really hurt when I'm swinging, that's the only good thing, that's why I can still make a score but it's just been really tough to walk.

"I made it today but the pain I had in the last 12 holes walking is something that I don't know if it's worth it because I've got a lot to play in the next couple of weeks, so I'll just sit down with the team and see what we decide because it was tough."

Chacarra, like all the Spaniards in the field, are always keen to do well in the Open de Espana, and he says if it wasn't his home event this week he wouldn't have even put himself through the pain of playing.

"I got 24 hours to rest now and see how it feels in the morning, I dont know if it's worth it to feel this pain and I've got four weeks to play that are important," he added about deciding between playing now and risking the remainder of the season.

"But this one's important to me, that's why I can tell you right now if it was another event I wouldn't tee it off this week.

"So I just need to see with the team, the doctor and my physio and see what we can do."