Jon Rahm may be four shots off the lead heading into the weekend at the Open de España but the World Number Four believes his game is in the right place to bring him a home win.
The Spaniard entered day two one shot off the lead but could only watch on in the morning as Paul Dunne fired a brilliant 65 to get to 13 under and put eight shots between the pair.
Rahm reduced that gap with a 68 in the afternoon and while he admitted he was frustrated not to have gone lower, he had few complaints about his performance.
"I can't remember a round where I've hit it tee to green as good as I did today," he said. "I only made one mistake on number 12, besides that tee to green was outstanding, the driving is about as good as I'm going to hit it ever.
"It's a little bittersweet just because my ball-striking felt amazing. 17 greens, most of the fairways, as long as I was hitting it, it's hard to hit it better. I was just getting a little frustrated that I didn't make putts. I had so many close calls, so many putts that I hit close that just didn't go in, it's just incredibly frustrating.
"I'm playing so good that I know what I'm able to do. It's all going to be if I make the putts or not tomorrow.
"I just need to keep playing the same way I have been, maybe be a little more patient or don't allow myself to get so frustrated and hope to make a few putts - it's that simple."
The 23 year old started with an eagle and looked to be on the charge with birdies on the fifth and 11th but he found water with his second on the 12th and surrendered a double-bogey. He bounced straight back with a birdie and picked up another shot on the last after hitting the pin.
Huge crowds have followed Rahm all the way around this week and he is excited for what the weekend will bring as he makes his debut at his National Open.
"It's amazing," he said. "I think everybody wasn't expecting the amount of people that we have this week. I'm glad that I can help the tournament, I'm glad I can help Spain and Spanish golf in that sense.
"I don't remember the last time I played a tournament where the first hole is a par five and from the tee all the way to the green there was at least a line of people, and the first hole is not a short hole.
"It doesn't happen often, it may happen in Majors - it doesn't happen at Augusta unless you play with great people - so I can't help but feel pride and hope that we get more people on the weekend.
"I can't even imagine if I play good and I'm in the final group, the amount of people we're going to have on Sunday. It's almost scary to think about it."
Another Spaniard in Nacho Elvira was a shot ahead of Rahm alongside Australian Brett Rumford and England's Callum Shinkwin and he too was excited for a weekend on home soil.
"I'm going to try to stick to what I'm doing," he said. "I'm just trying to enjoy the place, playing in Madrid where I live, with all the crowd, with all the people supporting, so I just try to enjoy."
