Maiden win for Angles in France

Spain’s neo pro Pep Angles won his maiden title thanks to final round 69, -4 to go to -11 total. The Open International du Haut-Poitou was his event since he turned pro last week. He finished one stroke clear of Dutch Darius Van Driel.

The final round started with a little hour delay due to dense fog over Saint Cyr Golf Course. The overnight leaders – four- had very different final round and the spectators realised that the show was on the second last group. Damien Perrier in the last group admitted it was a bit frustrating.

“At the beginning of the round, they were about hundred to follow us. Then, I always had 2 putts on greens so it was a bit boring and Clément, who is not playing anymore as he is now a teacher, had a very tough day, so, people left us and it was weird to handle. But this is golf.”

The show was clearly in the second last group. Darius Van Driel and Pep Angles were neck and neck for a while and the Dutchman even had 2 strokes advantage before the end of first nine. The 22 year old Spaniard came back to one thanks to a birdie. But the key hole of the round was the 12^th. Angles holed for birdie and Van Driel dropped one shot so names swung on top of the leader board and it never changed untill the end.

“I was playing well since the beginning of the week and I did not expect to win.” said Angles, ” I had a friend on th bag and it helped me to stay relax as we talked a lot between shots, not about golf. When I made this birdie to lead, I tried not to change anything. I had a number in mind, -10 and I stuck to my game plane. On the 17^th, honestly, I did not plan to go that right over the trees, I wanted to hit my driver safely but I push it a little but I hit it long, so it crossed the water by 6 or 7 yards. I do not realise how this win could change things but I am happy with this just before heading to European Tour Q school Stage 1.”

Van Driel recorded a solid 70, -3 but it was not enough, again. The Dutchman, second at the Alps Tour ranking since last week, is once again, the fourth time this year, on the second step of the podium.

France’s Raphaël Marguery fired best score of the day, 68, -5 to finished third on his own.

Van Driel finally won in France

Netherlands’ Darius Van Driel finally broke the curse and won his maiden trophy thanks to level par final round. With this win, he jumps on top of the Alps Tour ranking. Ties for second place France’s Jean-Pierre Verselin and Damien Perrier.

Van Driel was in the overnight leader with a two stroke advantage over local hero, Alex Kaleka. The latter started the best way with a birdie on the first hole and his playing partner dropped two shots in a row on 3^rd and fourth. Van Driel struggled to enter the round and Kaleka was in control. At the turn, the two men were -10 and it seemed that once again, Van Driel couldn’t lift a trophy. During the last 3 weeks, he was each time in contention and finished 3^rd, 2^nd, 2^nd.

But this time, the bad dream was for Kaleka. He had two awful holes as he made double bogey on the 12^th and triple on the 13^th. His hope just blew up and Van Driel holed pars until the end to finally won his maiden win.

France’s Damien Perrier, in the last group last Sunday, did a perfect come back with flawless 65, -6 to record his second runner-up place and his seventh top 5 of the season.

Josh Loughrey lost his leadership at the Alps Tour ranking despite a nice fourth place.

Bech soared on home soil

Spain’s Pol Bech fired 64 on long 6437 meter course going into final round of Alps de Extremadura. With -11 total, he has a two shot advantage over Alps Tour leader, Dutch Darius Van Driel.

Bech is leading but one of the most amazing round was posted to day by his fellow countryman, Sebastian Garcia. He had a slow start though dropping 3 shots on the first two holes then the Spaniard had an incredible 8 birdie series from the third to the 10^th and he missed a short putt for birdie on the 11^th to eventually land on earth after a journey in golfers’ paradise. He signed for a 67 card with 10 birdies to be third on his own with -6 total.

Bech had one birdie less with 9 and he only dropped one shot to be in contention for final round. His one and only win was on home soil in 2013. Van Driel holed 9 birdies as well but had 2 bogeys and will be in the last group tomorrow to go for a back-to-back victory on Alps Tour.

The cut felt at +1 and 3 players in Alps Tour top 6 did not make it, England’s Harry Casey, Italy’s Andrea Maestroni and France’s Matthieu Pavon. Once again the ranking will swing at the end of a tournament.

Bech easy winner in Spain

Pol Bech let no chance to his closest challengers to catch up with him. He increased his advantage to 3 shots to win the 2015 Alps de Extremadura with -14 total. DarIus Van Driel recorded his 5^th second place of the season.

He had a 2 shot lead over Darius Van Driel when he teed off in the last group. He dropped on shot on the first but he erased very quickly the mistake by 5 birdies in a row from the second. Van Driel managed to stay in contact but clearly his game was not sharp enough to threat the Spaniard. After front nine, Bech had a 4 stroke lead.

Meanwhile, the best score of the day was signed by France’s Franck Daux, He holed 6 birdies on the first nine from the 4^th and went back to the club house with -1 so it climbed on the third step of the podium by his one with -7 total.

Van Driel kept his second place and since the end of summer break, in 5 tournaments he had this incredible results : 3^rd, 2^nd,2^nd, win, 2^nd. Obviously he increased his leadership on top of the Alps Tour ranking with now 2 event to go.

Hall, Lopez-Lazaro and Verselin set the pace

French duet, Jean-Pierre Verselin and Johan Lopez-Lazaro joined early leader, England’s Jean-Michel Hall with -4 total in 2015 Alps de Extremadura.

Perfect condition today but a true test of golf with almost 6500 meters for the Talayuela golf course. Jean-Michel Hall was the first to tame the long course thanks to an ace on the 8^th.

“I was in between 7/8 but I went with a smooth 7, I hit a very good shot, starting the ball a few yards right of the pin, and I actually said ‘be the right distance’ and luckily it was! We heard it hit the flag and everyone behind the pin cheered but because we couldn’t see, I wasn’t sure if the ball had gone in! But when we got down there, we saw it had, so I could celebrate a bit. Luckily not many people wanted a drink in the end so the bar bill wasn’t too high haha!!”

The 27 year old player scored 3 birdies and one bogey beside his hole in one.

“I played very steadily, I hit a lot of quality shots and although I probably left 2 or 3 more birdies out there, I made some good saves too, so -4 is a fair reflection of how I played. The greens were very good for us in the morning, so you knew when a putt was going in. It was a fun morning .”

A butch of 5 players are one shot back including, France’s Damien Perrier, best player this season without a win. Alps Tour leader, Dutch Darius Van Driel, is 2 shots back of the lead alongside 9 other players.