Cooley Bis Repetita

England’s Andrew Cooley won his second title in a row after only one extra hole. He defeated fellows Tom Shadbold and Jason Palmer. Italy’s Andrea Maestroni recorded the best score ever on this course, 64, 8 under par to finish 4th by his own.

For once, the winner was not playing in the last group today. Unfortunately, Gerard Piris Mateu and Rhys Enoch had a bad day. Enoch’s body language was full of information as he teed off the 5th. Head down, shoulders hunched as if carrying world misery, he had just dropped 5 shots in two holes and looked stunned. He did not manage to come back. Experience of this day will be fore sure helpful next time he plays in last group.

The winning energy was in the two groups ahead. Jason Palmer, who finished second at Alps Tour ranking in 2010, had a really nice round signing for 67 and was the first leader at the club house with -10. Ten minutes later, England’s Andrew Cooley, last week winner, holed for eagle on the 17th and joined Palmer. Then, Tom Shadbold holed 15 meters on last hole to be the third guy to go into a play-off.
Cooley admitted that he has recovered good spirits to erase bogey five he had on 15th.

“After bad luck on 15th where I dropped one shot on the green, I found some energy to hole 8 meters on 16th for birdie and 3 meters on 17th for an eagle.”

“When I discover than the extra hole was number one, I was very happy. That was the best hole for me. I was sure I was going to drive to try to rich the green.”

And he did a little more though. His two opponents hit the fairway. Palmer was the first to putt for birdie. A perfect line but the ball jumped and miss his target. “It’s cruel” he said. “It was in!”. Shadbold missed his putt as well but on the wrong side of the hole and could not expect it to go in. Finally Cooley was the last of the three to putt for birdie after good chip one meter long. He holed it in confident and show some relief.

In 10 days, Cooley has transformed himself from a middle class Alps Tour player (he finished 28th last year) into the best so far with two wins in a row grabbed after defeating opponents in a play-off.

From Jaz Hotel SOKHNA

Agathe Séron