Hugues Joannes King of Belgium

They have dreamed of it and Hugues Joannes did it. Young player from Golf de la Tournette holed 3 meters to win by one the 20th Flory Van Donck trophy. Ireland’s Brendan Mc Carroll and Italy’s Joon Kim complete podium one stroke back.

After first nine, the leaderboard was still in the hand of Belgian player Hugues Joannes. His player partner, England’s Steven Brown started well but bad luck made him dropped 2 shots on the 5th hole and it was the beginning of slow way down. He managed to hole birdies on 14th and 16th but to late to be a threat. “Obviously I learnt to be in the last group the last day. It will help me newt time.”

Ireland Brendan Mc Carroll, two-time winner this year, could have made a bad joke to Belgium fans but his last birdie of the day was on the 13th for minus 3 and thereafter he did not widen the gap between the leader and himself.

Hugues Joannes was -5 teeing of the 15th. After great shot in the middle of the fairway, he had a poor shot he said. He missed the green on left to land in wet bunker. He dropped one shot there and with similar shots dropped another one the 16th. He had a look at the board to check the score. He needed a birdie to win. On 17th he saved par after missing green on left. The 18th hole was his last hope. He aimed the green stayed short in the bunker and went out 3 meters long. The Belgian crowd made noise, lot of noise to their hero and he thanks them holing the putt !

Barbara, Flory Van Donck’ s grand daughter, could not dream of better story to honour the 100th anniversary of her relative. Hugues Joannes wrote a great chapter of Belgian golf story.

By Agathe Séron
From Braine-L’Alleud, near Waterloo