Lucas Fallotico Leads After Round 1 of the 2025 Hauts de France–Pas de Calais Golf Open.
Saint-Omer, September 11th, 2025- After the opening round of the 2025 Hauts de France–Pas de Calais Golf Open, the leaderboard is tightly packed. Italy’s Lucas Fallotico leads the way with a 3 under-par. In a 5-way tie for 2nd place at 1 under-par: Italy’s Matteo Cristoni and Davide Buchi, France’s Thomas Colombel and Augustin Holé, and Maximilien Sturdza from Switzerland.
The first round of the 2025 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open teed off this morning at 8:15 a.m. local time at AA Saint-Omer Golf Club, with players starting from both the 1st and 10th tees amid mixed weather conditions. At 12:26 p.m., play was suspended by the Tournament Director due to heavy rain and flooded greens. Fortunately, conditions improved quickly, allowing play to resume after a brief suspension. Afternoon groups faced only a 45-minute delay, and the round was able to conclude just before nightfall.
Marking its continued collaboration, this year’s tournament is once again co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) and the Alps Tour. The 132-player field features equal representation from both tours, with 66 competitors apiece. While all players will compete on the same course under identical conditions, they will contend for separate prize funds and individual titles.
Round 1 Player Quotes
Italy’s Lucas Fallotico, 22, holds the lead after the opening round of the 2025 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open, carding a 3 under-par, 68. Still in search of his first Alps Tour title, Fallotico’s best finish this season is a third place at the 2025 Lacanau Alps Open. He started strong with four birdies on his opening nine holes, on the 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th—before adding another on the 10th hole. Despite dropping shots on holes 11, 13, and 16, he bounced back with a birdie on the 17th hole to close out a solid round. “Today was a tough day, both golf-wise and physically, but I’m happy with how I played and how I managed the round,” said Fallotico. “The standings are very tight, and the conditions will make victory very hard-fought for all contenders.” Reflecting on the challenging weather, he added, “I have to say I was lucky to have played in the afternoon, as the weather conditions were better, but managing the strong wind was still difficult. However, I’m pleased with how I approached the round mentally and how I handled myself today.” Looking ahead, Fallotico emphasized the importance of a steady approach: “The key points for the next rounds will certainly be consistency from the tee and patience in managing the rain and wind. Today was definitely a positive day—I really liked the way I played. I could have complained about a few too many errors on the back nine, but given the conditions, that’s perfectly fine.”
In a 5-way tie for 2nd place with a first-round score of 1 under-par 70: Italy’s Matteo Cristoni and Davide Buchi, France’s Thomas Colombel and Augustin Holé, and Maximilien Sturdza from Switzerland.
Italy’s Matteo Cristoni, 23, who turned professional earlier this year, delivered a steady and composed performance in his opening round at the 2025 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open. Cristoni carded an eagle on the 9th hole, and he added a birdie on the 14th hole. Despite the challenging conditions, he kept his round under control, dropping only two shots with bogeys on holes 12 and 16. It was a solid start for the young Italian as he continues to find his rhythm in his debut professional season.
Thomas Colombel, 23, from France opened his tournament with a solid performance, posting four birdies and three bogeys in today’s round. “It went well, it was a shaky start, but I managed to stay in the round by making some good putts,” he said. “Toward the end, I played better and was able to make some birdies.” Colombel remained grounded about his approach: “Right now, I’m just happy and staying in the present moment.” Despite the difficult conditions, he embraced the challenge: “I’m from Normandy, so I’m kind of used to this weather. I didn’t even have rain gear, I just went out there and enjoyed the rain, I guess.” Looking ahead, Colombel added, “I’ll just keep myself in a system that I trust,” while also acknowledging with a smile, “I need to improve my chipping.”
Italy’s Davide Buchi, 28, navigated the challenging opening round with composure, carding an eagle on the 7th hole, two birdies (on holes 9 and 12), and three bogeys (on holes 4, 5, and 13). Reflecting on his performance, Buchi said, “It went very well. The conditions were tough, but I kept hitting solid shots and stayed patient.” His mindset remains steady as the week unfolds: “I’ll keep working and waiting for my time to come,” he noted. With unpredictable weather continuing to affect play, Buchi adopted a pragmatic approach: “It was very tough. I just aimed to make as many pars as possible and took my chances when it was time to make a birdie.” Looking ahead, he added, “If the conditions stay the same, I’ll follow a more conservative strategy. I’m just focused on my attitude.”
Maximilien Sturdza, 25, from Switzerland, delivered one of the most memorable moments of the opening round with a spectacular hole-in-one on the par-3 2nd hole, with a 4-iron from 207 meters. His round also included three birdies (holes 7, 11, and 15) and four bogeys (holes 3, 6, 12, and 16), all played under challenging weather conditions. “The round was very tough with today’s rain and wind,” he said. “It was nice to be able to start off well with a hole-in-one on 2 — it kept me going for the rest of the round.” Reflecting on his approach, Sturdza added, “I’m not going to change too much of what I did today. I’ll stay patient and give myself as many opportunities as I can.” Despite the difficult conditions, he remained optimistic: “I just saw it as a chance and didn’t take it as a bad thing. The feeling of making a hole-in-one is very satisfying — it gave me confidence in my choices and showed me I was hitting some great shots.” Looking ahead, Sturdza remains focused: “Since the conditions don’t look like they’re going to improve, I’m going to stay patient and keep a positive mindset.”
Augustin Holé, 28, of France and winner of the 2023 Alps Tour Grand Final, opened his tournament with an opening round that included three birdies on holes 5, 9, and 18 and two bogeys on holes 2 and 10. Reflecting on his performance, Holé admitted, “I swear I didn’t look at the leaderboard at all, so I’m very surprised by where I currently stand, but I guess I’m doing quite well.” With a clear focus on consistency and discipline, he added, “Stay patient and stay in the process, that’s my main focus. I have a new caddie, Jeff, this week, and we’re doing everything we can to stay fully committed on every shot, from the 1st tee to the 18th green.” Holé noted the value of having a caddie in difficult weather: “It’s so much easier to handle the conditions with a caddie. The weather wasn’t as bad as I expected, and I consider myself lucky; maybe I was in the better part of the draw.” Confident in his recent form, he concluded, “I think my game has been consistent since the start of the season. Right now, I’m just making better decisions, working more on my short game, and trusting the process to finish the season on a strong note.”
LETAS
In the LET Access Series event, Sweden’s Moa Fridell surged out of the gates with an impressive opening round of 66 (-6), securing a two-stroke lead heading into tomorrow’s second round. A round of eight birdies and only two bogeys put Fridell comfortably at the top of the leaderboard, and today marks her lowest round ever as a professional. Speaking about her first round, Fridell said: “It was tough out there. I made some pretty good putts out there today. I hit the greens, rolled it in and it was fun out there. Fridell has played 15 events this season and has a highest finish of tied 18th at the Allegria Ladies Open, back in May.
Format & Prize Fund
The 2025 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open is a 54-hole stroke-play event where a cut will be made after 36 holes to the top 30 professional players and ties. In the event of a tie after 54 holes, a sudden-death playoff will determine the winner.
Players are competing for a total prize fund of €42,500 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The champion of the 2025 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open will take home €6,400.00 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
The tournament this week is promoted and organized directly by the host golf club, Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club.
The 2025 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open can count on the support of the following official partners: Région Hauts-de-France, Pas-de-Calais Mon Département, CAPSO Communauté d’Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer, Autosphere, BFM Grand Littoral, Najeti Hôtels & Golfs Collection, Brasserie Bedague, Sdez, Welcomer, Patrival, Golf+ and Vittel.
Alps Tour Media Contact- Alice Barbieri: [email protected]
For further information, please visit the official Alps Tour website at www.alpstourgolf.com or download the official Alps Tour Golf mobile application, available on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). Stay updated by following the Alps Tour on social media via Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and X.
#2025AlpsTourSeason
#raisinggolfstars
#risinggolfstars
