Manuel Morugan Leads After Round 1 of the 2025 Parma Alps Open.
Parma, October 9th, 2025 – After the opening round of the 2025 Parma Alps Open, the leaderboard is shaping up to be a tightly contested battle. Spain’s Manuel Morugan sits atop the standings with an impressive 8 under-par, 64. Just one shot behind is Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, who holds solo second place at 7 under par. In a 6-way tie for 3rd place at 6 under-par: France’s Paul Margolis and Paul Franquet, Italy’s Davide Buchi, and Spain’s Jorge Maicas, Asier Aguirre Izcue, and Borja Martin all well within striking distance heading into the second round.
This week marks the conclusion of the regular season, presenting a pivotal opportunity for players to earn critical points, whether to improve their standing in the Order of Merit or to maintain their current positions. With the season winding down, every result carries added weight. The top five players in the final Order of Merit will earn promotion to the 2026 HotelPlanner Tour, making this event a decisive moment in the race.
Round 1 Players’ Quotes
Spain’s Manuel Morugan, 34, a past winner on the Alps Tour, surged to the top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the 2025 Parma Alps Open with an impressive 8 under-par, 64. His only blemish came on the 18th hole, his ninth of the day, but he more than made up for it with 9 birdies, including a strong run on holes 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 14. Reflecting on his round, Morugan was pleased with his all-around performance. “My putting was exceptional today, and I only missed one green—I hit 17 greens in regulation, which gave me a lot of chances,” he said. “Everything was working well.” Looking ahead, he believes that smart positioning off the tee will be crucial. “In my opinion, the key for the next two days will be hitting as many fairways as possible,” Morugan explained. “The greens are firm, so you must have the ball in a good lie to hit your approach shot aggressively. Otherwise, you need to play it safer.” With just two rounds remaining, he is maintaining his focus on the task at hand. “I’m not focused at all on the Order of Merit,” he said. “I’m just concentrating on playing my game the best I can and enjoying every round. I never look at the leaderboard, and that’s what I’ll continue to do over the next two days.”
Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 31, finds himself in 2nd place with a 7 under-par, 65 after the 1st round. Currently ranked third in the Alps Tour Order of Merit with 23,525.48 points, he is looking to strengthen his position ahead of next week’s season finale. A proven contender on the Alps Tour, Vecchi Fossa has multiple career victories, including winning the 2021 Order of Merit, which earned him status on what is now the HotelPlanner Tour. In today’s round, he got off to a fast start with an eagle on the 12th hole, followed by birdies on the 14th, 16th, and 18th holes. He kept the momentum going with additional birdies on the 1st, 3rd, and 7th holes, with his only blemish of the day being a bogey on the 6th hole. After posting a nearly flawless opening round, Vecchi Fossa credited his strong play and consistent approach as the keys to his performance. “It was a great round,” he said. “I played well, and I putted very well, too. The greens are very firm, and you need to hit good shots into them—I was able to do that well today.” Looking ahead, the 31-year-old has no plans to change his strategy. “Over the next two days, I want to do the same thing as I did today,” Vecchi Fossa explained. “I’m not the type of player who changes plans or strategy between rounds. I just need to keep playing well without thinking about the other players, the leaderboard, or the Order of Merit.” While there may be pressure at this late stage of the season, Vecchi Fossa is focused on staying present. “I’m taking this tournament like any other event. Maybe if I have a risky shot, I’ll think about it twice, but I want to keep playing my own game, which has been really good lately, and enjoy every round.”
Paul Margolis, 26, from France, who has previously won on the Alps Tour as an amateur in 2021, is in a 6-way tie for 3rd place at 6 under par. He turned professional at the end of 2021 and has since earned various top-10 finishes, including his win. Margolis began his round on the 1st hole and quickly found momentum, making four birdies in a row, on the back-nine, he made a bogey on hole 11 before making 3 more birdies on holes 13,14 and 15 to close out his day. After his round, Margolis reflected on his performance, “My round was very chill today, to be honest,” he said. “I hit the ball good off the tee, and I putted well too; that was probably the best part of my game.” The setup of the course stood out to him. “The greens were so firm and fast today, it felt like we were playing a mini–US Open out here. That surprised me as it was unexpected,” he added. Margolis got off to a dream start, which set the tone for the rest of his round. “Beginning my round with four birdies in a row gave me a lot of confidence, especially making two long putts on Holes 2 and 3,” he said. “When you know you have the speed dialed in, it’s easier to attack the flag.” Despite the strong showing, he remains realistic about his position in the season-long standings. “I’m not thinking about the Order of Merit, to be honest. I know I’m still far away and need two very good results to make something happen,” he admitted. “So I’m just focused on myself and trying to hit the best shot I can on every shot. It’s a simple thing—but hard to do. Today’s main goal was to do that, and I believe I did it well, and that’s the plan for the next two days too.”
Italy’s Davide Buchi, 29, navigated the opening round of the tournament with a bogey-free 6 under-par, 66 to be in a 6-way tie for 3rd place. He began the day on the front nine holes, where he carded birdies on holes 1, 3, and 4. Once he made the turn to the back nine, he added three more birdies on holes 11,13, and 16. Reflecting on his round, Buchi was pleased with how he handled the course. “It went very well,” he said. “I played very well from tee to green today. I hit some good iron shots into the greens and kept the right attitude to stay under par.” Course management, he noted, was key. “I didn’t hit a lot of drivers out here,” he explained. “I found it to be more of a strategy course, so it’s really about placing the ball in the right spots and having good yardages into the greens as they are very firm.” As for the bigger picture, Buchi is keeping things simple. “I’m just focused on hitting good shots and trusting the process,” he said. “I’m not paying much attention to the leaderboard or the rankings, right now, I’m really just focused on my own golf.”
Spain’s Jorge Maicas, 28, winner of the 2025 Gösser Open and currently 8th in the Order of Merit, sits in the 6-way tie for 3rd place after the opening round of the tournament. He is looking for a solid performance this week to try and make a move in the standings. Maicas opened his round on the 1st hole and carded three birdies on the front nine. On the back nine, he added four more birdies, with a single bogey being the only blemish on his card, finishing with a 6 under-par, 66. “The day went really well overall,” Maicas said after his round. “The weather was pretty good, which definitely helped with the results. I was driving the ball really well and hitting a lot of greens in regulation, which gave me plenty of birdie opportunities.” Looking ahead, he knows what it will take to stay in contention. “The key for the next couple of days will be to stay patient on the greens and accept mistakes when they come,” he noted. “I’m not really thinking about the ranking right now. I’m just focused on taking it day by day and putting together some solid rounds.”
Asier Aguirre Izcue, 26, from Spain, the winner of the 2025 Memorial Giorgio Bordoni presented by Aon, also finds himself in the 6-way tie for 3rd place. Currently sitting 10th in the Order of Merit, Aguirre Izcue is aiming for a strong finish this week to climb further up the rankings and secure his spot among the top contenders. Starting his round on the 10th hole, Aguirre Izcue opened with a bogey but quickly turned things around with a string of birdies on holes 12, 13, 14, and 18. On his inward nine—the course’s front nine, he added another birdie at the 1st hole, offset by a bogey on the 3rd hole, before picking up two more birdies on the 4th and 7th holes. He signed for an opening round of six-under-par 66, putting himself in a strong position early in the week. “Very good, very tidy, and with very few mistakes,” he said when assessing his round. “Overall, everything worked well. I was in a good position the whole time, and the putting worked well. It was probably the best aspect of the day.” Looking ahead, Aguirre Izcue knows consistency will be crucial. “I think continuing to make as few mistakes as possible and sinking putts will be the key,” he added. “It’s hard not to think about the ranking, but I try to stay in the present and take it one round at a time.”
Joining Margolis, Buchi, Maicas, and Aguirre Izcue at 6 under-par 66 after the opening round are Spain’s Borja Martin and France’s Paul Franquet, rounding out a tightly packed group in pursuit of the lead.
Format & Prize Fund
The 2025 Parma Alps Open will be a 54-hole stroke-play event, with a cut made after 36 holes to the top 40 professional players and ties, including all amateurs within the cut. In case of a tie after 54 holes, a sudden-death play-off will determine the winner of the inaugural edition.
The players will compete for an overall prize fund of €42,500 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The 2025 Parma Alps Open winner will walk away with €6,200.00 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
Most of the Alps Tour tournaments held in Italy, including this week’s 2025 Parma Alps Open, are organized by the Italian Pro Tour, which is a branch of the Italian Golf Federation. They are responsible for promoting the majority of professional golf events held in Italy.
The main sponsors and partners that support the Italian Pro Tour during the 2025 season include: Fideuram Intesa SanPaolo Private Banking (Official Bank); Enel (Official Sponsor); Kappa (Technical Supplier); Poste Assicura (Official Supplier); Gazzetta dello Sport (Media Partner); and, as an Official advisor, Infront Italy.
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.
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