30th May 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Master Maestroni back on top
Italy’s Andrea Maestroni (c) Tristan Jones
Italy’s Andrea Maestroni ended 11 years without an international win and put his hands on the trophy of Open de Saint François Région Guadeloupe with -8 as winning score. Overnight leader Scott Stewart-Cation and France’s Léo Lespinasse are tie for second place 2 shots behind.
Stewart-Cation made his first birdie of the day on the 15th hole but it was a bit too late to impress his challengers. Although he holed the only eagle of the round on the 17th, he missed his appointment with the trophy and but finished second tie thanks a birdie on the last green..
Many players on top of leaderboard shot under par to take the lead. The battle was between Andrea Maestroni, 38, and former European Tour player against Léo Lespinasse, 20, playing his second season as pro. The two men were “square” when Lespinasse teed of the 16th. But the young man from Biarritz dropped one shot on the par 3 and later,Maestroni gained one stroke on the par 5, the 17th. The experimented Italian player save a good par on the last green to secure his first win since a decade.
Maestroni’s last momentum was in 2004 and he said it meant a lot for him to hold the wooden trophy. He also admitted that being happy in his personal life -his girlfriend Ilaria is with him this week- surely helped him to be efficient with his golf.
“I only had a look on the leaderboard after 9 holes as I was playing so well. Perfect golf. I made a mistake on the 13th, a bad bunker shot with a pitching wedge and I dropped one shot but on the 14th I holed for birdie despite not such a good tee shot. And I managed to have a 2 stroke advantage teeing of the 18th thanks to an easy birdie on the 17th. Two perfect shots and 2 putts.”
“This win means a lot because of my story in golf. Many of my fellows and colleagues said -Why does he still play, the old guy – This win is my answer. My last win was in 2004 on the Alps Tour but the Alps Tour in 2015 has nothing to do with the Alps Tour 11 years ago.”
Maestroni’s goal is to go back on European Tour and this win is a huge step as far as confidence is concerned.
Lespinasse, although he did not win, recorded his third second places of the season and comes back in the top 5 of the Alps Tour ranking at 2nd position behind Josh Loughrey. Matthieu Pavon is third followed by Damien Perrier and Enrico Di Nitto.
