Matteo Cristoni Moves into the Lead Following Round 2 at the Alps de Las Castillas.
Albacete, July 10th 2025- Italy’s Matteo Cristoni leads the field with a two-day total of 12 under-par after Round 2 of the 2025 Alps de Las Castillas. Just one stroke behind, in solo second place, Antonio Hortal from Spain with a score of 11 under-par. Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney is in solo third place at 10 under-par and will keep the pressure on the leaders heading into the final round.
Round 2 of the 2025 Alps de Las Castillas continued today at Club de Golf Las Pinaillas, with warm temperatures and sunny skies providing a picturesque backdrop as players competed to secure a strong position heading into the final round.
Players at this week’s event are competing not only for the tournament title, but also for crucial Order of Merit points, with the top five at the end of the 2025 Alps Tour season earning coveted 2026 HotelPlanner Tour cards, and the top six players, including amateurs, not otherwise exempt after the 2025 Biarritz Cup by C&S Partners securing a Stage 1 exemption for the 2025 DP World Tour Qualifying School, up to a maximum of 10.
Round 2 Player Quotes
Italy’s Matteo Cristoni, 23, who was tied for 15th place after yesterday’s opening round, surged into the lead on day two with a stunning 9-under-par 63, bringing his two-day total to 12-under. Cristoni got off to a blistering start, recording seven birdies on the front nine (holes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9) to go out in 29. On the back nine, he dropped a shot on the 10th hole but quickly bounced back with a birdie on 11. A bogey followed on hole 12, but he ended his round strongly with birdies on 13, 14, and 16. Reflecting on his round, Cristoni said, “It went well, I played really solid from tee to green, leaving myself with a lot of opportunities to make birdies.” He credited his driving accuracy as a key factor on this course, adding, “I think you need to hit the driver well to be able to score here. The strategy is essential to avoid easy mistakes.” Looking ahead to the final round, he shared his approach: “I’m going to stick to my strategy and try to enjoy the round as much as possible.” Cristoni also noted a difference in playing conditions: “I feel like in the morning the ball rolls really well on the greens compared to the afternoon, so I would say that playing in the morning definitely helps.” He concluded by praising the course setup: “It’s a good layout where you can have fun playing it.”
Spain’s Antonio Hortal, 36, who led after the opening round, carded a 4-under-par 68 in today’s second round to move into 2nd place with a two-day total of 11-under-par. He made three birdies on the front nine and added an eagle on the par-5 14th hole, before closing with a bogey on the 18th hole. Reflecting on the day, Hortal said,“It was the same game tee to green, but today the putter didn’t work. I was pretty solid with the driver and the irons.” Despite the late bogey, he remained positive: “It was pretty nice overall, only one bogey on 18, and that came after a flyer from the rough and a bad chip. Someone sent me that bogey to remain focused for tomorrow.” Hortal emphasized the role of course strategy and physical condition in the heat: “I’ve been hitting almost every hole with the driver, which gives me an advantage from the tee. The strategy is working, now I just need to repeat the same and make sure I keep my body temperature under control to perform well.”
Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney, 29, a two-time winner during the 2023 season, which propelled him to win the Order of Merit and secure his promotion to the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly known as the Challenge Tour) for the 2024 season, currently sits in third place after the second round of the tournament. After opening with a 2-under-par 70, Mullarney surged up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 8-under-par 64 in the second round, bringing his two-day total to 10-under. His round included birdies on holes 5, 6, 8, and 9 on the front nine, followed by four more on the back nine on holes 11, 13, 14, and 16. Reflecting on his performance, Mullarney admitted, “Up until today, I didn’t think the course really suited me. I played Q-School here last year, and it didn’t go great, but I played nicely today. The same again tomorrow would be nice.” He was particularly pleased with the clean scorecard, adding, “Overall, a good day of golf today, but what stands out the most to me is the bogey-free bit, which I like.” Known for his calm demeanor, Mullarney said, “There weren’t many highs and lows today, really, which is how I like it, to be honest.” Looking ahead to the final round, he emphasized the importance of recovery: “The main thing I’ll be focusing on is resting up for tomorrow. It’s really hot, so I’m going to get myself ready.” He also credited his early tee time as an advantage, saying, “Playing in the morning definitely helped. The front nine was really nice, and then it got really hot after that, but everyone has to deal with it.” On the course itself, Mullarney added, “It’s in excellent condition. All the courses we’ve played this year have been in great shape, which is always a bonus.”
The highlights of the day came from France’s Robin Roussel and Jersey’s Josef Hacker, who both recorded remarkable Holes-In-One during today’s second round of competition. Roussel aced the 118-meter 3rd hole using a 48° wedge, while Hacker achieved his ace on the 152-meter 7th hole using a 9-iron.
Final Round
A total of 44 players (40 professionals and 4 amateurs) made the cut, which was set at 140 (-4).
The Final Round will begin at 8:00 a.m. local time from the 1st and 10th hole. The Final Pairing will tee off at 9:17 a.m. local time from the 1st hole.
The 2025 Alps de las Castillas winner will walk away with €6,200.00 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
The 2025 Alps de las Castillas is promoted and organized by JGolf.
The tournament can count on the support of: the Real Federación Española de Golf, Federación Castilla La Mancha, Federacion Castilla y León, Loterías, Club de Golf Las Pinaillas, Albacete Townhall, Albacete Council, Kyocera, Mahou Solan de Cabras, Turismo Costa del Sol, Bodegas Juan Gil, Automahor, Panaderías Alejo, Api Mancha, Arte Nikel, JBK, and Miguelitos Ruiz.
Alps Tour Media Contact- Alice Barbieri: [email protected]
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