Alps Tour Golf

11th June 2026 | Alps Tour Golf

Mason Essam Takes the First-Round Lead at the Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar

Roquetas de Mar, June 11^th, 2026 – A mostly sunny but windy day provided a challenging start to the 2026 Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar, the first Alps Tour event of the season to be held on Spanish soil.

England’s Mason Essam carded an opening-round of 4-under-par, 66 to take the first-round lead. Essam made two birdies and one bogey on his opening nine holes before adding three more birdies on the back nine to move into the lead.

Behind him, the leaderboard remains tightly packed, with numerous players well-positioned heading into the second round of the tournament.

A group of four players share 2^nd place with an opening round score of 2 under-par: France’s Theo Boulet and Damien Perrier, and Spain’s Alejandro Rodriguez Andreu and Daniel Berna Manzanares.

Round 2 will begin at 8.00 a.m. local time from both the 1^st and 10^th tees. At the conclusion of the second round, a cut will be made to the top 40 professionals and ties (including all amateurs within the cut) who will advance to the final round.

At stake this week is a total prize fund of €54,550 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The 2026 Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar winner will walk away with €7,900 and 6,525 points towards the Order of Merit standings.

Round 1 Player Quotes

Mason Essam, 26, from England, said: “Today was great. You can’t really complain about making five birdies and one bogey to start a tournament, especially in such windy conditions, so I’m very pleased with the round. I wasn’t necessarily trying to shoot a particular score. It was one of those days when you can’t really plan or predict what’s going to happen. I simply picked my shots and tried my best. Over the next two rounds, my focus will be very much the same as it was today. The wind is forecast to be even stronger tomorrow, so I’ll just stay present and take it one shot at a time. I managed to get some good work done with the putter today and tidied things up nicely, which definitely helped keep the momentum going. Today wasn’t really a day for a bucket hat, though. The superstitious side of me couldn’t work out whether my best shots came with it on or off.”

France’s Théo Boulet, 23, sits in a share of second place after the opening round: “It was a very good day overall in extremely windy conditions, where it’s easy to make mistakes. My game was solid, and I focused on playing to larger targets, so I’m really pleased with how the day went. For me, the key this week in these conditions is to play smart and not try to force things or attack the course too aggressively. It was important to post a good score early in these conditions to get the tournament off to a strong start and put myself in a good position, because we all know that anything can happen when the wind is like this. Over the next two days, I’ll stick to my game plan. I’ll continue to play fairly conservatively, aiming for larger targets, and, above all, remain patient, because we know the wind can really test your patience out there.”

Tournament Promoter

The Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar is sponsored by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, the Andalusian Golf Federation, the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Higher Council for Sport (CSD), Roquetas de Mar City Council, Kyocera and Bodegas Juan Gil, and organized by JGolf18.0.

Alps Tour Media Contact: Alice Barbieri / Nathan Cardet –[email protected]

Photo Credits: Alps Tour Golf / Raffaele Canepa

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 informed by following the Alps Tour on social media via Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and X.

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16th May 2026 | Alps Tour Golf

Spain’s Alejandro Rodriguez Andreu triumphs in dramatic finish at the 34th Gösser Open

Austria, May 16th, 2026 – The final round of the 34th Gösser Open delivered plenty of drama at Golf Club Erzherzog Johann, where Spain’s Alejandro Rodriguez Andreu emerged victorious after a thrilling battle to claim his first Alps Tour title.

Full Leaderboard

Competing this week on an invitation from the Andorran Golf Federation, Rodriguez Andreu finished at -15 after an excellent closing 66 (-6), capped by a superb five-metre birdie putt on the 18th to secure the win.

France’s Augustin Holé mounted a strong charge with a brilliant 66 (-6) of his own, highlighted by an eagle on the opening hole, but ultimately finished one shot short. Italy’s Filippo Grossi and Andrea Romano also shared second place at -14.

Frenchmen Maxime Legros and Hermès Ferchaud shared fifth place, two strokes behind the winner. Overnight leader and Austrian amateur Jakob Lotschak eventually finished in seventh place.

With this victory, Rodriguez Andreu earns €7,200 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. Andrea Romano returns to the top of the Order of Merit standings, overtaking Maxime Legros, while Augustin Holé climbs to sixth place thanks to his third podium finish of the season.

The players will return to action on Thursday, May 21st, in France for the 2026 Lacanau Alps Open.

Round 3 Player Quotes

Alejandro Rodriguez Andreu: “I knew I had to go low today. Funny enough, before the round I told Maxi, my caddie, that we probably needed to get to 15-under, and it ended up being the right number. I just tried to stay patient, stay aggressive when needed, and avoid silly mistakes. Winning like this feels amazing.

This victory means so much to me, personally and professionally. Two months ago, I was actually thinking about quitting golf. I talked about it with my family, my parents and friends. To come here on an invitation and end up winning is incredibly special.

I only asked about the leaderboard on the 13th tee and found out I was two behind. After birdies on 13 and 14, I decided not to know anything else until later. Walking down the 18th fairway, Maxi told me that a birdie would give me the lead. I hit it to 20 feet and managed to hole the putt. That was pretty fun.

This win changes my plans completely. I was only planning to play the Alps Tour events in Spain and Andorra, but now I’ll probably play the full season. Having a schedule and knowing I’m in the tournaments gives me a real purpose moving forward.”

Augustin Holé: “I definitely gave myself a chance. I got off to a perfect start with an eagle on the first and kept pushing from there. From around holes 5 to 13 I had a really good stretch — something like six under par. So overall it was a really great day and a really great tournament. My only regret is the finish of the first round on 17 and 18. Other than that, I don’t have much to blame myself for. Even today’s bogeys came from poor golf shots, and that happens. It confirms that I’ve had a very good start to the season.

Now I’ll keep knocking on the door and wait for my moment to win. If I keep playing like this and continue preparing well, there’s no reason it won’t eventually go my way. I just need to stay patient.

A lot of things have contributed to my good start this season — a driver change has helped a lot, and some winter training in Terenife with Dubuisson thanks to my sponsor Gérald. Those little additions have made a difference and show that the work is paying off.”

Tournament Sponsors

The eighth event of the 2026 season is promoted by the Murhof Gruppe, which manages more than 30 golf courses across Austria, including this week’s venue in Maria Lankowitz.

This week’s main sponsor is Gösser Beer. Main tournament partners include Steiermark Tourismus and Erlebnisregion Graz.

The Pro-Am partners are Gösser, Steiermärkische Sparkasse, Antenne Steiermark and Murhof Gruppe. Supporting federations are the Österreichischer Golfverband (ÖGV) and the Steirischer Golfverband (StGV), while media partners include Kleine Zeitung, Antenne Steiermark and GEPA Pictures.

Photo : Nathan Cardet/Alps Tour

Alps Tour Media Contact- Nathan Cardet : [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.

15th May 2026 | Alps Tour Golf

Austria’s Jakob Lotschak eyes breakthrough win on home soil

Austria, May 15th, 2026 – Austria’s Jakob Lotschak has put himself in a strong position to claim the first title of his career after moving into the lead at the Gösser Open.

Playing in conditions similar to those of the opening round, the 21-year-old amateur carded an impressive 67 (-5) despite a double bogey on the 10th. Competing in his first tournament of the season, Lotschak showed composure throughout the day to take control heading into Saturday’s final round.

Full leaderboard

However, nothing is decided yet at Golf Club Erzherzog Johann, a course known for producing low scores. Italy’s Filippo Grossi sits just one shot behind after a solid 68 (-4).

Fellow Italian Andrea Romano made a strong move up the leaderboard thanks to a bogey-free 65 (-7), climbing into a share of third place alongside the Netherlands’ Lars Keunen and Spain’s Alejandro Rodriguez Andreu.

For tomorrow’s final round, play will begin at 8:15 a.m. from both the 1st and 10th tees. At the conclusion of the third round, the winner will receive €7,200 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. In the event of a tie, a playoff will determine the champion.

Round 2 Player Quotes

Jakob Lotschak: “I did everything the same as on any tournament day — had a good warm-up, something good to eat, and got off to a smooth start with a birdie on the first. After that, I kept giving myself chances, and it turned into a really wonderful day. We had a few rain showers here and there, but overall everything went really well.

Playing an event like this in my home country is amazing. Having a home event and playing in front of local crowds is really special, and I hope lots of people come out tomorrow and enjoy the day. I think I will feel pressure tomorrow — that’s completely natural — but I’ll try to use it to my advantage, stay shot by shot, not get ahead of myself, and just enjoy everything.”

Andrea Romano: “I played really good golf today. Tee to green, it was very solid. I just missed a few putts, but I’m happy with the round because a bogey-free score is always nice. For sure, I had the tougher draw yesterday with the rain, so it was difficult to stay dry and score in those conditions. Today was much better weather, and I’m happy with how I played both days. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.

I try not to think too much about a third win because when you’re up there, of course you want to move to the HotelPlanner Tour as soon as possible. I’m trying to stay focused on my golf, but it’s hard not to think about it.”