17th November 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Pavon and Maestroni Challenge Tour
Matthieu Pavon of France Credit: Tristan Jones
France’s Matthieu Pavon will play on Challenge Tour next year as he just made the cut in the European Tour Q School Final.
The young French man was in tears in Isreal when the final Alps Tour ranking was published. He was at the worst position, the 6th place.
He still had 2 chances to play on Challenge Tour next year though. Either one of the top 5 players made the cut in teh Q School final or he made the cut. Both happened. Josh Loughrey is currently 51st after 4 rounds with -2 total and Matthieu Pavon is 39th with -9.
One Alps Tour spot has been freed and Italy’s Andrea Maestroni will play on Challenge as well as he finished 7th in the final ranking.
25th September 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Verselin fired 64 in Marcilly
Jean Pierre Verselin of France Credit: Tristan Jones
Jean-Pierre Verselin of France took a narrow advantage of one shot over fellow countryman Damien Perrier with first round 64, -7 in Open Marcilly. Italy’s Andrea Maestroni, who won the trophy in 2004, is two shots back of the lead alongside compatriot Joon Kim and Darius Van Driel of Netherlands.
Verselin, 25, holed 9 birdies and dropped 2 shots to sign for the best score of the day. The young player, Alps Tour winner in 2014, is struggling with his game this season and needs some good results to keep his card next year.
On his toes, Damien Perrier, one of the most consistent player this season. He recorded a flawless 65 and once again is on top of the leaderboard. He was playing in the last group last Sunday and his game is still sharp.
Another man is chasing his first win of the season and his maiden one as a pro, Darius Van Driel. Van Driel had a fourth runner place last week and keeps on riding on the momentum.
The projected cut is -1.
11th September 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Louhgrey in control in France
England’s Josh Loughrey scored back to back 68 to take a two stroke lead with -8 half way of 2015 Citadelle Trophy International.
Andrea Maestroni of Italy and Netherlands’ Darius Van Driel share second place with respectively 69 and 68. Matt Wallace of England is one shot back.
When he won in Tunisia, Loughrey admitted he was proud to win in a 4 day tournament. This week offers this ooportunyt as well and players have to show their skills during 72 holes which is not that common on Alps Tour. Loughrey started from the 10th and holed a hat trick of birdie from the 14th but dropped as many shots from the 17th.
Eventually, he managed to tame the course and thanks to four birdies heading to the clubhouse, he signed for very decent 68.
His two challengers, Van Driel and Maestroni had the same up and down from the 10th to the 18th and build their score from the first to the 9th.
The cut felt at +2 and Alps Tour top players, Matthieu Pavon and Damien Perrier did not make it. The ranking should show another face on Sunday evening.
10th September 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Red hot start for De Stefani
Corrado De Stefani of Italy Credit: Tristan Jones
Corrado De Stefani of Italy holed no less than 8 birdies in Preisch Golf Course to sign for 67, -5 and took a one stroke lead over England’s Josh Loughrey.
It was a windy opening round of Citadelle International Trophy and only 20 players out of 126 managed to break par on long 6456 meter course. De Stefani had a 7th place last week, his best result tie when he recorded this position in Egypt beginning of the year. One shot back, Loughrey, winner in Tunisia in May, signed for flawless card with 4 birdies.
A group of 4 very different players is -3. France’s Alan Bihan, former Challenge Tour player, who had his best Alps Tour season in 2010, Tim Gornik from Slovenia, who won the Alps tour Q School last December to enter the pro golf world, Jason Kelly from Norway, excellent player but excellent business as well and last not not least, Italy’s Andrea Maestroni, 2004 Alps Tour winner and former European Tour player, back on the best form this season as he won once and is currently in the top 5 of the Alps Tour ranking.
The projected cut is +1 after one round.
14th July 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Last Chance for Q School exemption
Servizitalia Open 2015 is the last tournament to get an exemption to play directly the European Tour Q School Stage 2 for the Top 6 – six. All tournaments matter in the ranking but this week in Italy, near Venice, is something special for Alps Tour members.
The Top 6 of the Alps Tour Order of Merit will earn a precious season pass for the Stage 2 of the European Tour Q School. Currently, the lucky ones are Harry Casey, Damien Perrier, Josh Loughrey, Léo Lespinasse, Matthieu Pavon and Andrea Meastroni.
The latter won the order of merit in 2004 and managed to enter the top 30 in the Q School final to play an full season on European Tour. None of the other players ever played on main Tour but the statistics are in favour of those who avoid the stage 1. All the Alps Tour members who managed to obtain their card the past three years, did not have to play stage 1.
Hot weather is expected in Venice area this week and the famous ranking is to be announced after last round on Friday afternoon.
27th June 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Casey and Larranaga neck and neck
Harry Casey Credit: Tristan Jones
England’s Harry Casey will play again with Spain’s Eduardo Larranaga for last round in Open International de la Mirabelle d’Or. After moving day, Casey has a one shot advantage with -12 total.
The tournament this week is a 4 day event which is not so common on the Alps Tour. Harry Casey teed off with -10 and it took him 4 holes to hole his first birdie. His playing partner, Eduardo Larranaga started the round with -9 and did his first birdie on the same hole. But the latter managed for the first time to come back square as he holed a birdie on the fifth hole.
The answer came really quick on the next hole. Casey earned a shot and Larranaga dropped one on the 8th.
Meanwhile, Open de Saint François winner, Italy’s Andrea Maestroni started the day with burning putter. He holed on birdie the third, then for eagle on the fourth and another birdie came on the eighth. He had another eagle on his back nine and eventually signed for the best score of the day, 64 to go to -10 alongside Spain’s Daniel Osorio.
On the way to the club house, the last group were square a second time on the 13th as the Spaniard holed for birdie there he dropped two shots in a row from 15th and despite a bogey for Casey on the last green, he took the final lead by his own.
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.
| Alps Tour Golf
Stewart-Cation keeps lead
Scott Stewart-Cation
Scott Stewart-Cation holds firm the lead of Open Saint François Région Gadeloupe. He scored 70 during second round to go into last round with a 2 stroke advantage over Italy’s Andrea Maestroni.
No tropical rains for the second day here in the beautiful island of the French Indies, Guadeloupe. The temperature was over 30°C but clouds and wind helped players to deal with it. Scott Stewart-Cation from Home of golf, Fife, Scotland, signed for a 70 one under par card thanks to 3 birdies and 2 bogeys.
Only one shot back, 2004 Alps tour winner and former European Tour member, Andrea Meastroni from Italy. Maestroni, 38, played the World Cup in 2004 in Sevilla and is one of the most experimented player in the field as Far as European Tour is concerned. He will be a serious challenger for the win.
With the score of -2 total, a group of 3 Frenchmen. Amateur Martin Farfal, Léo Lespinasse and Jeff Lucquin. The latter was a member of European Tour for more than 7 seasons and won the Omega European Masters, defeated Rory McIlroy in a play-off. Lucquin is back to competition after injury and his level of game is improving week after week.
Lespinasse already recorded 3 podiums this season and will certainly battle to finally hold a trophy.
1st May 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Tunisian Open – Andrea Maestroni interview
Andrea Maestroni’s interview by Alessandro Bellicini
after his first round
