11th September 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Edgar Catherine Wins Alps de Andalucia
September 11th, 2021 – Malaga, Spain – Having started two strokes behind the leaders this morning, Edgar Catherine held steady to win this year’s Alps de Andalucia here at the Añoreta Golf on -8 (208), three strokes ahead of the runner-up. This is his first win on the Alps Tour since the 2017 Citadelle Trophy when he was still an amateur.
He teed off from the 11th sitting third with yesterday’s joint leaders. The French player managed to counterbalance two bogeys on the first 8 holes with an additional four birdies to put him at -5 teeing up on the ninth. A double bogey on the notoriously tricky par 4 1st set him back, but his mental game held up and he finished solidly with three extra birdies and clean pars for a 68 (-4) for the day.
“I played really well, I just played my game, and it was enough to make it. My strategy for today was to play aggressively, use the driver every time I could, and it worked out well. Since the Gösser Open, where I led the tournament but made a lot of mistakes in the final round, I knew I could win and that is what I have worked for, specially mentally. Previously my game was good but not my head but now I feel it is. It is as simple as that but simple is sometimes very hard”.
The win sees Edgar Catherine’s jump twelve places up the Order of Merit to seventh.
Home grown players took second and third place, Gerard Piris Mateu and Marcos Pastor. The Spaniards started the day in joint fourth on -3 after yesterday’s round and teed off in the same flight from the 11th. What followed was a veritable battle down the fairways. Both had a double bogey and a bogey going out, but Gerard Piris Mateu edged ahead at the 18th having sunk four birdies to Marcos Pastor’s two. By hole 4 they were even, sitting at -5. A par and a bogey each still had them neck-and-neck on the 7th tee, but Gerard Piris Mateu pulled another birdie out of his bag versus Marcos Pastor’s bogey to be a nose ahead. It proved to be decisive as they both finished the round with par, bogey, birdie. Final score Gerard Piris Mateu -5 (211) and Marcos Pastor -4 (212) for the tournament.
Joint leaders at start of play today, Daniel Berna Manzanares and Ryan Lumsden both had difficult rounds today littered with bogeys, including doubles and triples. The Spanish player managed to come in joint fourth on -3 (213) whilst the Scotsman, despite his sixteenth position today still heads the Order of Merit.
Next stop Italy where the last two tournaments of the season take place. First on the calendar is the Golf Nazionale Alps Open from 7th to 9th October with the Grand Final one week later. The awarding of the prized five cards for the Challenge Tour next year is getting tantalizingly close.
The Alps de Andalucia has enjoyed the support of the Real Federación Española de Golf, Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Ayuntamiento de Rincón de la Victoria, Turismo Costa del Sol, Añoreta Resort, Consejo Superior de Deportes, Allianz, EDP Solar, AON, Kyocera, Tag Heuer, Nextcaddy, Yaphone, JGolf.
Final Results: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
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10th September 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Dual Leaders after Round 2 in Andalucia
September 10th, 2021 – Malaga, Spain – At the end of play today two players were two strokes ahead at the Alps de Andalucia. One of yesterday’s leaders, Daniel Berna Manzanares from Spain, and a newcomer at the top of the board, Ryan Lumsden from Scotland both on -6 (138).
Both players started from the 3rd tee with mixed results. Daniel Berna Manzanares opened with two pars followed by a pair of bogeys but recovered well:
“I played completely differently from yesterday. The strategy I planned was similar, but I putted a bit worse. On the other hand, I hit the ball better and ended up with 7 birdies and 4 bogeys. We didn’t have that much wind, so it made things easier. I got over par very quickly, with 2 bogeys at the beginning but then I had 9 holes where I played really good golf and managed to hole 6 birdies to turn the round around. I holed a really good birdie on 16, hit a driver almost to the water then hit a perfect and difficult shot from the bunker for birdie. It’s too bad I finished after that with 2 silly 3-putt bogeys”.
He finished the day with a 69 (-3) as yesterday which met his game plan:
“I can’t complain. I reached my goal which was to be up there in the final round to give me a chance to win”.
Ryan Lumsden started at Par and opened his round with a birdie. He then played straight pars through to the 9th but his result there sparked a mindset change:
““It was a solid day. I was trying to bounce back from my finish yesterday which was very frustrating. It is difficult to know out how to play here so I just tried to get my head right and fresh today. I stated playing well and then I made a poor bogey to go to 1 over and said, ok, it is time to wake up and play good golf out there. And I took advantage of the chances I go”.
An eagle, six birdies and two bogeys saw him card 66 (-6), the best round of the day. The two-time winner this season and current leader of the Order of Merit has a clear objective tomorrow:
“A third win is definitely always on my mind. I knew this course was going to test me mentally. Whoever deals better with it will win tomorrow and of course I will try my best. I’ve put myself in position and it would be great to finish this with another win”.
Two strokes behind the leaders is the French player, Edgar Catherine, on -4. Teeing off from the 11th this afternoon he totalled six birdies and two bogeys.
A strong Spanish presence sits in joint fourth with three players at -3: Marcos Pastor who had the second-best score of the day with a 67 (-5), Gerard Piris Mateu with a 68 (-4) and Antonio Hortal with a 70 (-2).
The cut came at +4 (148) leaving 47 players,41 pros and 6 amateurs to tee off tomorrow for the final here at the Añoreta Golf course.
The Alps de Andalucia enjoys the support of the Real Federación Española de Golf, Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Ayuntamiento de Rincón de la Victoria, Turismo Costa del Sol, Añoreta Resort, Consejo Superior de Deportes, Allianz, EDP Solar, AON, Kyocera, Tag Heuer, Nextcaddy, Yaphone, JGolf.
Results Round 2: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
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9th September 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Four Way Tie After Round 1 at the Alps de Andalucia
September 9th, 2021 – Malaga, Spain – Windy conditions complicated play today and at the end of Round 1, we have a four-way tie at the top of the leader board on -3 (69). Franck Medale from France, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa from Italy and the two Spanish players, Daniel Berna Manzanares and Jose Luis Adarraga Gomez.
First into the clubhouse at the end of the morning round was Franck Medale. Winner of this year’s Open de la Mirabelle d’Or, he teed off from the 3rd and had par through the ninth. He then started with three birdies in a row off the tenth, another on the 15th, bogey on the 16th, a long par five with a raised green protected by bunkers. He then settled down for two more pars, another bogey on the 1st and finished with a birdie.
“It was a good round, tricky with the wind and harder at the end but I could follow my strategy to avoid making mistakes and take my chances. But I believe I can do better. I am happy with the way I managed the course as I have only played the practise round, and so I am not still familiar with it. Last year was my first season on the Alps Tour, a difficult season with very few events, so this year I am very happy with my results”.
Next in from the afternoon flights was Daniel Berna Manzanares from Spain. Off from the 11th he had an eagle and a birdie on the first nine holes and finished the round with a card of clean pars.
“I arrived with very little time to recce the course as I played a two-day tournament last week and this is a golf course that you really need to know well if you are looking for a good score. I played a tidy game avoiding bogeys and double bogeys that are easy to do here, so it is good to finish the round with a birdie and an eagle and bogey free. On the 15th, the shortest par 4 in the course I played a perfect 3 wood to 2 meters for eagle. My season has been up and down but at the last event I managed to do three good rounds. My goal is to win one of the next 3 events and get into the Challenge Tour from the Alps Tour”.
The Italian player, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, winner of the 2021 Abruzzo Alps Open plus four top ten places this season, started off the 11th with a birdie. Four birdies and a bogey later he was leading by one stroke when a bogey on the par 6th put him back a shot and he finished with a string of pars.
When I started playing there was a lot of wind, but I managed to play well and made 4 birdies on the first 5 holes. Then it got windier, and I didn’t manage to hit the flags and couldn’t make any more birdies. But I am happy with the score and the way I played under this wind. I hope tomorrow we can play with less wind, and I can manage to do a good score and maybe win this week to secure my card to play next year on the Challenge Tour. Last season I played Alps and Challenge Tours half and half, and it didn’t work so I decided to concentrate this season only on the Alps Tour and I think that was a good decision. I think my game has improved a lot during this season”.
The last player of the quartet to finish was Jose Luis Adarraga Gomez. Teeing off from the 3rd he started with a birdie but a bogey on the 8th neutralised the advantage. Straight pars and three more birdies put him on -3 with a hole to play. Par on the 2nd and he joined the other three players for tied first.
“A very strategic round. I only hit two drivers and the rest has been 2 irons, 4 irons and 5 irons. This morning we were saying with Balmaseda and Blazquez that you have to get into the game no matter how short the hole is. And that was the key. I played very tidy, hitting many greens and though I missed a few chances I also holed some good ones. I am very happy with my strategy. It worked”.
Only four other players came in under par today which shows the effect of the wind on this tricky Añoreta Golf course. Tomorrow looks like the wind will drop which may make playing conditions a little easier.
The Alps de Andalucia enjoys the support of the Real Federación Española de Golf, Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Ayuntamiento de Rincón de la Victoria, Turismo Costa del Sol, Añoreta Resort, Consejo Superior de Deportes, Allianz, EDP Solar, AON, Kyocera, Tag Heuer, Nextcaddy, Yaphone, JGolf.
Results Round 1: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
Stay tuned! www.alpstourgolf.com and the app « Alps Tour Golf » (on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android) will keep you updated on every news about Alps Tour.
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6th September 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Holà Malaga for the Alps de Andalucia
September 6th, 2021 – Malaga, Spain – Heading into the final countdown of the Alps Tour 2021 season, everyone is delighted to be heading to the Añoreta Golf for another edition of the Alps de Andalucia.
With just one more tournament after this before the Grand Final in Italy next month, 132 players are confirmed including the main contenders for the five Challenge Tour cards to be claimed. In all, thirteen of the top fifteen players on the Order of Merit will be teeing off.
Fresh from his victory at the Gösser Open last month, Paul Elissalde is joined by his three fellow French tournament winners: Xavier Poncelet, Franck Medale and the amateur, Paul Margolis. This season’s Italian victors, Luca Cianchetti, Stefano Mazzoli and Jacopo Vecchi Fossa are present as is two-time winner from Scotland, Ryan Lumsden.
Last year’s Alps de Andalucia went to Lucas Vacarisas but as he is absent from the field there is an opportunity for one of his compatriots from the fifty-eight-strong Spanish contingent to succeed him. Joint runner-up at last month’s tournament, Daniel Berna Manzanares will be hoping to consolidate his performance as will the amateur Joel Moscatel who finished joint sixth. There are also some winners from past seasons such as Jacobo Pastor in 2020 at the Alps de las Castillas and Gonzalo Vicente Elena in 2019 at the Fred Olsen Alps de La Gomera.
A new venue for the tournament, the Añoreta Golf, par 72 course, was designed by José María Cañizares, winner of two World Cups for Spain, participant in four Ryder Cups and victor in five European Tour competitions.
The 6016m/6580yd layout is pleasant and varied, accentuating the natural beauty of the Costa del Sol setting. The course does, however, require accuracy as the generally wide fairways are lined with trees and mature shrubs. Water comes into play on eleven of the holes with the most spectacular being the 17th hole par 3 which is enwrapped by an immense lake.
However, with breath-taking views of the Mediterranean on many holes, beautiful weather promised and the usual warm Andalusian welcome, the players should be in for a real treat.
The Alps de Andalucia enjoys the support of the Real Federación Española de Golf, Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Ayuntamiento de Rincón de la Victoria, Turismo Costa del Sol, Añoreta Resort, Consejo Superior de Deportes, Allianz, EDP Solar, AON, Kyocera, Tag Heuer, Nextcaddy, Yaphone, JGolf.
Entries: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
Stay tuned! www.alpstourgolf.com and the app « Alps Tour Golf » (on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android) will keep you updated on every news about Alps Tour.
