5th June 2025 | Alps Tour Golf
Andrea Romano Moves Into the Lead After Round 2 in Spain.
Roquetas de Mar, June 5th 2025 – Italy’s Andrea Romano leads the field with a two-day total of 12 under-par. Just two strokes behind, in solo second place Paul Margolis from France with a score of 10 under-par. Italy’s Francesco Santoni is in solo third place at 9 under-par and will keep the pressure on the leaders heading into the final round.
Round 2 of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía – Roquetas de Mar continued today at Club de Golf Playa Serena in Roquetas de Mar, Spain. The day began overcast but quickly cleared, turning into a warm, sunny day with light to moderate winds.
For the first time, this year’s tournament includes both “Andalucía” and “Roquetas de Mar” in its official name.
Round 2 Players Quote
Italy’s Andrea Romano, 24, who was tied for second place after yesterday’s opening round, carded another beautiful 6-under-par, 64 in today’s second round to move into the lead with a two-day total of 12 under-par. He opened his round steadily, carding a bogey and a birdie on the back nine, his front nine. However, momentum quickly shifted as he found his rhythm on the front nine, making birdies on holes 1, 5, 7, and 8, all highlighted by an incredible eagle on the par-4, 6th hole. “The course was much easier this morning compared to yesterday, but I knew that going in as it wasn’t supposed to be as windy,” he said. “I had a slow start today, I don’t think there are many birdie chances on the back nine, which was my front nine, so I’m happy with how it went as I kept it together. I made a three-putt on the 11th hole, which was unfortunate, but after that I told myself to stay patient because I knew I was playing well and could put together a good score.” That patience paid off with the birdie on 17, followed by chip-ins on holes 1 and 2 for birdie and par. “From there, my round took a turn for the better and the momentum shifted,” Romano continued. “I missed a short birdie on the par-5 3rd, saved par on 4 from 60 meters, made a short birdie on 5, and for sure the highlight of my day was on hole 6 where I holed out from 70 meters in the fairway for eagle. Then came two more birdies on 7 and 8 before saving par on 9 with what might be one of the best approach shots I’ve ever hit.” Looking ahead to the final round, Romano added, “I want to take with me into tomorrow the attitude I had all day. I had fun, a lot of fun, and while it was hard not to with everything that happened, it was really about the mindset. I don’t want to think too much about others or the fact that I’m currently leading. Tomorrow is a new day, another 18 holes, and I want to focus on my game and try to make as many birdies as possible.”
Paul Margolis, 26, from France, who was in the lead after yesterday’s opening round, fired a 3 under-par, 67 in today’s second round to move into 2nd place with a two-day total of 10 under-par. He made three birdies on his front nine holes and then went on to make one bogey on the 14th hole before closing out his round with a great birdie on the last, the 18th hole. Margolis has previously won on the Alps Tour and has earned various top 10 finishes since including his win. Reflecting on his round, he said the conditions were challenging but familiar: “This afternoon was playing very similar to yesterday morning. The pins were much tougher, but I played really well. Maybe I didn’t make as many putts as I did yesterday, but it was a great round and I’m happy with what I produced. I’m glad I finished with a birdie on 18, I had a lot of chances on the back nine that I wasn’t able to convert. I kept trying to stay patient, knowing I could make one at the end, and I’m happy I did.” Margolis added: “Honestly, I’m looking forward to bringing the same mindset to the course as I’ve had the past two days. I just want to stay patient and play my game. I know I’m two strokes back right now, but in golf, things can change quickly. I just want to be able to look back tomorrow night and be proud of my three rounds. Hopefully it’ll be enough — but regardless, I want to be proud of what I put out there.”
Italy’s Francesco Santoni, 26, who was tied for 2nd place after the opening round, moves into a solo third place with a two-day total of 9 under-par. In his second round, he carded 1 eagle, 3 birdies and 2 bogeys in his second round. “I just finished playing and I already can’t wait to tee it back up tomorrow morning. It’s my first time being in this position, I’m close, only a few strokes off, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” Santoni said. “Now I’ll spend some time putting, as I struggled a bit today on my mid- to long-range putts, and then rest. Tomorrow I’ll fight until the 18th hole, there’s still a lot of golf to be played, and anything can happen.”
Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 30, from Italy, who won various events on the Alps Tour as well as earning the 2021 Alps Tour Order of Merit title, which allowed him to gain status on the now HotelPlanner Tour, is in a 3-way tie for 4th place after two-rounds with a two-day total of 8 under-par. He followed his opening round of 1-under-par 69 with a bogey-free, 7-under-par 63, carding birdies on holes 3, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 16. “Today went really well,” he said. “I hit the ball well, and I’m happy to have the lowest round of the morning/day so far. My putting worked great—maybe even better than yesterday. The wind was really gusty in the first round, which made it quite complicated compared to today, which was definitely easier.” Vecchi Fossa credited his accuracy off the tee as a key to success on this course: “You need to be in the fairways to control your approach shots into the greens, and I did that well. I like the layout too, it’s different but it suits my eye.” Looking ahead, his plan remains simple: “Tomorrow I want to play like I did today, shot by shot, and I’ll take what comes my way. I worked well on the range yesterday and got some good feelings, which made me feel at ease. More importantly, I had fun, and when you’re having fun, working is always great. Now I’m going to rest and enjoy the beach. Tomorrow, I just want to enjoy the day like I did today and not pay attention to what the other players are doing.”
Joining Vecchi Fossa in a three-way tie for fourth place are Italy’s Manfredi Manica and France’s Quentin Debove.
A total of 53 players (51 pros, 2 amateurs) made the cut which was set at 140 (par).
The Final Round will begin at 8.30 a.m. local time from the 1st and 10th hole. The Final Pairing will tee off at 9:58 a.m. local time from the 1st hole.
The winner of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar will earn €6,200.00 and 6,525 points towards the Order of Merit standings.
Tournament Promoter
The 2025 Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar is promoted and organized by JGolf.
The event is made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Real Federación Española de Golf and Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, with the support of the Consejo Superior de Deportes, Junta de Andalucía, Roquetas de Mar Town Council, Kyocera, Viñas Familia Gil, Mahou San Miguel, and Solán de Cabras.
Alps Tour Media Contact- Alice Barbieri: [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 informed by following the Alps Tour on social media via Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and X.
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4th June 2025 | Alps Tour Golf
Paul Margolis Leads the Field After Round 1 of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía – Roquetas de Mar.
Roquetas de Mar, June 4th, 2025 – After the opening round of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía – Roquetas de Mar, the leaderboard is close. France’s Paul Margolis is in the lead with a 7-under-par 63. In a closely contested tournament, there is a two-way tie for 2nd place at 6 under-par with Italy’s Francesco Santoni and Andrea Romano. At 5 under-par, Italy’s Manfredi Manica and Spain’s Alfonso Buendia.
The first round of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía – Roquetas de Mar teed off this morning at its host for the second consecutive year, Club de Golf Playa Serena, in Roquetas de Mar, Spain. The day began mostly sunny, with moderate winds that intensified by mid-morning, eventually becoming gusty as the afternoon progressed.
For the first time, this year’s tournament includes both “Andalucía” and “Roquetas de Mar” in its official name.
Round 1 Players Quote
Paul Margolis, 26, from France, who has previously won on the Alps Tour, is in the lead after the 1st round of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía – Roquetas de Mar with a 7 under-par, 63. He turned professional at the end of 2021 and has since earned various top-10 finishes, including his win. Margolis began his round on the 10th hole and quickly found momentum, making birdies on holes 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18, with his only front-nine bogey coming on the 13th. After making the turn, he added four more birdies on holes 2, 5, 7, and 8, offset slightly by a bogey on the 4th hole. After his round, Margolis reflected on his performance and the favorable conditions: “Today everything just clicked, I did everything well. I was in the zone and focused on sticking to my game. I had a good start and felt really confident over the ball. Fortunately, we didn’t have any wind for the first 12 holes, which was an advantage. That strong start helped me stay in the right mindset even when the wind picked up later, so I’m really happy with how this opening round went.” He also acknowledged the benefit of being in the early wave: “Being in the morning wave definitely gave us an edge over the afternoon groups. The course looks wide, but it actually plays quite narrow. If you’re in the rough, it’s hard to judge distances, which makes the fairways, and the holes feel even tighter — especially when the wind is up. I don’t expect to see too many low scores this afternoon, so I’m glad I was on the right side of the draw.” The 26-year-old Frenchman added, “Honestly, today is just a reflection of what I’ve been doing over the past two months. I’ve been working hard, especially on my attitude and staying patient on the course. I think that will be key over the next two rounds, particularly with the wind we’re expecting.”
Italy’s Francesco Santoni, 26, is in a tie for 2nd place with a first-round score of 6 under-par, 64. He recorded four birdies and two bogeys on his front nine — the course’s back nine, before making the turn and adding four more birdies on holes 1, 6, 7, and 8. “I had a wonderful draw this week, my front nine was played with no wind at all, so teeing off this morning definitely made things easier. It was an exceptional day — the first round where I really putted the way I wanted to, and my short game was great too, as I holed out a few chip shots. Even when I missed a shot, I usually found myself on the correct side of the course. Honestly, I didn’t miss much today,” said Santoni as he reflected on his opening round.
Andrea Romano, 24, from Italy, is the second player in the two-way tie for 2nd place alongside Santoni with an opening round of 6 under-par, 64. In today’s opening round, he began his day with birdies on holes 2, 3, 5, and 6, then made a string of pars until closing with back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18. “My long game and putting were very solid, even with the strong wind gusts that picked up this afternoon,” he commented. “It’s not easy to make putts on these greens, but I’m satisfied with how it went. I definitely didn’t expect such a low score in these conditions, but I’m pleased with the result, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning in hopefully calmer conditions.”
Italy’s Manfredi Manica, 29, sits in a two-way tie for fourth place after opening with a 5-under-par 65. A regular on the Alps Tour over several seasons, Manica earned his first title in 2023 and is aiming to add another this week. He began his round on the 1st hole, where he made an early bogey, but quickly settled into a strong rhythm, carding birdies on holes 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and finishing with another birdie on the 18th to close out his round. Reflecting on his performance, Manica said, “The wind affected me today, especially on my back nine, which stalled me a bit as I wasn’t able to make any birdies between the 9th hole until the last hole. The wedges here are crucial — you can miss some shots off the tees, but you need to hit it close from around 130 meters in. Today, my driving was excellent, and the only shot I slightly missed was still playable, so definitely my driving was solid. I want to keep doing the same over the next two rounds, but possibly avoid making a bogey on the 1st hole from the middle of the fairway. I hit a lot of good shots today, but my second shot with my 2-iron into the 3rd hole, with water left and a long right pin, I could say, was my highlight. It gave me good feelings and the chance to make an eagle.”
Alongside Manica in the two-way tie for 4th place at 5 under-par, 65 is twenty-eight-year-old Spain’s Alfonso Buendia. He delivered a flawless performance on a blustery afternoon, making birdies on holes 2, 4, 7, 11, and 16. “Today was tough due to the strong winds—you really had to control the ball well,” said Buendia. “But I stayed calm and patient all day, just focused on avoiding bogeys. I’m very happy with how I played. My putting was excellent, I didn’t have a single three-putt, and when I missed greens, I was able to chip and putt to save par.” Looking ahead, Buendia remains focused on consistency. “Tomorrow, I just want to keep doing what I did today: hit as many greens as possible to give myself chances, and if I miss them, recover with solid short game.”
At stake this week is a total prize fund of €42,500 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner of the 2025 Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar will walk away with €6,200.00 and 6,525 points towards the Order of Merit standings. Once Round 2 is completed, a cut will be made to the top 40 professionals and ties, plus amateurs within the cut.
Tournament Promoter
The 2025 Alps de Andalucía-Roquetas de Mar is promoted and organized by JGolf.
The event is made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Real Federación Española de Golf and Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, with the support of the Consejo Superior de Deportes, Junta de Andalucía, Roquetas de Mar Town Council, Kyocera, Viñas Familia Gil, Mahou San Miguel, and Solán de Cabras.
Alps Tour Media Contact- Alice Barbieri: [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 informed by following the Alps Tour on social media via Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and X.
#2025AlpsTourSeason
#raisinggolfstars
#risinggolfstars
25th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Mario Galiano Aguilar ties the Course Record to take the first-round lead at the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open.
The first round of the 2nd tournament of the 2024 Winter Series, the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, played on courses B&C at the beautiful Sokhna Golf Club in Suez, Egypt, began this morning at 7:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. Like last week, players can compete under favorable weather conditions this week as blue skies and temperatures that could reach a high of 25° Celsius are expected even if, during the afternoon, some light to moderate winds are forecasted.
Spain’s twenty-eight years old, Mario Galiano Aguilar shot a 10 under-par, 62 in the 1st round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open to lead by 1 stroke. With today’s incredible round, Galiano Aguilar ties the current course record which was already set at 10 under-par. He has earned several Top 10 finishes on the Alps Tour throughout his playing career but is looking to break through and earn his 1st win on the tour, “I had the opportunity in a couple of tournaments to win but I knew my game wasn’t ready to win. However, now I feel my game is ready to win and I’m very confident. If it’s not going to be this week, it’ll be another week, but I know I’m competitive enough. I’m very focused and determined on this year’s goal which is to win tournaments.” During today’s 10 under-par, 62 round, Galiano Aguilar made 1 bogey and 6 birdies on the front nine and then added 5 more birdies on the back nine to conclude his fabulous round. After he signed his card, Galiano Aguilar commented, “I wasn’t aware of what the course record was, but I knew my lowest round ever was a -9, so I really tried the last three holes to get to -10, and I’m obviously very happy about it.” He added that he made a change between the 2024 Ein Bay Open and this week’s event, “I usually putt with a marked line on my ball however today I didn’t use it, I just put my ball down with no line and was trying to feel more the line and the aim I wanted. I hope it works well the next two days like it did today. I made this change because last week I hit the ball extremely well, but my putting was very disappointing. Today the putter finally worked, and I was able to put together a good round, I was -4 in my first 6 holes and that gave me good confidence for the rest of the day.”
Francesco Santoni, twenty-five years old from Italy, finds himself in 2nd place with a 1st round score of 9 under-par, 63, and only 1 shot off the lead. He began his round by making 4 birdies and 1 bogey on the front nine and then went on to make 6 more birdies on the back nine to conclude his day. After his round, he commented: “Today was a really good day overall, as you can expect with a -9, but to be honest with you, while I was out on the course, I didn’t realize the round I was putting together. I realized the round I did while coming off the 18th green. I worked a lot this off-season with my coach Alain Vergari. We worked a lot on my swing to try and gain more consistency and the results I saw today were satisfying. I did the first step, which was putting together today’s round, but tomorrow, I want to go out there and keep doing what I was doing today and put together another good round, if not better than today.”
Twenty-nine years old, Benjamin Kedochim from France concluded his first round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open with an 8 under-par, 64 and finds himself in a two-way tie for 3rd place alongside Spain’s Borja Martin. He teed off on the 10th hole where he made 3 birdies and 1 eagle. After making the turn, he went on to make 4 more birdies and 1 bogey to conclude his day. Kedochim has earned a number of top 5 finishes in his career but is looking to capture his 1st title: “I’ve been close several times in the past 2 years to earn a win but I don’t think I was missing something specific I just need to keep playing my best every day and sometimes you have a little extra luck which is what you need to win and other times you won’t get it.” He also explained that: “today I began the day with a few lip outs, but I tried to stay in the moment as I told myself they will drop so I tried to stay patient. I’m really trying to play shot by shot like I did last season and made a good putt on 14 which got me into the round. I struggled with my putting during the first event of the season, so I worked a lot on it before we started this tournament and I’m pleased with the results I saw today. I had a stretch of 6 holes where I made 3 big putts and that helped a lot.”
Spain’s twenty-four-year-old Borja Martin is the 2nd player in the two-way tie for 3rd place at 8 under-par with a great bogey-free round. He made 1 birdie on the front nine for a front-nine score of 35 and after making the turn at 1 under-par, he made 5 birdies and 1 eagle to close out in 29 for a total score of 64, 8 under-par. After his round, Martin commented that today, “I played pretty well on the front side but wasn’t able to take advantage of a couple of good situations I had. However, on the back nine, I kept hitting good shots and was able to make some important putts. On the few holes I hit a few bad tee shots, I managed to recover and made par on those holes.” He found that the conditions at Sokhna Golf Club, “were great. The wind made a few holes a bit tougher on the front nine, but it stopped for the back nine luckily. The main difference I found is if you play in the morning, the greens are nicer, while in the afternoon, it’s tougher to make putts.”
The competitors in this week’s event are battling it out for an overall prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points.
The winner of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Round 2
The second round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open will begin again at 7:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. Once Round 2 is completed, a cut will be made to the top 40 players and ties.
The first-round leader, Mario Galiano Aguilar will begin his second round of the tournament at 12:00pm local time from the 1st hole.
Tournament Promoter-
The 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open appreciates the support of: Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice, and Coca Cola Egypt.
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