27th June 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
A French duo leads after Round 1 at the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand
Aravell, June 27th, 2024- France’s Paul Margolis and Benjamin Kedochim co-lead after the 1st round of the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand. with a 7 under-par, 64. In a two-way tie for 3rd place another French duo: Antoine Santarelli and Baptiste Achard only 1 stroke back at 6 under-par.
The first round of the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand, played at Aravell Golf & Country Club, located near Aravell, Lleida, Spain, began this morning at 8:00 a.m. local time from holes 1 and 10.
This year, we are celebrating the 3rd edition of the tournament, which was established to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the host golf club, Aravell Golf & Country Club, which was designed by the two-time Masters Champion Jose Maria Olazábal.
France’s Benjamin Kedochim, 29, co-leads alongside Margolis after the opening round of the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand. He shot an opening round with 10 birdies and 3 bogeys for a 7 under-par. 64 round. During today’s opening round, Kedochim was paired alongside the other co-leader, Margolis, and they enjoyed their round together: “I played with Paul Margolis today, and I’ve played with him in the past, and I must say every time we play together we play well so playing with him today was fun. Brandon Kewalramani was with us, I never played with him before, but it was a fun round overall for all of us. It’s always enjoyable to play golf while you’re having fun, and good scores are a bonus.” Kedochim is the current Order of Merit leader, and he commented that he “isn’t focusing on the order of merit, I’m just focusing on playing my own game like every time. I am doing my best each day and putting a good round together. The rest will take care of itself.” He believes the only real mistake he made today was on the 6th hole where he “3-putted. The other 2 bogeys I made today I guess I can say I deserved them but I do regret the 3-putt on hole 6 as I hit the green and should’ve two-putted. That’s the only negative aspect of today’s round.”
Alongside Santarelli in the two-way tie for 3rd place with a first-round score of 6 under-par, 65, fellow French player Baptiste Achard, 26. During his opening round, he made 5 birdies and 1 bogey on the front nine holes and then added 4 more birdies and 2 bogeys on the back nine to end his day. Once he concluded his first round, Achard was satisfied with how his day went as he: “made a lot of putts today. I’m extremely satisfied with my putting today. Overall, it was a good day of golf and I made a lot of birdies, I believe 9 in total. For the next two rounds, I want to stay really focused on my game and my strategy but also be very patient with myself. There is a lot of golf left to be played.”
Théo Boulet, 21, from France, is in a 6-way tie for 5th place at the conclusion of the 1st round of the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand. He shot a 4 under-par, 67 round today, making 7 birdies and 3 bogeys. Boulet earned his 1stprofessional win at our most recent tournament, the 21st Open International de la Mirabelle d’Or. After his round, Boulet commented on how: “My driving was a little less efficient, but luckily, it didn’t penalize me. My strategy, my way of approaching the course, and my putting were very good today. I think it’s the real important part of my game, and that’s what made the difference during the round.” He added that he found: “the conditions were good today. I played in the morning wave, and there was no wind. However, it was very hot, and I think that the heat will play an important role during this tournament, especially on a physical level.”
A past winner on the Alps Tour, France’s Franck Médale, 29, is also in the 6-way tie for 5th place after the opening round of the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand. He teed off on hole 10 today, where he went on to make 1 eagle and 1 birdie on his opening nine holes. Once he made the turn, he made 3 more birdies and 2 bogeys to finish the day. Médale has had a rough start to the 2024 season, but after his first round, he commented: “I worked with my staff on making the game simpler and more fun. I’m enjoying myself much more on the course now, and I’m looking forward to playing the rest of the season.”
Alongside Boulet and Médale in the 6-way tie for 5thplace after the first round there is: France’s Adrien Bonnet and amateur Nathan Legrendre, as well as Spain’s Anton Vazquez Muinos and Asier Aguirre Izcue.The 144 players 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 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand winner will walk away with €5,800.00 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
The 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand will be a 54-hole stroke-play, 18-hole-a-day event where a cut will be made after 36 holes to the top 40 players and ties. In case of a tie after 54 holes, a sudden-death play-off will determine the winner.
Round 2
The second round of the 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand will begin again at 8:00 a.m. 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. In case of a tie after 54 holes, a sudden-death play-off will determine the winner of the tournament.
Tournament PromoterThe 2024 Aravell Golf Andorra Open by Creand is promoted by former DP World Tour winner, Spain’s José Manuel Lara.
The economic promoter of the tournament is Aravell Golf & Country Club and the title sponsorship of this week’s event belongs to Creand, which was previously named Crèdit Andorrà.
Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
This is just a friendly reminder to please keep the “Alps Tour Golf” watermark visible and tag “alpstourgolf” and the photographer Federico Capretti (@capretti.grafica) in your articles/posts.
#raisinggolfstars
#risinggolfstars
29th July 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Oihan Guillamoundeguy captures his 1st professional win at the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open!
Final Round Notes
Pescara, Italy
27th-29th July 2023
Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
Leaderboard
| Pos. | Name | Score |
| 1 | Oihan Guillamoundeguy (FRA) | -13 |
| 2 | Davey Porsius (NED) | -12 |
| 3 | Sander Aadusaar (EST) | -10 |
| Augustin Hole (FRA) | -10 | |
| and 2 other players tied at | -10 |
Quick Links
Final Round Leaderboard
Oihan Guillamoundeguy captures his 1st professional win at the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open!
The players competing in the final round of the 9th edition of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open being played at Miglianico Golf & Country Club, had great scoring and weather conditions. It was another beautiful summer day in the Abruzzo Region. However, players competing in the final few groups had to face some strong winds on the final 5/6 holes, especially on the 18th hole which is normally a reachable par 5 instead with the wind against them many players chose to layup. Play began at 8:00 am local time and the leaders group teed off at 9.40 am local time from the 1st hole.
The top 6 players in the Alps Tour Order of Merit rank at the conclusion of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open are exempt from Stage 1 of DP World Tour Qualifying School.
Twenty-seven years old, Davey Porsius, from Netherland concludes the tournament in 2nd place, only 1 stroke from the title. He stayed near the top of the leaderboard for the entire week and was in the lead after yesterday’s 2nd round. He shot an even par, 70 today with 1 double bogey, 3 bogeys and 5 birdies for a three-day total of 12 under-par. Porsius is a previous winner on the Alps Tour as he won the 2022 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open title last spring. After his round, he commented: “I played pretty solid for 16 holes, I was trying to shoot 2 or 3 under-par which then Oihan had to go 4 or 5 under-par. I definitely regret hitting driver Out of Bounds on the 17th hole. I had a 1 shot lead at the time and the only thing you can’t do on that hole I did so that is a major regret I have and then I unfortunately tried to make it up on the last hole and I missed a 1m30 putt for birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff.” Porsius went on to add that “I knew I had to play well this week. Unfortunately, it’ll be a few weeks until the next tournament where I will actually be in the field to defend the title so hopefully I can give myself another opportunity to grab a win this season. I will keep focused in these weeks off on the golf and what I’ve been working on as I finished 3rd last week and 2nd this week so results are coming.”
The tournament ends with a 4-way tie for 3rd place with a three-day score of 10 under-par: Estonia’s Sander Aadusaar, Spain’s Victor Garcia Broto and French Duo: Augustin Hole and Franck Medale. Tied for 7th place only 1 stroke back, 3 of this season’s previous winner: Spain’s Quim Vidal, Netherland’s Lars Keunen and Italy’s Manfredi Manica.
The low round of the day belongs to Estonia’s Sander Aadusaar who shot a 7 under-par, 63 in the final round.
The Alps Tour Order of Merit rank after the 12th events still has Netherland’s Kiet Van der Weele in the lead with 22,034.25 points. This week’s winner, France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy jumped into 2nd place and Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney moved into 3rd place. Netherland’s Lars Keunen and Spain’s Quim Vidal close out the top 5 spots.Final Round
Oihan Guillamoundeguy winner of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open, earned 6,525 Order of Merit points and the winning check of €5,800.
The Alps Tour players now have a few weeks off before the next scheduled event which gets underway from September 14th– 16th at AA Saint Omer Golf Club in Saint-Omer, France for the 2023 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open,it will be the last regular event of the season.
Tournament Promoter
Like the majority of the Alps Tour events that are played on Italian soil, the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open is organized by the Italian Pro Tour, which is a branch of the Italian Golf Federation. They are responsible for promoting the majority of the professional golf events that occur in Italy.
The main sponsors that support the Italian Pro Tour include DS Automobiles, Fideuram Intesa SanPaolo Private Banking, Kappa, Rinascente and Poste Assicura. In addition, Dipartimento per lo Sport, is the Institutional Partner of the Italian Golf Federation for the 2023 Ryder Cup. Their media partners are the following two Italian newspapers: Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport. The Italian Pro Tour featured social partner is Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus and with an official advisor, Infront Italy.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
28th July 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Davey Porsius moves into the lead after a 62 in Round 2 at the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open.
Round 2 Notes
Pescara, Italy
27th-29th July 2023
Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
Leaderboard
| Pos. | Name | Score |
| 1 | Davey Porsius (NED) | -12 |
| 2 | Oihan Guillamoundeguy (FRA) | -9 |
| 3 | Manfredi Manica (ITA) | -8 |
| Franck Medale (FRA) | -8 | |
| Xavier Poncelet (FRA) | -8 |
Quick Links
Davey Porsius moves into the lead after a 62 in Round 2 at the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open.
It was another beautiful day with great scoring opportunities for the players competing at Miglianico Golf & Country Club in the Abruzzo Region for the 2nd round of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open. The weather conditions were very favorable with sunny skies, a warm temperature and some light winds. Play began at 7:30 am from both the 1st and 10th hole. This is the 9th edition of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open.
Davey Porsius, 27 years old from Netherland shot an incredible 8 under-par, 62 in today’s round for a two-day total of 12 under-par to find himself in the lead ahead of the final round. He was in a 7-way tie for 3rd place after the opening round, but he made 9 birdies and 1 single bogey during his 2nd round to move into the lead. He currently is 13th in the Order of Merit rank and looks to make a move towards the top 5 spots. Porsius became an Alps Tour winner when he captured the 2022 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open title last spring and now looks forward to trying to capture another win. After the round, Porsius commented on how “I hit it a little bit better than yesterday but was able to hole some nice putts during the round which is always good, I enjoyed it for sure. Today was a really good day, I mainly focused to hit one shot at a time and it works nicely. I feel like the wind was less strong than yesterday, maybe it was just the difference in the two waves but that made it a bit easier but the conditions overall were quite similar to yesterday.” When preparing for tomorrow’s final round, he plans to “rest and do some stretches, I want to make sure my body stays in good shape.” Porsius got ill right before the start of the 2023 Croara Alps Open, subsequently he had to miss out on a few events, “it would mean so much to win tomorrow, after getting sick, I knew I needed to play well the remaining tournaments to get into the top 5 in the Order of Merit rank. A 3rd place in Tenerife and a win this week would mean I can skip first stage of DP World Tour Q-School and would put me in position to have a better chance of making it to the Challenge Tour next year.”
France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy who is just 18 years old, who was tied for the lead after yesterday’s 1st round, finds himself in 2nd place with a two-day total of 9 under-par after today’s round 2. He shot a 4 under-par, 66 today with 5 birdies and 1 bogey. Guillamoundeguy represents Golf Club Seignosse and is a past winner on the Alps Tour as he captured the 2022 Red Sea Little Venice Open title when he was still an amateur player. He then turned professional at the end of 2022 and this is his first season as a professional player. After the round, Guillamoundeguy proudly commented: “that today was a great round. I take the momentum from the 15th hole for my great finish. I can say that my long game was definitely better than yesterday however my putting wasn’t as sharp.” He went on to add that he finds Miglianico Golf & Country Club, “in good shape. The greens are slightly soft but they were better today even though I didn’t make as many putts. My strategy was good and I will stick with the same plan tomorrow. I will try to just be myself in the final round and play the golf I know I can play and see what happens. I’ve been playing well but need to put all pieces together to try and earn my first professional win.”
Twenty-seven years old, Manfredi Manica from Italy, winner of the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand, was tied for 19thplace yesterday but is now in a three-way tie for 3rd place with a total score of 8 under-par. He followed his opening-round of 2 under-par, with a bogey-free 6 under-par,64 in the second round for a two-day total of 8 under-par. During today’s round, he made 6 birdies. After his round, Manica was very pleased, “I played very solid today especially my long game. I found that the course was playing slightly easier today. There was less wind and the pins were more accessible like the 6th and 8th hole.”
France’s Franck Medale is also in the three-way tie for 3rd place with a two-day total of 8 under-par alongside Manica. He is 28 years old and represents Golf Espalais. Medale is a winner on the Alps Tour as he captured the 2021 Open de La Mirabelle d’Or. He has earned various top 20 finishes so far this season but is looking to breakthrough and earn another win. During today’s 2nd round, he made 1 bogey on the 5th hole and 5 birdies for a 4 under-par,66. Following his 4 under-par, Medale commented: “it was a solid round, I made good decisions the entire day. Unfortunately, I missed a few opportunities that would have made it an even better round. I feel like I just have to keep putting myself in good position and let the putter do his magic to hopefully win another tournament.”
Xavier Poncelet from France is the third player in the three-way tie for 3rd place with a two-day score of 8 under-par. He shot a 5 under-par, 65 in today’s second round where he made 2 bogeys and 7 birdies. Poncelet has earned a win and various top 5 finishes over the years in his Alps Tour career. When he completed today’s round, Poncelet was very happy with the way the day went and he found “today was very hot. I overall played well today and can’t really point out anything specific. It was a fun day where I thoroughly enjoyed shaping the ball and putting a good round together.”
First-round leader, Spain’s Victor Garcia Broto shot a 2 under-par, 68 today and finds himself in 6th place with a two-day total of 7 under-par.Final Round
The final round of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open will begin at 8:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole.
A total of 55 players (46 pros and 9 amateurs) made the cut which was set at 139 (-1). The final group will tee off at 9:40am local time from the 1st hole.
The winner of the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open, will earn the winning check of €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
Like the majority of the Alps Tour events that are played on Italian soil, the 2023 Abruzzo Alps Open is organized by the Italian Pro Tour, which is a branch of the Italian Golf Federation. They are responsible for promoting the majority of the professional golf events that occur in Italy.
The main sponsors that support the Italian Pro Tour include DS Automobiles, Fideuram Intesa SanPaolo Private Banking, Kappa, Rinascente and Poste Assicura. In addition, Dipartimento per lo Sport, is the Institutional Partner of the Italian Golf Federation for the 2023 Ryder Cup. Their media partners are the following two Italian newspapers: Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport. The Italian Pro Tour featured social partner is Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus and with an official advisor, Infront Italy.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
16th June 2022 | Alps Tour Golf
Eemil Alajarvi is the Clubhouse Leader as Round 1 is suspended for darkness at the Aravell Golf Open by Crèdit Andorrà.
Aravell, June 16th 2022– Finland’s Eemil Alajarvi is the current clubhouse leader with a 9 under-par 62 as Round 1 was suspended at the inaugural Aravell Golf Open by Crèdit Andorrà. Spain’s Daniel Berna Manzanares is also at 9 under-par, however he has 3 holes remaining to conclude his first round. France’s Tom Vaillant is just one shot back at 8 under-par. He holds a 1 stroke advantage over his fellow countryman, Franck Medale who is in 4th place with a 7 under-par 64 round. Netherland’s Vince Van Veen and Spain’s Josep Maria Serra Busquet who shot a 6 under par round 65 and are currently tied for 5th place.
A beautiful summer morning with a light breeze and temperatures reaching a high of 37* welcomed the players at Aravell Golf & Country Club near Lleida, Spain for the first round of the tournament. Play began at 8:00 am from both the 1stand 10th hole. The first round of the tournament was suspended at 5:02pm due to inclement weather in the area. Play then resumed at 8pm (2hour 57 mins delay). Another delay occurred at 9:23pm due to darkness. Round 1 will resume at 7:30am tomorrow morning.
Round 1 Player Quotes-
Eemil Alajarvi from Finland had a great round 1 to start his tournament here at the Aravell Golf Open by Crèdit Andorrà. Today, Alajarvi shot a bogey-free 9 under-par round 62 and is the current clubhouse leader. He turned professional last year and this is his second season playing on the Alps Tour. After his round, Alajarvi commented on how well he played, “I would say I played well today. I hit many good shots and made many putts. I hit my long irons very well today. It’s normally not my strength but it definitely was today.” He also said how he’s enjoying the course and looking forward to the rest of the week, “I like this course a lot, the course is in good conditions and beautiful. I’m just going to try and keep going and enjoy every round without thinking about the leaderboard. There are still 2 rounds left so everything is possible”
Last week’s winner and current 2nd in the Order of Merit, French amateur, Tom Vaillant shot a bogey-free 8 under-par round and sits just 1 shot back of the lead at the end of round 1. Vaillant was happy with his game today, “I played really nicely today, my strengths were good today so it helped me be in position for birdies most of the time. The course is great, it’s in good conditions and it’s really cool to play here. My long game is fitting very well with the course so it’s helping me.” He also commented on how his win last week gave him a confidence boost but doesn’t change his mentality going into his week, “winning is always great and gives a lot of confidence but it’s a new week so I just restart the week with the same mindset.”
France’s Franck Medale, a past winner on the Alps Tour shot a 7 under-par 64 round and is currently in 4th place and only 2 shots back of the current clubhouse lead. After his round, he commented on how his strategy helped him with his round, “the course was playing well. You could be aggressive with some pins positions which helped me with my score. I putted well and placing my long irons off the tees well helped me put a good round together.”
Among the 130 players competing this week you’ll find 105 professionals and 25 amateurs from 19 different nationalities. They are competing for a total prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points.
Round 2-
Round 2 of the inaugural Aravell Golf Open by Crèdit Andorrà, will begin at 8:00 am from hole 1 and 10. After the second round, a cut will be made to the top 40 players and ties.
For the current Round 1 Leaderboard or the Round 2 tee-times click here or go on the official Alps Tour Golf app.
Tournament Promoter-
The tournament this week is promoted and organized by Spain’s José Manuel Lara. A former DP World Tour player with two victories (Hong Kong in 2006) and (Austrian Golf Open in 2010) in his professional career.
The title sponsorship of this week’s event, belongs to Crèdit Andorrà. It is an Andorran banking house which was founded in 1949 and has it’s headquartes in Andorra la Vella.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android)
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
Instagram- @alpstourgolf
Facebook- Alpstourgolf
Twitter- @alpstourgolf
8th June 2022 | Alps Tour Golf
The Alps Tour heads to France for the Open de la Mirabelle D’Or.
Metz, June 8th 2022– After a week off, the tour moves to the Northeastern Grand Est Region in France for the Open International de la Mirabelle D’Or. The tournament will be played from June 10th until June 12th at Golf Domaine de la Grange Aux Ormes near Metz, France. On June 9th, the traditional pro-am with 40 teams will be played.
The tournament has reached its 19th edition this year, however it has been part of the Alps Tour schedule since 2005. The event has had various winners over the years, including Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli and Spain’s Alejandro Del Rey who are now DP World Tour Players. The current defending champion is France’s Franck Medale who won in 2021 with a score of 14 under-par. On May 30th, a qualifier event was played at the tournament host, Golf Domaine de la Grange Aux Ormes, that offered players the opportunity to qualify for the extra 7 available spots in this week’s event.
The Field-
Participating in this week’s field is current Order of Merit Leader, Netherland’s Koen Kouwenaar in addition to the other top 8 players in the current rank: Gregorio De Leo, Stefano Mazzoli, Tomas Bessa Guimaraes, Pierre Pineau, amateur Julien Sale, Mathias Eggenberger and amateur Tom Vaillant, all of whom are trying to capture the 2022 Open de La Mirabelle D’Or title.
It is sure to be a very compelling week to watch as all of this season’s previous winners except for Marcus Brier, winner of the 30th Gösser Open, are scheduled to compete. As each player strives to capture their second season win, they will also strive to improve their current position in the Order of Merit rank. Current defending champion, France’s Franck Medale will be one of the many French players representing their country at the 19th Open International de la Mirabelle D’Or, as a strong home field is expected.
Seven players were able to qualify at the qualifier that was held on May 30th, 4 of which are professional players and 3 amateur players. The qualifier was won by Thomas Dorier with a score of 63.
There will be 144 players from 20 different nationalities competing for a prize fund of €40,000 and 45,000 points. The winner of the 2022 Open International de la Mirabelle D’Or will earn € 5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. It is a 54 holes stroke play tournament where a cut will be made after 36 holes to the top 40 players and ties.
The Course-
Golf Domaine de la Grange Aux Ormes in Metz, France is a 6436 meters par 70 course. Designed by Philippe Gourdon, it is placed on an undulating terrain that offers various different challenges to each player. The golf course is outlined by century old trees and water hazards, yet provides views of the surrounding countryside as well as of Val Messin. The château in the background is the estate’s signature view. The fairways are relatively broad but the dense rough can penalize any inconsistent tee shot. Golf Domaine de la Grange Aux Ormes is home to 27 holes, an 18 holes course called “Le Bois Brûlé” and a 9 holes course called “Le Breuil”. “Le Bois Brûlé” has been the longtime host of this tournament.
Tournament Promoter-
This event is organized and promoted directly by the golf club, Golf Domaine de la Grange Aux Ormes. The Institutional Sponsors that support this tournament are: Région Grand Est, Département de la Moselle, Ville de Marly, Inspire Metz and Fédération Française de Golf. The Private Partners at this event are: Crédit Agricole, Quadral, Mercedes Kroely, Demathieu & Bard, JC Decaux, Opéra Théâtre, Mayer and Banque Populaire. The Official Suppliers of the tournament are: Eurogolf Luxembourg, Lemoy, Heineken, Château Sainte- Marguerite, Cristian Senez, Agence Grand Angle and Café Richard. In addition, their media partners are the following two media outlets: La semaine and Républicain Lorrain.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android)
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
Instagram- @alpstourgolf
Facebook- Alpstourgolf
Twitter- @alpstourgolf
13th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Franck Medale is King of Mirabelle d’Or
Metz, 13th June 2021 – Frenchman Franck Medale started off so well on the final day of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or, at Golf de la Grange aux Ormes, with five birdies in a row from hole n. 2 and finishing the front nine in 29 (-5), that he soon took the top spot on the leaderboard and never lost it afterwards. His final 62 (-8) and an overall -14, with one eagle, 8 birdies and two bogeys (one on the last hole), was what he needed to grab the trophy, the 5,800 euros check for the winner and the 6,525 points at stake as an Alps Tour member, which allowed him to climb 26 positions in the ranking and occupy the 7th spot.
“I certainly like the course”, says Medale, 26, who studied in the U.S. and had some wins there during college years. “I finished in 3rd position here two years ago, but this is my first win as a pro”.
“Obviously, the day went very well for me, I have followed my goals all along the game, trying to focus on making my best on every hole, and to stay in the moment. I was not thinking about what was going on around me because my partner Vitor Lopes was playing very well, too, and we had a genuinely nice fight! I chose to be aggressive on most of the game because I thought it was a good strategy, I was feeling like attacking and it actually paid back in terms of the score”.
On his side, Portuguese Vitor Londot Lopes, 24, did very well, too, starting the day T4 with Medale at -6 and chasing him very closely, to end on second spot at -13 with a partial for the day of 63 (-7). “Well, what a week it was, just short by one! I know it was not today that I gave it away, but on the first two days. Putting has not been my friend for the last weeks but I must keep practicing hard to get the first win here on the Alps Tour. Congrats to Franck for an amazing round. It was enjoyable to watch”. With a cheque of 3,940 euros and 4,432 points, Londot Lopes has improved his position in the ranking by 13 steps and has now reached the top 10.
The leader of the Order of Merit after seven tournaments is still Italian Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, who – with his third position at -11 at Open de la Mirabelle – has improved his margin on Spaniard Angel Hidalgo Portillo and Frenchman Pierre Pineau, third; Vecchi Fossa has 17,205 points, Hidalgo 14,053 and Pineau 11,514.
No time to rest for the Alps Tour players now, as next tournament is about to start in just three days at La Pinetina GC, in Italy, where 144 players will meet for the 7th edition of Memorial Giorgio Bordoni.
Click here for the Final results, or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
#20thanniversary
