13th August 2020 | Alps Tour Golf
Day 1 Play Suspended – Jordi Garcia Del Moral Currently in the Lead
Maria Lankowitz (Austria), August 13, 2020 – Jordi Garcia Del Moral roared back into action with a -12 (60) on the first day of the Alps Tour 2020 season at the Gösser Open here at the Erzherzog Johann Golf Club. He entered the clubhouse before play was suspended due to thunderstorms.
With an incredible 8 birdies and 1 par on the front nine and then another 4 birdies on the back nine, the Spanish player was evidently thrilled with his game:
“To be honest, I think this was my best day on the golf course. I played unbelievably well despite missing a sure putt on the 18th. I’m very happy as I have been working so hard for the last year. All the players, in fact, everyone knows how tough the situation has been with the Covid. It’s good to be back and I’m really excited to be playing a golf tournament again”.
Jordi has battled with injury over the years since damaging his wrist ligaments in 2009 so knows what it takes to rise to a challenge and consequently has just one aim in mind:
“I’m very focussed to get back on the European Tour. That is my main goal. The players are better and better. The level on the Alps Tour and Challenge Tour are incredible and for the European Tour you have to be at the top of your game”.
He also joked about having been finally able to get a decent night’s sleep this week as he became a father for the second time last week.
His Spanish compatriot, Angel Hidalgo Portillo, lies in second position with a -8 (64). He started from the 10th tee and carded two birdies on the front nine. He added four more birdies coming into the club house to finish in style with an eagle 3 on the last hole.
Just behind him at -7 (65) are a group of five players. From Austria, Uli Weinhandl and Lukas Nemecz, the 2017 Gösser Open champion. The only New Zealander on the tour, Shaun Jones is alongside them. Two Italians make up the tally, Andrea Saracino whose last win was at the 2018 Des Iles Borromees Open and Jacopo Vecchi Fossa who was on the 12th when play was suspended so still has leeway to move up the leader board.
One of his playing partners, Thomas Elissalde is in the group of four players close behind at -6 (66). He is joined by his compatriot Sebastien Gandon , Sam Robinson from England, and the Portuguese player, Tomas Bessa Guimaraes.
Play will resume at 7:00 am tomorrow, Friday 14th August. Whilst the temperature will remain warm, there is a strong likelihood of further thunderstorms. Let’s hope they hold off until the evening!
Results Day 1: click here
Stay tuned! www.wp-alpstour.ocs-sport.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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
11th August 2020 | Alps Tour Golf
Austria Hosts Alps Tour 2020 Season Return
Maria Lankowitz (Austria), August 11, 2020 – The hills will once again be alive with the sound of club heads hitting balls as the Gösser Open stages the long-awaited return of the 2020 Alps Tour following the Covid-19 suspension.
Special thanks should be extended to the staff of the Erzherzog Johann Golf Club and Gerald Stangl representing the Murhofgruppe promotor. Their unrelenting hard work has made the tournament possible under challenging conditions.
With a strict sanitary protocol in place to ensure the safety of players and staff, a full field of 144 players tee off on Thursday here in Austria. There are 119 professionals and 25 amateurs from 16 countries eager to get back into play. A strong Austrian contingent of 48 players is only fitting at this jewel of Styrian golf courses.
Among the Austrian entries is last year’s Gösser Open winner Timon Baltl. He is joined by Lukas Nemecz, who claimed victory here in 2017. But they can expect to face stiff competition from local Styrian hero, Martin Wiegele, winner in 2008.
The Austrians may also have to watch out for their two lady compatriots teeing off against them. Sarah Schober, a professional player on the Ladies EuropeanTour and the amateur player Emma Spitz.
Also participating is another former Gösser Open victor from 2014, the Frenchman Thomas Elissalde. Whilst the winners of the two Egyptian series tournaments at the beginning of 2020 just prior to the Covid-19 suspension, Stefano Mazzoli from Italy, Red Sea Little Venice champion and the Dutchman, Lars Keunen, victor at the Ein Bay Open, will both be hoping to restart their seasons with another trophy.
Among the seasoned players, rookies, amateurs, and wild card entries is special guest, Barry Lane. Currently playing on the European Senior Tour, with 8 wins to date, Barry has an impressive professional golf career under his belt. Victories on the European Tour, a Ryder Cup appearance and representing England in the World Cup and Alfred Dunhill Cup to name but a few of his achievements. He is also one of the 32 players participating in the Pro-Am tournament at Erzherzog Johann Golf Club on August 12th.
Seasoned Alps Tour players affectionately call this tournament the ‘5th Major’. European Tour player and winner of the Gösser Open in 2016, Matt Wallace, in a recent best wishes message to players said that it was: …”one of my favourite tournaments on the Alps Tour and my best win. Great tournament, great course”.
The course certainly lives up to that nickname. Designed by architect DI Herwig Zisser and opened in 1992 it is located on the edge of a nature reserve in Western Styria, about 40 km from Graz.
The natural architecture of the course respecting the rolling hills, forest and lakes creates an idyllic setting. However, the par 72, 5967 metres /6526 yards course holds some interesting challenges. With numerous doglegs creating blind holes, daring players to play over the trees or play safe, the course requires concentration and accuracy.
The weather conditions for this return to play could be a little unsettled with temperatures in the 20°C but the occasional thunderstorm possible. It just remains to wish everyone a warm welcome back to the tee box and three days of great golf.
Entries: click here
Stay tuned! www.wp-alpstour.ocs-sport.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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
18th May 2019 | Alps Tour Golf
Timon Baltl wins Gösser Open with course record
18 May, 2019 – Maria Lankowitz (Aut) – With four Austrian players in the top ten positions, home crowd had all the reasons to flock to Golfclub Erzherzog Johann to attend the final day of the 27th edition of Gösser Open. And they certainly weren’t disappointed, as the youngest and most promising of their local heroes, Timon Baltl, went around the 18 holes with an exciting course-record 62, 10 under par, and could finally grab the coveted trophy – and the 6,162 Euros cheque – with a three-strokes advantage over his nearest contender, experienced Frenchman Xavier Poncelet.
« It was such an amazing experience to get first win on Alps Tour at home – said Baltl, 24, who is on his third season on our satellite circuit – probably I couldn’t choose a better tournament to win ! It’s really unbelievable for me, having my dad on the bag (Max Baltl, a pro himself) and my mom watching makes this feel even better». About his 62 (-10) on the last round – with eagle on the start hole and then 9 birdies and one bogey – Timon explained : « It was a really really good round, I’ve almost made every putt, it was crazy ! Everything was falling into the right places. I was minus 3 after 2, I was hoping for such a start then I knew I could have a chance if I just could keep it going ; I’ve tryed not being distracted by the situation and the crowd, of course I was really nervous since the second hole, but somehow I kept my composure and kept playing shot by shot. The bogey I had on the 16 was certainly a bit of lack of concentration, I don’t like the tee shot on that hole, I’ve sliced the driver into the water hazard and went for the safer solution – I’ve might have chipped out on the fairway and go from there to the green and try to save a par, but I preferred to go back and drop ». It was a wise choice in the end, since the advantage he had from the other players was big enough and his confidence was strong : « I haven’t counted how many putts I’ve hit in all, but in the back 9 they were 11 I think ! ».
It was a great tournament also for Xavier Poncelet, 33, who confirmed his good and consistent form improving round after round (70-66-64, -16) and finishing with a bogey-free -8 which moved up his ranking to a solo second place.
In third position at -15, another Austrian player, Clemens Prader, 40, tied with young French amateur Jeong Weon Ko, 21, who has been showing his talent with two places in the top 20 in the two previous tournaments he played : « I’m suprised by the strong level of the fields on the Alps Tour – he said – I realized that I really have to score low if I want to be in contention ! ». He certainly shows a high rate of maturity in his game, with just one bogey in three rounds (the first day), one eagle and 14 birdies – one of our rising stars to watch !
The 8th tournament on the 2019 Alps Tour season was promoted by the Murhof Gruppe (www.murhofgruppe.at) and could count on the support of partners such as Gösser Beer, Lipizzaner Heimat, Austrian Golf Federation (www.golf.at), the city of Maria Lankowitz (Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies) and Steiermärkische Sparkasse, and as media partners Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark, Kleine Zeitung.
The Alps Tour schedule resumes in just four days in Italy when the 6th edition of Memorial Giorgio Bordoni presented by AON will take place at La Pinetina Golf Club, near Como, with a prize fund of 40,000 euros.
Final round results: click here
Order of Merit : click here
Stay tuned! www.wp-alpstour.ocs-sport.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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
