24th May 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
France’s Louis Darthenay leads after Day 2 at the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open.
It was a beautiful sunny day with moderate winds that welcomed the players at UGolf Lacanau in Nouvelle Aquitaine, France for the 2nd round of the inaugural 2024 Lacanau Alps Open. Play began at 7:45 a.m. local time from the 1st and 10th hole allowing the players to take advantage of perfect weather and scoring conditions.
This is the inaugural year of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open as well as the first time that UGolf Lacanau is hosting a professional golf tournament.
Round 2 Player Quotes
France’s Louis Darthenay, 25, is in the lead after two rounds at the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open. He shot an incredible 9 under-par, 63 in today’s round 2, making 10 birdies and 1 bogey for a two-day total of 13 under-par. After his fabulous round today, Darthenay was very happy: “today was an unbelievable today, it’s a day you dream about. Everything was amazing, my birdie putts dropped and when I needed to recover those dropped also so it was cool. My iron game was very sharp too, I had a slow start to my round, but I was able to get my round going hitting some iron shots close. Overall, I’m beyond satisfied.” Darthenay added that he found the greens at UGolf Lacanau to be: “perfect this morning, the golf course and the superintendents did an incredible job. Obviously, this morning, they were perfect compared to yesterday, when I played in the afternoon, so more people walked on them. It’s really a pure joy to play this course this week.” He went on to add that also: “the pins to be more challenging, I think you needed to be on the correct side to be able to take advantage of them as there is a lot of slopes and they are fast. I will now rest, have lunch, and get ready for tomorrow. The most important is to enjoy myself and then see what happens.”
Italy’s Marco Florioli (am),19, concludes his round 2 of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open in 2nd place with a total score of 12 under par. He shot a 2nd round score of 7 under-par, 65 with 1 bogey and 4 birdies on the front nine holes, and then once he made the turn, he made 4 more birdies that included 2 in a row to end his round. Florioli was part of the Italian National Team that captured in 2022 the World Amateur Team Championships. After his 2nd round, he was satisfied: “Today my game was very similar to yesterday. The only thing that really changed was my tee shots, as today I hit a few more iron shots trying to keep it safe compared to yesterday, where I was attacking more and maybe missed a few. That, however, paid off as I was able to make a lot of birdies overall. Tomorrow I will try to go for the win, I have nothing to lose and everything to earn.”
Antoine Auboin, 24, from France, moves into 3rd place after round 2 of the inaugural 2024 Lacanau Alps Open. He was tied for 6th place at 4 under-par after the first round of the tournament but shot an amazing 7 under-par, 65 with 8 birdies, and 1 bogey to move into 3rd place with a two-day total of 11 under-par. Auboin earned the French Team Championship title in 2018 and the French Men’s Championship in 2019. He’s also a member of the C&S Team. After his round, he commented: “I think playing this morning was a slight advantage as we had definitely less wind than yesterday afternoon. The greens were perfect this morning compared to yesterday afternoon when a lot of people had walked on them. I found it to be personally easier today compared to yesterday. “He added that he’s: “played here more than 10 years ago, and I can promise you the course wasn’t like it is today, the course is impeccable.” For tomorrow’s final round, Auboin plans to: “enjoy myself like I did the past two days and I think if you can make the putts at the right time, you should put yourself in a good position.”
Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 29, who captured multiple wins on the Alps Tour over the years. He also earned the 2021 Alps Tour Order of Merit title, which allowed him to gain status on the Challenge Tour. He concludes Round 2 of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open with a two-day total of 10 under-par and finds himself in a 2-way tie for 4th place alongside Spain’s Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez. He shot an amazing 8 under-par, 64 in today’s round with 10 birdies and 2 bogeys. After his round, he commented: “My tee shots today were very good; I also holed a lot of crucial putts from around 3 or 4 meters.”
Alongside Vecchi Fossa with a two-day total of 10 under-par, the first-round leader Spain’s Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez, 25. He is a past winner on the Alps Tour as he captured the 2023 Alps de Andalucía and is looking this week to earn his 2nd title. He shot a 3 under-par, 69 making 1 bogey on the front nine, and then once he made the turn, he made 4 birdies on the back nine to end his day.
Final Round
A total of 47 players made the cut which was set at 141 (-3).
The Final Round of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open will begin at 9:17 a.m. local time from the 1st and 10th hole. The Final Pairing will tee off at 10:45 a.m. local time from the 1st hole. In case of a tie after 54 holes, a sudden-death play-off will determine the winner.
The 2024 Lacanau Alps Open winner will walk away with €6,525.00 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
The 2024 Lacanau Alps Open is promoted directly by the golf course and is grateful for the support of the following partners: Ville De Lacanau, Communaute De Commune, Office De Tourisme Medoc Atlantique, Region Nouvelle Aquitaine, UGolf, Duval, Bluegreen, Ellipse Affichage, Gardengrass, Cutter & Buck, JDG Assurance, Société Générale, Société Bonnefoi, Syngenta, SAS Costal, So Bio, Carrefour, Arrosage System, La Canaulaise, Mazda, SIPA Automobile, Sud Ouest, Media Pub, Vittel, Carnard Duchêne, Château Argilus Du Roi, Château Pouget, Château Boyd Cantenac, Château Leoville Poyferre, La Baignoire, and Le Bistrot Du Golf.
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21st February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Manfredi Manica moves into the lead after Round 2 at the 2024 Ein Bay Open.
It was another beautiful day for the 2nd round of the 2024 Ein Bay Open being played at stunning Sokhna Golf Club. Play began again at 7:00 am local time with sunny skies and a pleasant temperature. The scoring conditions were more favorable in the morning as the wind that picked up later in the day.
Manfredi Manica from Italy who was tied for 3rd place after round 1, has now moved into the lead after round 2 at the 2024 Ein Bay Open with a fabulous bogey-free 7 under-par,65 round with 5 birdies and 1 eagle. He is 28 years old and represents Castello di Tolcinasco Golf Club. Manica captured his first professional win on the Alps Tour last year at the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand. At the conclusion of his round, he commented on how, “I had a slow start today, I made a birdie on my 2nd hole of the day to get to -5 and then I finally made a long eagle putt on hole 17, my 6thhole of the day to get things going.” Manica added: “I putted well both days, but today, my tee shots were very solid, which allowed me to have better opportunities inside of having to recover.” Most of the players in the field commented that during the day the wind picks up and swirls so you must be careful, Manica mentioned that “the wind was a big part of today’s round. It’s not the same throughout the day as it swirls so you must be careful.” He concluded by saying how he, “obviously I would like to earn as many points as possible to be in the top 5 and remain there for the season to reach my goal to be on the Challenge Tour. Last year I was close, so this year, that is my priority.”
Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa who was tied for the lead after round 1 is now in 2nd place with a two-day total of 10 under-par. He followed his 6 under-par 66 opening round, with a 4 under-par, 68 where he made 5 birdies and 1 bogey. Vecchi Fossa captured multiple wins on the Alps Tour over the years, as well as winning the 2021 Alps Tour Order of Merit title, which allowed him to earn status on the Challenge Tour. He is 29 years old and currently represents Modena Golf & Country Club. After his round, Vecchi Fossa was pleased with the day, “I’m happy about today’s round, it was a good day. I slightly struggled at the beginning to make some birdies but then as the wind picked up a little bit later than yesterday, it was tougher on the back nine I played better and was able to make some birdies.” He found that: “in the morning it’s chillier but there is less wind. During the afternoon, there is more wind, so it could be an advantage or disadvantage.” Looking at his record, Vecchi Fossa has earned multiple top 5 finishes here at Sokhna Golf Club, he commented: “Sokhna Golf Club is a golf course I believe that if you miss it in the correct spots, you are able to recover and make a good score but if you don’t it’s easy to get penalized. I think that having a good knowledge about the course and knowing it well is an advantage.”
France’s Aymeric Laussot followed his 3 under-par opening round with a 6 under-par, 66 today for a two-day total of 9 under-par and be in 3rd place ahead of tomorrow’s final round. On the front nine he made 1 bogey and 2 birdies. On the back nine he made 5 birdies in 6 holes stretch. Laussot turned professional in May 2023 after he graduated from college. After his round, he commented: “I had a rough start with a 3 putt from 30ft to start my round and I knew it was going to be a tough day as the win picked up and the greens got really firm so thankfully, I trusted the process and things I could control, and it worked well. Tomorrow, there will be more pressure, but I’m playing this week thanks to the Alps Tour and the French Federation, so I want to be present at the moment and not go too far ahead of myself. I will keep doing what I’m doing and I’m thankful for this opportunity.”
Federico Livio from Italy, who represents Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza, shot a 2 under-par 70 in today’s round for a two-day total of 8 under-par. He finds himself in a two-way tie for 4th place alongside Manuel Morugan. He made 6 birdies and 4 bogeys in today’s round. Livio turned professional in 2020 and is 25 years old. When he completed his round, Livio was overall satisfied even though “I missed a couple more putts and irons today compared to yesterday, which didn’t allow me to make as many birdies as I made yesterday and, unfortunately, a few more bogeys.” He went on to add that he found, “the conditions were different today as there was more wind and early this morning was much chillier.” Livio also added: “To be honest, I didn’t expect to see the results I’m seeing so early in the season in such a short amount of time. I strongly believe that it’s a result of the work I’ve put in with my coaches and a personal change I’ve experienced.” Looking ahead to the final round, Livio plans on: “continuing my routine of shot by shot, hole by hole and I will see where I stand at the end of the 18th hole.”
Spain’s Manuel Morugan, who is in the two-way tie for 4th place alongside Livio, shot a bogey-free 4 under-par,68 for a two-day total of 8 under-par. He is 33 years old, represents RCG Guadalhorces, and won his first title on the Alps Tour at the 2022 Abruzzo Alps Open.
As we are promptly awaiting the first tee shot at the 2024 Ein Bay Open to get the 2024 season underway, we wanted to wish all the players the best of luck for this new and exciting golf season.
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).
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20th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Two Italians are in the lead at -6 after Round 1 at the 2024 Ein Bay Open.
Egypt, February 20th, 2024– After round 1 of the season-opening event, the 2024 Ein Bay Open, we have a packed leaderboard. Co-leading at 6 under-par Italy’s Federico Livio and Jacopo Vecchi Fossa. There is an 8-way tie for 3rdplace at 4 under-par.
The first round of the 2024 Ein Bay Open, being played at Sokhna Golf Club in Suez, Egypt, began with pleasant weather conditions. It was a sunny day with some light winds and temperatures that reached a high of around 20°C. Play started from the 1st and 11th hole at 7:00 am local time for the morning wave and at 11:20 am local time for the afternoon wave. The forecast for the remainder of the week is expected to be similar to today’s round. Therefore, players are able to compete with perfect scoring conditions for the season-opening event.
Round 1 Player Quotes
Italy’s Federico Livio, who currently represents Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza co-leads at the conclusion of the 1st round of the 2024 Ein Bay Open. He shot a 6 under-par 66 round today with 2 bogeys and 8 birdies. Livio is 25 years old and turned professional in 2020. After his round, he was pleased, “Today was good, I played well since the beginning of the round except for the two bogeys. Overall, I’m very pleased with how today went. During the off-season, I decided to change my long-game coach, and I’m now working with Massimo Scarpa. We worked a lot on my long game, but I made sure my short game wasn’t overlooked. I kept working with my putting coach, Camilla Mazzola, on what we had planned to make sure it stayed sharp. He added, “Over the next two rounds, I plan on doing like I did today, focus shot by shot and hole by hole to be able to put together two more good scores and have a chance at the top.” One of Livio’s goals for the 2024 season is to “conclude the year in the top 5 of the Order of Merit rank so I can earn one of the 5 Challenge Tour cards.”
Jacopo Vecchi Fossa from Italy who has multiple wins on the Alps Tour in addition to having captured the 2021 Alps Order of Merit title, finds himself in the lead alongside Livio after round 1 of the 2024 Ein Bay Open. During today’s opening round, he made 7 birdies and 1 bogey. Vecchi Fossa is 29 years old and currently represents Modena Golf & Country Club. After his 6 under-par, he pointed out on how, “I didn’t play very well today, I struggled a little bit to find the center of the clubface, but I know this course very well, I’ve played here numerous times and I’m aware of the critical spots of this golf course. Today I was able to miss in the right spots when I missed a shot, and the good shots came on the good holes.” Vecchi Fossa also specified that, “this offseason I really focused a lot on going on the golf course and finding my rhythm and really spending as much time as possible on the golf course.” He captured various title on the Alps Tour, however “adding another win would be great, I’ve earned numerous titles throughout my career but starting the season with a win is definitely a goal of mine.”
Round 1 co-leader at the 2024 Ein Bay Open, Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa. Photo Credit: Alps Tour Golf.
A past winner on the Alps Tour, Spain’s Manuel Morugan is one of the 8 players tied for 3rd place at 4 under-par making 5 birdies and 1 bogey throughout his day. He is 33 years old, represents RCG Guadalhorces, and won his first title on the Alps Tour at the 2022 Abruzzo Alps Open. After his round, Morugan commented on how today, “I played so so, it was a bit of up and downs like a rollercoaster. However, I believe the good thing was that my misses weren’t big misses. My recovery shots were very good, so that was also the key for today’s round. Overall, I’m happy with how today went, I didn’t play my best, but it is a good sign of where my game is at.” He went on to add “I never focus on the win, the win is there but I know to win I have to do things very well, so I need and will keep focusing on my process and routines. I’m looking forward to the next 2 days, it’s a long race!”
Tied for 3rd place alongside Manuel Morugan at 4 under-par there is: Italy’s Manfredi Manica and Filippo Bergamaschi, Scotland’s Rory Franssen, Netherland’s Bob Geurts and France’s Arthur Ameil-Planchin, Antoine Santarelli and Gregoire Luck.
The 120 players are competing for an overall prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner of the 2024 Ein Bay Open will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Round 2
The second round of the 2024 Ein Bay Open will begin again at 7:00 am local time from the 1st and 11th hole. After round 2, a cut will be made to the top 40 players and ties.
Italy’s Federico Livio will begin round 2 at 7:10 am local time from the 11th hole and his fellow countryman Jacopo Vecchi Fossa will begin his 2nd round at 7:40 am local time from the 1st hole.
Tournament Promoter
The 2024 Ein Bay Open, as well as the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, appreciate the support of Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice, and Coca-Cola Egypt.
As we are promptly awaiting the first tee shot at the 2024 Ein Bay Open to get the 2024 season underway, we wanted to wish all the players the best of luck for this new and exciting golf season.
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).
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13th April 2022 | Alps Tour Golf
Koen Kouwenaar leads with a 7 under par after the First Round at Miglianico Golf.
It was a beautiful morning with perfect scoring conditions to start the 2022 Abruzzo Alps Open at Miglianico Golf. This week the course is playing as a par 70 for the 138 players competing. Thanks to Miglianico Golf and Country Club President, Mr. Mario Dragonetti and course superintendent Mr. Carmine Berardocco for the outstanding work preparing the golf course in excellent conditions allowing the players to have great scoring opportunities.
At the end of the first round of the Abruzzo Alps Open there is a packed leaderboard. Netherland’s, Koen Kouwenaar leads the field with an amazing 7-under par 63. He has a 1 stroke lead over Italian amateur, Flavio Michetti, Austria’s Uli Weinhandl, France’s Pierre Pineau and Portugal’s Tomas Bessa Guimaraes who all shot a 6 under par round 64.
Koen Kouwenaar turned professional at the end 2020 and is currently 8th on the Order of Merit. This is his first season on the Alps Tour, due to the fact that he had a wrist injury which ended up needing surgery last year and was unable to play. Koen after his amazing 7-under par round which included 1 eagle, 7 birdies and 2 bogeys said, “I played well today. The long game was good, not as sharp as always but it was good, especially my driver. My putter was very hot today which is why I was able to make a lot of birdies. The course conditions are great. The fairways are firm and fast and the greens are very pure. The greens are slightly soft with allows for shots to be close to the pin. For the next two rounds, my key is to stick to my process. I know I can play well so I want to stick to my process and see what happens.”
Defending champion, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, who is currently playing this week as the Challenge Tour has an off week, shot a 3-under par round 67 and is 4 shots back of our current tournament leader. After the round, Jacopo said “I played well from tee to green, however once I got on the greens, I was struggling with my green reading. The course and the greens are in perfect conditions like always, it’s overall consistently very well maintained by the course superintendents. The weather is good with a slight breeze and I’m looking forward to the rest of the tournament”
Italy’s Flavio Michetti only 18 years of age, had a great start to the 2022 Abruzzo Alps Open with a bogey free round of 6-under par 64 round and currently tied in second place. After the round he was very pleased about his performance today. Michetti was pleased to comment “I played very well today especially around the greens in fact I didn’t lose any strokes with my short game or putter. My long game was pretty consistent and I was able to keep my ball always in play. I was very concentrated for all 18 holes which allowed me to have a 6-under par round. The greens are tricky but they are in very good conditions and roll very well.”
Tomas Bessa Guimaraes, 25 years of age, who is a previous winner of this season at the 2022 New Giza Open and currently second in the Alps Tour Order of Merit had a good start to the tournament this week. He started his round with 6 birdies on his front nine for an incredible score of 29, 6 under par and continued with 2 bogeys and 2 birdies on the back nine to end his round.
“The course is in really good condition with maybe a few slight differences from the past years, maybe a little bit softer. I hit a lot of good drives which gave me a few easy birdies like on the 4th hole and the 8th hole where I had two eagle opportunities. My long iron game was very solid which allowed me to have 3 birdies on the par 3’s which for me is the toughest part of this golf course.” These were the comments from France’s Pierre Pineau after he completed a 6 under par, bogey free round this afternoon. He also said- “There was only a slight breeze therefore we had perfect conditions overall and I’m happy to have taken advantage.”
Uli Weinhandl, 45 years of age was consistent in his round today with a front nine score of 32 and a back nine score of 32 which included 8 birdies and 2 bogeys.
The 2022 Abruzzo Alps Open is an event organized by the Italian Pro Tour, promotes all golf professional events played on Italian soil.
Among the 138 players competing this week you’ll find 119 professionals and 19 amateurs. This week’s field is represented by 14 nationalities, the majority of which are French, Italian, and Spanish. In the French field, there are 23 players represented. Among the Italian players, there are 64 players represented, and among the Spanish there are 17 players. The tournament winner will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Round 2 of the Abruzzo Alps Open, will begin again at 7:30 am from hole 1 and 10. It will be an intriguing round to watch thanks to the packed leaderboard and good scoring conditions.
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)
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11th April 2022 | Alps Tour Golf
The Alps Tour returns at Miglianico Golf for the 8th Abruzzo Open
Pescara, April 11th 2022 – The tour returns to action this week in Italy after a two week break and head to the Abruzzo region in Central Italy. The 2022 Abruzzo Alps Open will be played at Miglianico Golf and Country Club in Pescara, Italy. The sixth event of the 2022 season, will be contended from Wednesday April 13th until Friday April 15th. On Tuesday, April 12th, the day prior to the start of the tournament, a “best ball aggregate to par” shot gun pro-am will occur.
Miglianico Golf and Country Club is a 5875 meters par 72 course. It was designed by well-known American golf architect, Ronald Kirby. Miglianico G&CC has hosted numerous events in the past including the Abruzzo Alps Tour Open seven times, the 2021 1st stage Alps Tour Qualifying School, and the 2009 Games of the Mediterranean. The course is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, bunkers, and artificial lakes making Miglianico Golf a pleasant but challenging course to play having some strategically placed bunkers and water hazards.
The most recent winner of the Abruzzo Alps Open in 2021 is Jacopo Vecchi Fossa with a score of -15. Jacopo won the Alps Tour Order of Merit in 2021 earning him access in this year’s Challenge Tour. This week Jacopo will be in the field defending his title for the Abruzzo Alps Open. Past champions of this event include Guido Migliozzi who won the event in 2017 with a score of -14 and in 2018 with a score of -18, and is now a player on the DP World Tour. In addition, Matt Wallace, who is a current PGA Tour and DP World Tour player is also a past champion at Miglianico G&CC having won the 2016 Grand Final with a score of -17.
With most leading Order of Merit players competing this week, it is sure to be a very compelling week to watch. You’ll find the current Order of Merit leader, Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli in addition to the other top 5 players in the current Order of Merit rank. France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy, winner of the second event of the season and 7th in the current Order of Merit is also playing this week. All of this season’s previous winners are scheduled to compete this week and hope to each capture their second season win.
This week’s event is organized by the Italian Pro Tour, which is a branch of the Italian Golf Federation who promotes all golf professional events played on Italian soil. The main sponsors who support the Italian Pro Tour include DS Automobiles, Fideuram, and Kappa e Eureco. Their media partners are three Italian newspapers: Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport and Il Giornale. The Italian Pro Tour also has a social partner, Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus and an official advisor Infront.
Among the 138 players competing this week, the field is represented by 15 different nationalities. The players will be competing for a prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. Instead, the tournament winner will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
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)
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12th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Vecchi Fossa and Gris joint leaders on day 2
Metz, 12th June 2021 – With another great day at the office at Golf de la Grange aux Ormes, Italian Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 26, has climbed one step from yesterday’s position and is sharing the lead at -8 with Frenchman Jules Gris, 25, after the second round of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or, in Eastern France. Portuguese Tomás Bessa, 24, is enjoying his third position just one stroke back at -7, while 4th spot is shared by six players at -6.
On a weatherwise complicated day, with a light morning breeze turning into a real wind in the afternoon, Vecchi Fossa (teeing off at 13:14 from hole n. 10), leader of the Order of Merit after 6 tournaments, is showing once again that he is the man to beat: adding a 67 (-3) to yesterday’s 65 (-5), he has carded one eagle, three birdies and two bogeys. “It’s been a hard, windy day, the course is tight, the rough is definitely unforgiving, deep and thick. Overall, I’m satisfied with my game especially from the tee, I’ve missed some putts but I made an eagle three on hole n. 5 which definitely helped! I have suffered a bit on the last holes, with a bogey on n. 9; those are the most difficult holes and the wind made them even more problematic. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!”.
Jules Gris, who gained his spot in the tournament thanks to his 3rd place in the French Qualifying School, which gives him the right to also play two Challenge Tour events on French soil, is obviously very happy with his result: “I have been playing well for a while now and my coach was feeling that something good was about to come, and it happened today. I’m curious to see how I’m going to face the game tomorrow, as it is the first time that I’m in such a good spot. My strategy was to keep the ball in play and play with my head, it worked well. I will try to keep the same mindset for tomorrow, always trying to have fun on the course whenever possible”.
The best card of the day was signed by Italian Gianluca Proietti, who shot a 63 (-7), ten shots better than first round, with one eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys, and is sitting on T15 at -4.
Once again, the work of the fore-caddies was really precious helping to find balls in the rough and speed up the game; 59 players (44 pros and 15 amateurs) made the cut at level par, and will play tomorrow to share the 45,000 points for the Alps Tour members (and the 40,000 Euros for the pros). The second round statistics record also 51 players under par and a total of one double eagle (made by Frenchman Sam Dumez, a 2 on hole n. 4, a par 5 of 460 metres!), 25 eagles and 460 birdies for the day.
Click here for the 2nd round results or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
22nd February 2017 | Alps Tour Golf
Van Meijel grabbed maiden win in Egypt
Dutch Lars Van Meijel grabbed maiden win in Egypt. He won the Red Sea Little Venice Open with -13 total thanks to last round 68. Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa was at same score with 2 holes to play but eventually dropped back to back shots on the 17th and the 18th hole.
Lars Van Meijel was already in contention last week but did not succeed in lifting the big silver cup. This experience was for sure a precious one as he showed nerves of steel as he was leading the way since tee 1.
The young player from Netherlands had up to a 5 shot advantage during the last round but Vecchi Fossa, in the second last group was chasing him birdie after birdie. Still, the suspense was only on the leaderboard but on course, Van Meijel was 4 shots better teeing off the last hole than the leader at club house. He dropped 2 shots on 18th but could celebrate a first title as pro.
“I started really well, I played really good on the front nine. I just made a silly on the par 5 8th and I made some good birdies again. I had a really poor tee shot on the last hole and I made double. I have to admit it was because of emotion going for a win.
Compare to big amateur competitions there are not that many difference. The level is very hgh the only thing is that you are playing for money and every shots counts.”
Vecchi Fossa finished at second place and Gerard Piris Mateu, first day leader, completed the podium.
Lars Van Meijel with this win and a 4th place last week, is currently leading the Alps Tour order of Merit with 6425 points. Julien Brun is only 215 points back, with a win and a 5th place. Jacopo Vecchi Fossa is third, Alexandre Daydou, 4th and the 5th place goes to Xavier Poncelet.
