14th August 2017 | Alps Tour Golf
Coupe Canada this week at Victoriaville
Credit: Tristan Jones
No.1 of the current Order of Merit, the Frenchman Ugo Coussaud will be one of the six Alps Tour members who will cross the Atlantic to take part in the Coupe Canada Sani Marc – Desjardins, from August 17 to 20 at the Victoriaville Golf Club.
Coussaud will be in a country of knowledge in Quebec soil since he completed a few years ago his university studies in administration at Laval University where he was in the Red and Gold Team with Sonny Michaud and Clément Herviou, both from La Tempête.
The five other players are Ben Wheeler, Liam Harper and Jake Ayres from England, Dutchman Rowin Caron and Italian Carlo Casalegno.
The presence of European golfers in Victoriaville is not the result of chance. It is the beginning of a cooperation between the Alps Tour and the Circuit Canada Pro Tour. This first step should lead in the short term to the presentation of a competition between both Tours.
This event, sponsored by Plombaction Group in conjunction with Baton Rouge, Investors Group, Fibrobec and the City of Victoriaville, is offering an overall prize money of $ 175,000 and the winner will go with a cheque of $ 30,000.
In addition to the European delegation, the Canada Sani Marc – Desjardins Cup will bring together a squad of 156 golfers from across Canada and the United States.
Ontario title holder Eric Hawerchuk confirmed his participation as well as former Canada Cup champions Sani Marc – Desjardins Dave Levesque (2010), Bryn Parry (2011, 2012), Oliver Tubb (2014) and Lee Curry (2015).
The tenors of the Quebec scene will naturally be on the list with Marc-Étienne Bussières (Longchamp), second in the Coors Light Ranking and champion of the Quebec Canam Open presented by Desjardins, and Pierre-Alexandre Bédard Cap-Rouge), Desjardins Securities Tournament winner René Gagnon, Sonny Michaud (La Tempête), Tim Alarie (Saint-Jérôme), Jérôme Blais (Venice), Vincent Blanchette (Pinegrove), and Jean-Philip Cornellier (Knowlton), the recent winner of the PGA Championship of Canada.
15th February 2016 | Alps Tour Golf
Daux set rythm in Sokhna
Franck Daux of France kept on shinning in Sokhna golf club. He fired 63, -9 and set the course record af A/B course. He only had one bogey because of a penalty he gave himself on 15th fairway.
It was a great day in Sokhna today. The sun was generous and hot temperatures warmed up the atposphere quickly. The club house leader of morning players was Belgium’s Kevin Hesbois with -5.
« I had to say, I holed many putts and that was the key today. I had some dropped shots but all in all a good day though. »
Enlgand’s Liam Harper and France’s neo pro Léonard Bem signed for same score to tie for second position but the leader took a four shot advantage thanks to stunning 63.
Obviously every part of his game went in the right direction but his playing partners appreciated his honesty as well.
Daux grounded his ball and he made it move on the 15th fairway. He had to replace it and dropped one shot.
« It was obvious that it was my fault. The ball moved half a couple of centimeters and still, it had moved. »
Enrico Maccario said « It was very classy and honest. Even if we are playing a gentlemen sport and this behavior is normal, it is always very nice to see that it happened. There was no witness, neither Léo or I did see anything. So very elegant from Franck. »
Franck Daux won his maiden title last week and he said his confidence is high and that he hit very close to the pins.
« I have been playing well for a couple of weeks now and I tried to keep on staying focus to the play and not to be a spectator of myself. I adapted my putting well on greens wich were a bit pumpy at the end of the day. Very happy with this nice advantage after one round. »
3rd May 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Breathless Loughrey won in Tunisia
England’s Jos Loughrey (c) Tristan Jones
The 24 year old Josh Loughrey won his maiden tournament, the inaugural Tunisian Golf Open, thanks to brilliant 66 last round for -16 total. France’s Léo Lespinasse fired amazing flawless 64 to climb on second place tie with England’s Liam Harper.
Loughrey admitted yesterday that he was very nervous to lead and that he could feel all the pressure on his shoulders. He was happy that 2 other players tied leading position with him. He was playing in the second last group and that was the winning one. He confessed to his friend Jean-Michel Hall on the 16th that I was looking forward for the day to finish.
“I happy it is finished. I played really, really well to start with, but it was a shaky start. I didn’t actually played well on the range when I was warming up. I was hitting a little left. I hit on the left for first, made scrappy par but I knocked id really close on second, tapped in. An then my putter just seemed to get on fire. I one putted for six greens straight, some for par, I did miss a small one on sixth but then I birdied from eighth to the eleventh, so four on the bounce.
Then I just pared in, coming to club house. I didn’t make a bogey so that was good. But I was so shaky on the last green. I kept leaving myself less than a meter so I am just glad it is over.
I have been in part on the England squad and the psychologist said “What is your goal ?” and I said, “To win a 4 day tournament” which I never achieved than as amateur. And on my first 4 days professional event, as big as it is here… I am so happy.”
His playing partner played solid but his putting was not as good as expected. He managed to hole a really nice one, 6 meters, on the last green to earn a precious place and share second position with France’s Léo Lespinasse who signed for the best score of the day. Sylvain Debiais was on his bag and the two young men enjoyed birdie after birdie.
“Life is nice after a 64. First of all, it was really nice to have a friend caddying me and to have a good playing partner. It was very stimulating as we were both playing well, so it was kind of a match.”
Lespinasse said yesterday that he had the feeling someone could come from behind with low score.
“I did not want to be vain but I felt I was playing really well, my long game was great but that my putting was not that efficient. I knew I could do way better. I was doing this forecast for me and most of all to bother my friends. I had in mind to shoot low.”
Italy’s Gregory Molteni made the shot of the day acing the par 3 8th, a 5 iron shot for 191 meters and won a wonderful car, a Jaguar XF.
“This is my 7th hole in once in my life and the 4th in a Alps Tour event. I already won a motorcycle on CHallenge Tour as well, I should play for the hole in one!”
Loughrey is now leading the Alps Tour ranking, Lespinasse is at second place, fellow countryman Matt Pavon is third, Liam Harper 4th and Damien Perrier 5th.
From El Kantaoui
Agathe Séron
2nd March 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Colombo back in business
Federico Colombo (c) Agathe Séron
Italy’s Federico Colombo produced great score today signing for 67, -5 at Dreamland Pyramids Open opening round.
Colombo is a former European Tour player. He managed to graduate to European Tour during Q School as he had just turned pro. After 3 years on Challenge Tour and 18 months on European Tour, the 27 year old player from Guissano is on Alps Tour to rebuild his swing and game.
“This is the beginning of the season. I have been working hard during the winter. I just wanted to see where was my game. The first two tournaments I did not play that well but I had good feelings. My putting was not the good but I liked the greens this week.”
“My game is getting better. I had good feeling today. At the beginning of the round I struggled a little but on the back nine I had a couple of good recoveries and I made a few good putts for birdies and especially at the end, I holed two birdies on the last two holes.”
Being asked about his feelings after loosing his card on Challenge Tour, the young man confessed.
“It was hard. I changed my coach and I started a completely new work middle of last year but all these things takes time to get better. The game is getting better as it was like 2 or 3 years ago. The problem was more the long game but at the end it was more psychologically.”
I did not come here with any expectation. I am still working a lot on my game and I am just trying to get my confidence back. I am not looking for good results or anything, but I know it is going to come.”
Colombo is not the only Italian players having done well today. A group of 4 players are only 2 shots back of the lead. Among them, England’s Liam Harper and Colombo’s compatriots Joon Kim, Federico Maccario and Luca Fenoglio.
From Cairo
Agathe Séron
