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.
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5th May 2025 | Alps Tour Golf
23rd May 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez is in the lead after Round 1 at the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open.
Lacanau-Océan, May 22nd, 2024 – After the 1st round at the inaugural 2024 Lacanau Alps Open, we have a very tight leaderboard. Spain’s Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez leads after a bogey-free, 7 under-par, 65. In 2nd place, Italy’s Manfredi Manica is only 1 stroke back. There is a 3-way tie for 3rd place at 5 under-par that includes: England’s Ben Schmidt, Italy’s Marco Florioli (am) and Adalberto Montini.
The first round of the inaugural 2024 Lacanau Alps Open, being played at UGolf Lacanau in Nouvelle Aquitaine, France, began at 7:45 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. For today’s round 1, players competed under mostly sunny skies, occasional rain showers, and some moderate winds.
This tournament marks the inaugural year that the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open will be contested and the first time that UGolf Lacanau is hosting a professional golf tournament.
Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez, 25, from Spain, leads after the first round of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open with a bogey-free, 7 under-par, 65. He made 3 birdies on the front nine holes, and after making the turn, he went on to make 4 more birdies on the back nine to conclude his day. Pardo Benitez is a past winner on the Alps Tour as he captured the 2023 Alps de Andalucía. After his opening round, he commented on how today: “My game was perfect. If I’m not mistaking, I hit 16 greens and all the fairways, really every part of my game today was on point. I think 7 under-par will put me in a good position after today’s round. In the afternoon there will be more wind so it could be tough to put together a good score.” This is the inaugural year of UGolf Lacanau hosting an Alps Tour event and Pardo Benitez, “truly likes everything about this golf course, it’s a nice course. The greens are really good, and you need to play really good golf around here if you want a good score.” He went on to add that following today’s round, he believes: “the winning 3-day total to be around 15 under-par.”
The winner of the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand, Italy’s Manfredi Manica, 28, is only 1 stroke off the 1st round lead at the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open with a round of 6 under-par, 66. He made 1 bogey on his 1st hole of the day, and then throughout his round, he made 7 birdies. Manica has been playing very solid since the beginning of the season and is looking to capture his 2nd win on the Alps Tour. Manica shot the lowest score of the afternoon wave: “To be honest today the wind was very similar to the practice rounds today. It was very consistent, and when you are surrounded by the big trees, you need to trust yourself with the decisions you make. I believe you can score better on the back nine as there are three par5s, and the last two are reachable ones. I had an awful start to the day today, but luckily, I was able to put my round back together with a good score. I want to keep doing what I did today and hopefully with a better start to the round.” He added that he believes the winning score this week will be “16 under par.”
England’s Ben Schmidt, 21, a past winner on the Alps Tour after he earned the 2022 Castelconturbia Alps Open title, is in a 3-way tie for 3rd place after Round 1 at the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open. During today’s round, he made 3 birdies and 1 bogey on the front nine and then added 3 more birdies on the back nine to end his day for a 5 under-par, 67. Once Schmidt concluded his round, he explained how today, “I feel like I was aggressive the entire day off the tee, but I must add that I’ve been driving the ball very well lately, so that played out well today. Unfortunately, my faults I could say, the only bogey on the card which I hit a poor iron shot on the par 3, 7th hole and then I three-putted the 17th hole for a par. So apart from that, I played really well.” It’s the inaugural year of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open, so it’s also the first time players are competing on this golf course, Schmidt explained on how he found: “the course is a little bit fiddly, you can get in trouble easily off the tees so you need to hit good tee-shots and you’re aggressive you give yourself a lot of chances so I would say a mix of good tee-shots and good putts will make you win tournaments.” Schmidt had an early morning tee-time today, and he believes that thanks to his tee-time, “the wind didn’t play much a factor during my round expect for a light breeze during the back nine. I feel like if the wind gets up this afternoon, it can play a part in the scoring as the trees are very tall, so it can easily swirly. I must say it was nice to get out early this morning and not get too much wind.”
Italian amateur, Marco Florioli, 19, concludes his round 1 of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open in a 3-way tie for 3rd place with a score of 5 under-par, 67. He was part of the Italian National Team that captured in 2022 the World Amateur Team Championships. Florioli has earned a couple of good finishes so far this season and is looking forward to trying to add another top finish here this week. He concluded last week’s event in Austria tied for 4th place. During today’s opening round, he made 1 bogey and 6 birdies throughout his day. After his opening round, Florioli was very satisfied with his: “putting, it worked well today, that’s something that the last few competitive rounds I struggled with. The course is tricky this week, and I truly believe that tee shots are going to be key this week because once you’re in the fairways, then the approach shots are easier.”
Italy’s Adalberto Montini, 25, is the third player in the 3-way tie for 3rd place with a first-round score of 5 under-par, 67 at the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open. During today’s round, he made 3 birdies and 1 bogey on the front nine holes, and once he made the turn, he added 4 more birdies and 1 bogey on the back nine.
The players are competing for an overall prize fund of €45,000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The 2024 Lacanau Alps Open winner will walk away with €6,525.00 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Round 2
The second round of the 2024 Lacanau Alps Open will begin again at 7:45 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.
Round 1 leader, Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez will begin his second round of the tournament at 2:02 p.m. local time from hole 10.
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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26th April 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
25th April 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
2nd March 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Benjamin Kedochim extends his lead at the 2024 New Giza Open.
It was another beautiful day with mostly sunny skies that welcomed the players at New Giza Golf Club in Cairo, Egypt for the 2nd round of the 2024 New Giza Golf Club. Play began at 7:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. The first time the Alps Tour played at New Giza Golf Club was in 2019 and Italy’s Lorenzo Scalise, who now plays regularly on the DP World Tour, won the event. Players are competing with good scoring conditions this week, even if they faced more wind today compared to yesterday’s first round.
France’s Benjamin Kedochim, 29, maintains his lead after two rounds of the 2024 New Giza Open. He shot a second round of 5 under-par,67 with 1 eagle, 4 birdies, and 1 bogey for a two-day total of 11 under-par. Kedochim has earned numerous top 5 finishes in his career but is still looking to earn his 1st title as he has never won an Alps Tour event. After his round, he was delighted and happily commented: “Even if we teed off in the morning today, it was significantly windier than yesterday. It was already really windy at 5:30 this morning when I left the hotel. The course is wide, so I feel like you can allow yourself to miss some shots off the tees, they don’t need to be perfect, however your iron shots and your putting need to be spot on. I feel like I managed well today in these conditions and the only bogey I made was a stupid one but then I almost made an albatross on 14 so it was a good comeback.” He added that this week, “I’m not thinking at all about the results, I’m just trying to stay in the present and hit the shot that’s ahead of me and I also do the same with my putting. I try to hit the putt on the line I see without thinking about the consequences or having to tell myself I need to make it.” Kedochim plans to “do a little practice this afternoon just to go over the fundamentals I’ve been working on and allow my body to memorize well my swing which seems to be working well and some rest as that is always very important ahead of tomorrow’s final round.”
Manfredi Manica, 28, from Italy, winner of the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand, is 2 strokes off the lead after the 2nd round of the 2024 New Giza Open. He was tied for 2nd place at 5 under-par after the 1st round of the tournament and remains in a 2-way tie for 2nd place with a two-day total of 9 under-par. He made 6 birdies and 1 double bogey during round 2, for a 4 under-par, 68. At the conclusion of his round, he commented on how, “today was a good day, yesterday wasn’t bad either but today the only negative part was the double bogey on the last hole which was unfortunate. However, it’s done now, and I can only look forward to tomorrow and try my best. I don’t want to do what I did at the season-opening event, where I had a rough start to the round, and then all I can do is to try and recover. Yes, it was the first event of the season, so my game was a bit rusty but tomorrow I plan to play like I did today and having played a few rounds, I’m a bit more confident overall in my game.” Manica added that, “it would mean a lot to me to win tomorrow. That would mean adding another title next to my name, but most importantly, it would allow me to have some margin for the rest of the season, which would determine my chances of being in the top 5 of the order of merit rank. That said, I will stay present and focused on my round and what I can control and see if it will be enough at the end of the round.”
England’s Harry Ellis, 28, who was tied for 17th place after yesterday’s 1st round, now finds himself in a 2-way tie for 2ndplace with a two-day total of 9 under-par. He shot a bogey-free 6 under-par, 66 in today’s round 2 where he made 5 birdies in a row to begin his day. Ellis’s best finish this season was a 10th place at the season-opening, 2024 Ein Bay Open. After he concluded his bogey-free round, Ellis commented: “it was a quick start to the round which put me in a good place for the rest of the day. To have a bogey-free round, on a tricky day feels very rewarding.” He added that he plans to: “just go out and play another round of golf. I feel like I have some good momentum and I am just looking forward to being out on the course again tomorrow.”
In a 7-way tie for 4th place at 8 under-par you can find: Spain’s Jorge Maicas and Mario Galiano Aguilar, England’s Harry Goddard and Arron Edwards-Hill, Italy’s Edoardo R Lipparelli and Enrico Di Nitto and France’s Aymeric Laussot.
Final Round
The final round of the 2024 New Giza Open will begin at 8:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. The leaders will tee off at 9:17 am local time from the 1st hole.
The winner of the 2024 New Giza Open, will earn the winning check of €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
The 2024 New Giza Open can count on the support of: New Giza Company as the main sponsor of the tournament, as well as TPC- Touristic Promotion Company and Coca-Cola Egypt.
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28th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
The 2024 Winter Series moves to Cairo for the 2024 New Giza Open.
Cairo, February 29th, 2024 – The Alps Tour players continue their journey in Egypt this week as they move to Egypt’s capital, Cairo, to compete in the third and final event of the 2024 Winter Series, the 2024 New Giza Open. The tournament will be played at the beautiful New Giza Golf Club in Cairo from March 1st to March 3rd, 2024.
The Alps Tour debuted at New Giza Golf Club in March 2019, and the inaugural event was won by Italy’s Lorenzo Scalise, now a regular on the DP World Tour.
The Field
Both of this season past winners will be headlining the field of the 2024 New Giza Open: Aymeric Laussot, winner of the 2024 Ein Bay Open, and Jose A. Sintes Navarro (am), winner of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open.
Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez, Manfredi Manica, Gianmaria Rean Trinchero, and Augustin Holé, who are all winners on the Alps Tour during the 2023 season, will also be in the field during the final event of the 2024 Winter Series.
In addition, all players currently in the top 10 of the Order of Merit rank except for Lukas Lipold, 4th place will be competing this week.
Among the 120 players scheduled to compete at the final tournament of the 2024 Winter Series, there will be approximately 23 worldwide countries represented, among which: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cameroun, Egypt, England, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Swiss, Tunisia and Venezuela. The field will consist of 100 professional players and 20 amateur players.
As for the first two events of the 2024 Winter Series, at the 2024 New Giza Open, there will be approximately 120 players competing for an overall prize fund of €40,000 and 45,000 Order of Merit Points. The 2024 New Giza Open winner will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
The event will be played as a 54 holes stroke play tournament where a cut will be made after 36 holes.
To view the most up-to-date entry list, Click Here.
The Course
The final event of the 2024 Winter Series, the 2024 New Giza Open will be hosted at the beautiful New Giza Golf Club in Cairo, Egypt, located about 200km northwest of Sokhna Golf Club.
It is located on 200 acres of land and was built by Thomson, Perrett & Lobb, featuring some amazing views of the world-famous Pyramids of Giza. The course seamlessly melds the natural terrains, creating an inspiring environment for all players. It meanders through an old quarry, offering the players some suggestive views. It has some strategically placed bunkers, changes in elevation, scenic lakes, and an impressive desert landscape cutting into the huge undulating greens, which altogether complete the experience at New Giza Golf Club.
The players competing this week will play the course set up as a 6711 meters, Par 72.
Tournament Promoter
The 2024 New Giza Open can count on the support of: New Giza Company as the main sponsor of the tournament, as well as TPC- Touristic Promotion Company and Coca-Cola Egypt.
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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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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15th September 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Another bogey-free round puts Ronan Mullarney in the lead at the 2023 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open
Another bogey-free round puts Ronan Mullarney in the lead at the 2023 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open
Saint-Omer, September 15th 2023 – Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney leads the field after two bogey-free rounds and a total score of 11 under-par at the 2023 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open. In 2nd place, the winner of the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand, Italy’s Manfredi Manica. In 3rd place, is the tournament’s defending champion, Netherland’s Davey Porsius. At 6 under-par, the winner of the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open Spain’s Quim Vidal. France’s Théo Brizard closes out the top 5 spots with a total score of 5 under-par.
Another beautiful day with mostly sunny skies and a pleasant temperature welcomed the players at Aa Saint- Omer Golf Club for the 2nd round of the 2023 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open. Play began at 8:15 am from both the 1st and 10th hole. The scoring conditions were slightly more favorable in the morning as there was more wind during the afternoon.
The 2023 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open is a co-sanctioned tournament between players from the Alps Tour and the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS). There are 66 players competing from each tour for two different dedicated prize funds and thus, trophies. The Alps Tour players are playing the golf course as a 6182 meters par 71. The Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) players are playing the golf course as a 5349 meters par 73.
Round 2 Player QuotesIreland’s Ronan Mullarney who was in 3rd place at the conclusion of yesterday’s 1st round, finds himself in the lead after today’s round at 11 under-par. He followed his bogey-free opening round of 4 under-par, with another bogey-free round at 7 under-par for a two-day total of 11- under-par. He began today’s round on the 10th hole, where he made 1 birdie, then on the front nine he made 4 birdies and an eagle on the par 5 9th hole, his 18th of the day. Mullarney is already a winner this season as he captured the 31st edition of the Gösser Open and finds himself in 3rd place in the current Order of Merit standings. He turned professional in 2019, and this is his 1st full year on the Alps Tour. After his 2nd bogey-free round, Mullarney commented, “my short game was very good today, my long game was ok, but honestly, nothing really stood out. I’ve been working really hard on my putting, chipping, and wedge play, so it feels good. It added up to a good score, but it definitely didn’t feel as tidy as maybe it looked but I’m very happy.” He found that, “it’s really tricky out there, to be honest, there is a lot of concentration going on. I tend to play better on those types of courses so there is a lot of things to be thinking about it I will focus on the golf, and I’ll worry about the rest later as I don’t have time for it.” When asked about competing in a mixed event with the LETAS, Mullarney acknowledged that, “It’s nice, we are not really mixed so it doesn’t really feel we are in the same exact tournament, but it’s nice. This is the best tournament we’ve played the whole year by far, the organization and everything that goes in it is brilliant here. It’s probably the best golf course also, for sure one of them.” Looking ahead to the final round tomorrow, Mullarney said, “To win, I have to be one shot better than the next person. That’s it.”
Italy’s Manfredi Manica shot a 4 under-par, 67 today for a two-day total of 9 under-par and be in 2nd place entering tomorrow’s final round. He captured his 1st professional win at the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand. Manica is 27 years old, turned professional at the end of 2021, and currently represents Golf Nazionale. After his round, Manica commented:“there definitely was more wind today, I had a slow start today, a bogey on the 2nd hole, which doesn’t help. I tried to get in the rhythm of things and had a great finish. It could have been an even better one, but I’m in a great position to battle for it tomorrow.” He’s 11th in the Order of Merit rank and is looking to make a final move, “I would be lying if I said I’m not thinking about the Order of Merit, but let’s worry about that tomorrow. There is a lot of golf left, the front nine and some accurate tee shots will be crucial in putting a good round together.”
Netherland’s Davey Porsius, 28 years old, is in 3rd place at 7 under-par and 4 strokes off the lead. He shot a second round of 5 under-par, 65 with 6 birdies and 1 bogey. He currently represents Goyer and finds himself 8th in the current Order of Merit rank. Porsius is the tournament defending champion and looks forward to trying to defend the title he captured last year.
Twenty-three year old, Quim Vidal from Spain, shot a 5 under-par, 66 today for a two-day total of 6 under-par and be in 4thplace entering tomorrow’s final round. He made 1 bogey, 3 birdies, and an eagle on the 9th hole, his final hole of the day. Vidal captured his first professional win at the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open in a sudden-death playoff. After his 5 under-par he commented on how, “I had a rough start to the tournament with my putting, I was struggling a lot but found something which is now working, and today I made a lot of really good long-range putts.” When asked about if playing in the morning was more favorable, he added that, “The last three holes, the wind picked up and was swirling, so I think it was good to play this morning with no wind. Yesterday, the afternoon was calm, so you never know what can happen. I will try and do my best tomorrow, stick to my game plan, and see what will after on the 18th hole.”
LETAS
In the LET Access Series event, Slovenia’s Katja Pogacar, 29 years old, keeps her lead after two rounds. She has a two-day total of 10 under-par.
She has three top-10 finishes on tour this season, including a second place at the Montauban Ladies Open in June. Pogacar has made every cut of the tournaments she participated in this season.
After her round, Pogacar commented, “Today was amazing, I had a little slower start as it was windy and felt different. There weren’t many nerves at the end when I knew I could lead again, I just really looked forward to some birdies because I had some opportunities already before the last four holes. Tomorrow, let’s play some golf.”
In the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) players field, they are competing for LETAS Order of Merit points and their prize fund, which is set at € 40.000.
Final Round
A total of 36 players made the cut which was set at +2. The 2023 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open winner will earn €6,400 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
The tournament this week is promoted and organized directly by the host golf club, Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club.
The 2023 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open can count on the support of the following official partners: Région Hauts-de-France, Pas-de-Calais Mon Département, CAPSO Communauté D’Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer, Autosphere, BFM Grand Littoral, Frigolet, Najeti Hôtels & Golfs Collection, Sdez, Sysdeco, Golf+ and Vittel.
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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14th September 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
French Amateur Théo Boulet is in the lead after Round 1 in France.
Saint-Omer, September 14th 2023 – Twenty-year-old, French amateur Théo Boulet, leads the way after a bogey-free 6 under-par, 65 in the 1st round of the 2023 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open. In 2nd place, only 1 stroke back after a bogey-free 5 under-par, the winner of the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand, Italy’s Manfredi Manica. In 3rd place, the winner of the 2023 Gösser Open, Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney. Tied for 4th place a 3 under-par: Estonia’s Sander Aadusaar, Finland’s Eemil Alajarvi, England’s Jack Floydd, France’s Benjamin Kedochim and Netherland’s Lars Keunen.
The 2023 Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open is a co-sanctioned tournament between players from the Alps Tour and the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS). The event is being played on the same course with alternating tee times between the Alps Tour players and LETAS players. There are 66 players competing from each tour for two different dedicated prize funds and, thus, trophies.
The Alps Tour players are playing the golf course as a 6182 meters par 71. The Ladies European Tour Access Series(LETAS) players are playing the golf course as a 5349 meters par 73.
The first round of the 2023 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open, played at Aa Saint- Omer Golf Club in the Northwestern part of France, began at 8:15 am local time this morning from the 1st and 10th hole. Players were able to compete with perfect scoring and weather conditions throughout the entire first round, as there were beautiful sunny skies, a pleasant climate, and some light winds.
Round 1 Player Quotes
Twenty years old, French amateur Théo Boulet leads the field with a bogey-free 6 under-par, 65 after the 1st round of the 2023 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open. He currently represents Golf de Chantilly and is still competing as an amateur in his 1st full season on the Alps Tour. He made 3 birdies on the front nine and 3 birdies on the back, including 2 birdies in his last 3 holes. After the round, Boulet was very satisfied with his 1st round: “I’m very happy with my 1st round. A lot of good things happened today. I putted extremely well today, and my long game was sharp too. I will try to keep it going tomorrow and hope to do even better. There is still a lot of golf left to be played, but I will keep my feet very grounded and keep improving.” When asked about his playing status, he “we will see what happens, but I would like to turn pro at the end of the year, I know I will be able to have a good category on the Alps Tour next season, but the objective will be to have a good playing status for next year.” Boulet made 2 birdies in his last three holes, and one of them occurred on the 16th hole where “I hit a wayward tee shot on the 16th hole, I found myself on the other fairway, it was difficult to get the good yardage as I had to do a bunch calculation. It could have gone both ways; a bad shot would have turned the score for the hole into at least a bogey, but a good shot would have been very rewarding. I hit a good shot, and the ball bounced the right way, I ended up 2.5 meters from the hole and made the putt. It was a very satisfying birdie and a good confidence booster. I’m looking forward to keeping it going tomorrow.”
Italy’s Manfredi Manica, who captured his 1st professional win at the 2023 Aravell Golf Open by Creand, finds himself in 3rdplace after the first round of the 2023 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open with a bogey-free 5 under-par, 66. Manica is 27 years old, turned professional at the end of 2021, and currently represents Golf Nazionale. After his bogey-free round, Manica commented that, “the course is definitely playing easier than last year, it’s a bit softer and playing longer but on a lot of tee shots, the fact that the ball won’t roll out as much helps. Today was definitely a very positive start to the tournament.” He currently sits 11th in the Alps Tour Order of Merit rank and is looking to make a final move in the ranks but is trying to stay present in the moment, “fingers crossed, it’s definitely on my mind but let’s not say anything. There is still a lot of golf left to be played.” After the opening round, he planned to do some “light practice this afternoon, especially some putting, and then some rest before tomorrow.” Manica went on to add that he believes the key to capturing the win this week will be “your tee shots for sure if you can place them in the correct spots it can be a big advantage and then obviously putting. Those two together will make a difference on the scorecard for sure.”
The winner of the 31st Gösser Open, Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney who currently is 3rd in the Order of Merit rank, concludes the 1st round of the tournament in 3rd place with a 4 under-par, 67. He shot a bogey-free round with 3 birdies on the front nine and 1 birdie on the back. He previously had played in some events in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic began, but this is his 1stfull year on the Alps Tour. Mullarney turned professional in 2019 and competed in the 2022 Open Championship.
Sander Aadusaar from Estonia, concluded his first round with a 3 under-par, 68 and be in a 5-way tie for 4th place. During his round, he made 3 birdies on the front nine holes and 1 double bogey and 2 birdies on the back nine. He is 28 years old and represents Niitvalja Golf Club. Aadusaar found that it’s easier to make birdies on this golf course this year as, “the course is softer than last year, and I feel like it’s a bit easier to make birdies, however, I still have a double bogey on the card and I feel like it’s a course that can change very quickly so I want to stay patient and see what the next two rounds will bring.” He’s satisfied with how he played, “I’m hitting the ball well and gave myself chances. I’m trying to avoid making mistakes and sticky to the game plan.” Aadusaar believes that there won’t be too much difference in the scores today between the morning and afternoon wave as, “today was definitely a calm day, we didn’t have much wind at all so I don’t think there will be much difference between the 2 waves. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the same way.”
The 2023 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open winner will earn €6,400 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
LETAS
In the LET Access Series event, Slovenia’s Katja Pogacar, 29 years old, is in the lead with a 6 under-par, 67. She has three top-10 finishes on tour this season, including a second place at the Montauban Ladies Open in June. Pogacar has made every cut of the tournaments she participated in this season and currently is 8th on the LETAS Order of Merit rank.
After her round, Pogacar commented, “Today was a solid round, I did make some mistakes, but I bounced back easily. I’m happy with the long putt for par on the 13th. I really like the course as it reminds me of my home course, and I feel like I know what to do in certain situations. It’s also really fun to play similar golf to the guys.”
In the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) players field, there are 66 players represented. They are competing for LETAS Order of Merit points and their prize fund, which is set at € 40.000. After the round tomorrow, a cut will be made to the top 30 professional players and ties.
Round 2
The second round of the 2023 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open will begin again at 8:15 am local time from the 1stand 10th hole. After round 2, a cut will be made to the top 30 professional players and ties.
The first-round leader, French amateur Théo Boulet will begin round 2 at 8:45 am local time from the 10th hole.
Tournament Promoter
The tournament this week is promoted and organized directly by the host golf club, Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club.
The 2023 Hauts de France-Pas de Calais Golf Open can count on the support of the following official partners: Région Hauts-de-France, Pas-de-Calais Mon Département, CAPSO Communauté D’Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer, Autosphere, BFM Grand Littoral, Frigolet, Najeti Hôtels & Golfs Collection, Sdez, Sysdeco, Golf+ and Vittel.
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
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