19th April 2016 | Alps Tour Golf
Alumni and Members back to Sokhna
The leaders of the Alps Tour order of merit are back to Egypt this week thanks to their results in 2016. Franck Daux won back to back event in Sokhna last February, Matt Wallace wont the event in Cairo and David Carey, third at the ODM took the final invit. Antoine Schwartz, Alps Tour member, earns his invit thanks to a win in January.
They are more than 30 Alumni from Alps Tour to be in the field this week to honour the Egypt to come back in Challenge Tour schedule. Among them, current European Tour member Clément Berardo who played the Open de Espana in Valderrama last week.
Famous names are on the banks of Red Sea such as 2010 Alps Tour winner, Matteo Delpodio, and past years graduates, Jérôme Lando-Casanova, Matthieu Pavon, Darius Van Driel, Damien Perrier, Gareth Shaw, Steven Brown, Jason Barnes and Victor Riu.
Challenge Tour trusted Ali Mohamed, the golf manager, to organise a great event and Simon Higginbottom, Challenge Tournament Director, confirmed Alps Tour’s knowledge of the venue, thanks to its Director, Estelle Richard, was a great support.
17th November 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Pavon and Maestroni Challenge Tour
Matthieu Pavon of France Credit: Tristan Jones
France’s Matthieu Pavon will play on Challenge Tour next year as he just made the cut in the European Tour Q School Final.
The young French man was in tears in Isreal when the final Alps Tour ranking was published. He was at the worst position, the 6th place.
He still had 2 chances to play on Challenge Tour next year though. Either one of the top 5 players made the cut in teh Q School final or he made the cut. Both happened. Josh Loughrey is currently 51st after 4 rounds with -2 total and Matthieu Pavon is 39th with -9.
One Alps Tour spot has been freed and Italy’s Andrea Maestroni will play on Challenge as well as he finished 7th in the final ranking.
9th September 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
The Top 3 to watch in Preisch
Matthieu Pavon of France. Credit: Tristan Jones
This is the third edition of Citadelle Trophy International this week. Long, in very good shape, the players know that the course is a true test of golf. Let’s have a look on Top 3 to watch this week.
Matthieu Pavon, France
The young Frenchman is leading the Alps Tour ranking. He said he feels great and that his golf is sharp. Most of all, he finished second tie last year after Tom Wilde defeated him and Alfonso Gutierrez in a play-off. The winning score last year was -11.
Darius Van Driel, Netherlands
Van Driel is one of the most contistent player of the Alps Tour this season. He recorded two runner-up places in a row last spring. Then he finished 5th and had two top 10. He was on the podium last week in Spain and seemed to be ready for the next step.
Damien Perrier, France
Perrier is known to be a big hitter, but his statistics speak for him, 81,77 % Greens in regulation, second and he has the best average score 69,47 of the season. The 26 year old from brittany only miss a win this season and This week could be his.
17th July 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Pavon defeated Piris in Italy
Matthieu Pavon from France
France’s Matthieu Pavon won his second Alps Tour title, the 2015 Servizitalia Open, defeating Spain’s Gerard Piris after third extra-hole. With this win, Pavon took the lead of the Alps Tour ranking.
Pavon seemed to be untouchable for a while during the last round. He had a 3 shot advantage and the challengers could not catch up with him. But in the second last group, Gerard Piris, 4 shots back, stroke an amazing shot on the 16th par 5 and he holed for albatross. Suddenly, Pavon only had a small edge over the Spaniard.
The drama was not at its end as the Frenchman dropped a shot on the very last hole and had to play against Piris in a play-off. Both players had one win on the Alps Tour. Pavon in 2013 and Piris this season last May.
The 9th hole was the scene of the duel in the sun. They both holed for birdie on their first and second try but Pavon did one shot better on his third attempt and he defeated his opponent.
With this win and the results of this last event to get the Stage 1 exemption, one player could regret having missed the cut, France’s Léo Lespinasse. He has been in the top 6 all the season and slide the the 7th place.
One man’s loss is another one’s gain and Gerard Piris enters the precious top 6. Matt Pavon, Harry Casey, Damien Perrier, Josh Loughrey, Andrea Maestroni and Gerard Piris are the players who will directly play the European Tour Q School stage 2 in November.
This is summer break for Alps Tour, next tournament is in Spain beginning of September.
16th July 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Pavon sets the tone
Matthieu Pavon of France Credit: Tristan Jones
France’s Matt Pavon was very committed to gain his pass to the Stage 2 of European Tour and his game was very sharp today. He scored 68 to take a narrow lead heading to the final round of 2015 Servizitalia Open.
The French native from South West of France holed seven birdies versus 3 bogeys to go 4 under par today and it was enough to take a one shot advantage over England’s Matt Wallace and Ireland’s David Carey.
The overnight leader, Italy’s Joon Kim struggled to maintain his level of game and had to sign for a shy score, 73.
A pack of 5 players are -8 so the last round should be very challenging for the winner to dig an advantage and hold the trophy.
The cut eventually felt at -2.
1st May 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Loughrey hold firm in El Kantaoui
England’s Josh Loughrey kept the pressure on the field in Tunisian Golf Open. He signed for 69 today for -9 total.
England’s Josh Loughrey kept the pressure on the field in Tunisian Golf Open. He signed for 69 today for -9 total and kept his two stroke advantage over closest opponents, France’s Matthieu Pavon and Italy’s Joon Kim.
“It was not as windy as yesterday because I started early. I got a really good start again. I played really well, really similar I feel really confidence with my swing. I just bogeyed the last hole, I birdied the 8th again, 6 foot from the flag. I’ve heard the Jaguar is only for Sunday so I am getting closer. Three under, I am happy with that.
I don’t think that it changed a lot to play a 4 day tournament compare to a 3 day but it is true that we usually don’t have a moving day. I like a 4 day tournament because it is not so much a race. I think the winning score will be 15, I said that at the beginning of the week. I will keep going as low as possible. Yes 15 will be a good number.”
Matt Pavon, 2014 Open International de Rebetz champion, scored one stroke more than yesterday but is on the leader’s toes. He admitted the end of his round was tough due to fatigue and wind.
“Same as yesterday, I tried to be safe on fairways and hit middle of greens because it works yesterday. I Had a good birdie on 11th, I hit the par 5 in two. I kept on doing my pars and I holed another birdie after a nice iron shot and another birdie on a reachable par 5. I made two mistakes, a poor drive on the 6th and I had three putts as well. I was tired and I felt the pressure because the last holes were more complicated. All in all I was not so focus, another bogey on the 7th but I finished my round with a nice felling, a birdie on the 9th and that is what I want to remember of the second round.”
Italy’s Joon Kim scored flawless card of 67 to join the two players on the provisional podium. The cut is fiwed at +1 including two amateurs Austria’s Lukas Kornsteiner and France’s Pierre Pineau, the 15 year old player from PIC in Paris.
From El Kantaoui
Agathe Séron
30th April 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Loughrey two clear in Tunisia
England’s Josh Loughrey (c) Tristan Jones
England’s Josh Loughrey signed from brilliant 6 under par card and was surprised to lead the opening round of inaugural Tunisian Golf Open on El Kantaoui Golf Course.
Loughrey, 24 years old, had a day like in a dream. It did not realise that a big part of the field was struggling to score under par.
“I tough it would be better scoring, I didn’t think I would be leading, I am surprised I am leading. I had 4 birdies to finish. I started really good. I hit really close on two. My first shot on the third hole, par 3 It has gone right down the flag and it bounced straight left and I did not know what it had hit. It hit the side of the hole and went straight left. So I was inches away from a hole in one. And I holed a 15 foot putt for par and that kept me going.
I should have holed more putts, I should have been more under but I am happy with 6. It was quite an easy day for me, I hit really close to the holes a lot. I hit fairways, didn’t putt myself in any trouble, made one bogey on that silly sixth hole but apart from that it seemed easy out there.”
A group of 4 players lead for a while with -4, Italy’s Giacomo Tonelli, England’s Matt Wallace, Ireland Brendan McCarroll and France’s Matthieu Pavon.
Pavon was not smiling finishing his round today. He stayed short with his last putt and then dropped a shot.
“It was a little windy today, I started on the 1st hole so my front nine were the most difficult but I handled this quite well. I hit the fairways and I aimed the middle of the greens to be safe. On a par 5, I took my chance and I holed for birdie, so I turned -1 then on front nine we got lucky because it was not that windy so I could be more aggressive. I scored -3 on back nine which is a good score but it could have been better because I stayed short a few time.”
It has been a while since Italy’s scored a decent round. He confessed he used to struggled with his driver last season and that he is now happy to be more accurate.
“I played well the par 5 but all in all, I had an easy day despite the wind. I am training now with national coach Massimo Scarpa and what we are trying to do it to keep things simple and it is working.”
Matt Wallace, 25 years old, is playing his third season of the Alps Tour and the young player from London has one third place and two 4th places as best results.
“I did quite well on the par 5s. A couple of them were played into wind today. Especially the 9th wasn’t reachable for me but I made a nice putt there from about 30 feet for birdie and I kept my momentum going for the back nine. I left a few putts short today in the middle of the hole because the greens are quite slow which is a bit of a shame. I am happy with the start.”
“It is my third year on the Alps Tour and I feel very comfortable now but I want to get out as fast as possible.”
“There are some really good players out there. All I can take care of is myself but my game has improved massively since being here. I knew what I had to do and I have been practicing really hard with my new coach, Hugh Marr, and it’s going in the right direction.”
From El Kantaoui
Agathe Séron
4th March 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Cooley Pharaoh in Cairo
Andrew Cooley (c) Agathe Séron
England’s Andrew Cooley is really the Alps Tour Pharaoh. He won his fourth title in Egypt, the Dreamland Pyramids Open thanks to final 67. He already won twice in 2013 and once last year.
He teed off one shot behind the overnight leaders Marguery and De Stefani. His start was the best he could have imagined as he birdied the first three holes.
“Well, I did not play very well last week but I had some good tips of Tom Sherreard and he really helped me out to get some good feelings on the range this morning and it kind of pay off.
Starting the round with three birdies did not mean it was my day but I knew I had to keep going, 3 wasn’t to be enough but that was the start I needed.”
He dug his advantage with brilliant and kind of lucky shot. On the 9th, after amazing drive, the few spectators cheered loudly an eagle two. He went -10 when closest competitor Raphaël Marguery was -6.
“I hit a good drive but it did not finish in a easy spot, I thought it was short of the bunker but I hit it hard enough to get over. It is your day when that kind of thing happens and I holed about 40 yards for eagle two, pretty fortunate.”
Despite his victories, Cooley did not manage to get his card to play on Challenge Tour. He confessed his game has to be more regular.
“Last year I had a wrist injury when we had sort of 5 or 6 tournaments close together, that wasn’t ideal. I need to be more consistent really. I don’t really have a consistent game, it is all or nothing but if I could just try get that consistency through the year hopefully pick up another win if I do play well.”
France’s Matthieu Pavon fired the best score of the day 66 to finish at second place.
“I am happy because it has been 3 weeks that I was playing well but my putting was very poor. But on the 10th hole, I holed about 8 meters and it was like a discloser and a relief. Thereafter, I holed some other putts and I had a nice round.”
Pavon leads the Alps Order of Merit after this winter series in Egypt. His compatriot Alexandre Widemann is second, England’s Andrew Cooley and Tom Shadbolt are respectively third and fourth and Frenchman Léo Lespinasse is a fifth place.
From Cairo
Agathe Séron
18th February 2015 | Alps Tour Golf
Elissalde still on top
Thomas Elissalde (c) Agathe Séron 2014
Thomas Elissalde confirmed his good form and keeps his shoulders one shot higher than his closest fellow competitor, England’s Steven Tiley.
The 22 year old from Biarritz shot 69 today for -10 total after second round of Red Sea El Ein Bay Open. Elissalde, Challenge Tour player this season, won his maiden title in 2014 as a rookie when he lifted the big beer glass Gösser Open trophy.
On his wheels, Englishman Steven Tiley, playing this week thanks to an Alps Tour invitation. The 32 year old player from Royal Cinque Ports golf club in Kent is not a rookie in this part of the world. Tiley won the Egyptian Open in 2009, the oldest Middle East pro event (1921). Tiley best result ever is a 26th place recorded during the 139th Open Championship in Muirfield.
A group of 3 players are 4 shots back of the lead. Alps Tour winner, Matthieu Pavon and Juan Antonio Bragulat and France’s Clément Batut whose best result on Alps Tour is a 9th place last year during this opening event of the season.
The cut felt at +2 and former European Tour players such as Federico Colombo, Andrea Maestroni and Julien Clément did not make it.
18th October 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Larranaga aims back-to-back win
Spain’s Eduardo Larranaga (c) Matthieu Vitré
Last week winner, Spain’s Eduardo Larranaga confirmed his good form and shot 66 today for -9 total. He leads the 2014 Abruzzo Open by one shot over France’s Dominique Nouailhac and Italy’s Alessio Bruschi.
With a total of -7, two Alps Tour winner, Spain’s Juan Antonion Bragulat and France’s Matthieu Pavon. The Spaniard shot the best score of the day with a 64 seven under par card.
The Alps Tour final ranking will be announced when the winner lift the trophy tomorrow. All players on the edge of the lucky top 5 will have an eye on what happens in the groups behind the leaders.
Larranaga will try to win a back-to-back title after his maiden trophy in France last week but France’s Thomas Elissalde, who missed the cut this week, will be very interested in who is going to earn the winning 5800 euros.
Elissalde, currently at 5th place, will loose his precious ranking in two cases, one, if his friend Matthieu Pavon wins and also if Jean-Pierre Verselin wins. This calcution is not very elegant but it matters when your season depends on it.
Borja Virto, Borja Etchart and Tobias Nemecz made the cut this week so they will gain more point to confirm their place in final Top 5.
