3rd July 2026 | Alps Tour Golf
Lars Keunen leads wide-open battle heading into final round at Tecina Golf
La Gomera, July 3rd, 2026 – The stage is set for an exciting final round at the Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera, with nearly 20 players still in realistic contention for the title. Dutchman Lars Keunen will nevertheless take a slender advantage into Saturday after carding an excellent 65 (-6) despite making two early bogeys. Keunen bounced back impressively from his slow start, making two eagles and four birdies to move to 11-under par after 36 holes.
Overnight leader Maximilien Sturdza remains firmly in contention, just one shot off the lead. The Swiss player shares second place with Spain’s Alfonso Buendia and Italy’s Luca Memeo and Marco Florioli.
With low scores proving possible—illustrated by Flavio Michetti‘s superb 63 (-8) on Friday—the tournament remains wide open. Twenty players are within four shots of Keunen heading into the final round.
For tomorrow’s final round, play will begin at 8:30 a.m. from both the 1st and 10th tees. At the conclusion of the third round, the winner will receive €6,900 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. In the event of a tie, a playoff will determine the champion.
Round 2 Player Quotes
Lars Keunen: “It was obviously a great round and I’m very happy with it. It actually started with my girlfriend’s birthday this morning, so we had a fun and relaxed start to the day before heading to the course. I didn’t get off to the best start with two bogeys on holes two and three, but a birdie on the fourth gave me some momentum. From there, making two eagles on the par fives really changed the round. I love this course. I’ve been coming here for a few years now, and it really suits my eye, even if I hadn’t had my best results here before.”
Luca Memeo: “I finished five under today. My round actually started badly with a lost ball on the second hole and a double bogey, but I answered immediately with an eagle on the next hole. That helped me stay relaxed and just focus on playing my game. I hit the ball well from tee to green and holed a few putts. Tomorrow my goal is simply to stay as focused as possible, hit good tee shots and give myself a chance to win.”
Alfonso Buendia: “It was a really good round today. I started with a three-putt and another bogey, but I stayed patient and managed to make a lot of birdies after that. The conditions were a bit different with no sun and more humidity, which made distance control trickier, but overall I think it was easier than yesterday because there was less wind. Tomorrow I’ll stick to the same strategy because everyone is playing well and you’ll need plenty of birdies to win.”
Maximilien Sturdza: “Today was good, even if a few fewer putts dropped compared to yesterday. I stayed patient throughout the round and finally saw a few putts go in towards the end. I finished with a bogey, but there are still plenty of positives. I’ve only made two bogeys over the first two rounds, which is encouraging. Tomorrow I’ll keep doing the same things: stay patient, create birdie opportunities and enjoy the day.”
Tournament Promoter and Sponsors
The 2026 Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera is promoted and organized by JGolf.
The 2026 Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera is supported by Fred. Olsen, S.A., as well as the Gobierno de Canarias, Promotur Turismo de Canarias, the Cabildo Insular de la Gomera, the Federación Canaria de Golf and Kyocera.
Alps Tour Media Contact: Nathan Cardet –[email protected]
Photo Credit: Alps Tour Golf/ Raffaele Canepa
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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2nd July 2026 | Alps Tour Golf
Switzerland’s Maximilien Sturdza sets the pace in La Gomera
La Gomera, July 2nd, 2026 – Under the Canary Islands sunshine, Maximilien Sturdza made the perfect start to this year’s Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera. Playing in the morning, the Swiss player carded an excellent 63 (-8) to take the opening-round lead.
The 26-year-old, who finished 11th last week at the UGolf Aravell Andorra Open, produced a flawless bogey-free round. He made his move with a superb stretch of five birdies in six holes between the 6th and the 11th, setting the pace after the opening day.
Despite an early bogey on the 5th, Spain’s Alfonso Buendia opened with a 65 (-6) thanks in part to an eagle on the 4th. He shares second place with fellow Spaniard Gonzalo Leal, whose eventful round included one eagle, eight birdies and four bogeys.
Round 2 will begin at 8:10 a.m. local time from the 1st tee at Tecina Golf. At the conclusion of the second round, a cut will be made to the top 40 professionals and ties (including all amateurs within the cut), who will advance to the final round.
Round 1 Player Quotes
Maximilien Sturdza: “I felt good when I woke up and just went through my normal warm-up. I got off to a good start and it was nice to finish with a bogey-free round. I was four under through nine, and then the putts just kept dropping. I only missed one or two greens all day, which shows my game is in a good place. Over the next two days, I’ll just try to do the same thing, stay consistent and remain mentally present.”
Alfonso Buendía: “I’m very happy to be back here, as I am every year. It’s a beautiful place and the course is in great condition. It was a really solid round and I’m pleased with my game. I only missed one drive all day, so overall I’m very satisfied. The goal now is to stick to the same strategy and hopefully stay near the top of the leaderboard.”
Tournament Promoter and Sponsors
The 2026 Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera is promoted and organized by JGolf.
The 2026 Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera is supported by Fred. Olsen, S.A., as well as the Gobierno de Canarias, Promotur Turismo de Canarias, the Cabildo Insular de la Gomera, the Federación Canaria de Golf and Kyocera.
Alps Tour Media Contact: Nathan Cardet –[email protected]
Photo Credit: Alps Tour Golf/ Raffaele Canepa
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.
#25thanniversary
#raisinggolfstars
#risinggolfstars
#2026alpstourseason
25th June 2026 | Alps Tour Golf
A Tight Leaderboard Emerges After Round 1 of the 2026 UGolf Aravell Andorra Open by Creand
Aravell, June 25th, 2026 – A mostly sunny day welcomed the players for the opening round of the 2026 UGolf Aravell Andorra Open by Creand, taking place at the picturesque UGolf Aravell Andorra, located just a few kilometres from the Principality of Andorra. Now in its fifth edition, the tournament was first established in 2022 to celebrate the 25thanniversary of the host venue and has since become a regular fixture on the Alps Tour schedule.
After the opening round of the tournament, a tightly packed leaderboard sees six players share the lead at 4-under-par: Switzerland’s Maximilien Sturdza, Spain’s Anton Vazquez Muinos and Pau Sanchez Marin (am), France’s Alexandre Vandermoten, Lars Keunen from the Netherlands and Italy’s Manfredi Manica. Just one shot back, a large group of players sits at 3-under-par, ensuring a tightly contested battle heading into the next round.
At stake this week is a total prize fund of €49,700 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The 2026 UGolf Aravell Andorra Open by Creand winner will walk away with €7,200 and 6,525 points awarded to the winner.
Round 2 will begin at 8.00 a.m. local time from both the 1st and 10th tees. The 2026 UGolf Aravell Andorra Open by Creand is contested over 54 holes of stroke play, with a cut after 36 holes to the top 40 professionals and ties, including all amateurs within the cut. In the event of a tie at the conclusion of the final round, the tournament winner will be decided by a sudden-death play-off.
As the season progresses, the 2026 UGolf Aravell Andorra Open by Creand marks another important stop in the race for the Order of Merit, with valuable points on offer for players looking to climb the rankings.
Round 1 Player Quotes
Maximilien Sturdza, 26, from Switzerland, said: “Today went well, from tee shots to putting. The key was to give myself plenty of birdie chances and try to convert as many of them as possible. It’s always nice to start a tournament well, both for confidence and peace of mind. Over the next two days, I’ll focus on maintaining a positive mindset and concentrating on the things I can control. I struck my irons very well today, which allowed me to create a lot of opportunities throughout the round. It’s encouraging to see that part of my game working well and giving me plenty of chances to score.”
Spain’s Anton Vazquez Muinos, 35, commented: “Overall, I struck the ball really well and made some good putts. I also made a few mistakes along the way—some I managed to save and some I didn’t—but I’m pleased with how I played. I made five birdies, one eagle and three bogeys. The greens here at UGolf Aravell Andorra are quite undulating and the grain has a significant effect, so it’s very important to leave your putts on the correct side. More than the score itself, what I’m most proud of is the way I stayed committed to every shot and managed to remain focused on the present. Looking ahead, my goal is to keep following my routine and maintaining that same level of commitment. I holed some good putts and made a couple of excellent up-and-downs today. If I can improve a little with the driver over the next few rounds, that could make a difference.”
Alexandre Vandermoten, 25, of France, one of this season’s winners, was pleased with his opening round, saying: “I think the key for me is to stay steady and stick to my routine on every hole. I try not to think too much about the score. What’s more important is the battle with myself to stay focused and remain in my own process. I finished well, which was really positive, and I did a good job of keeping my emotions under control and staying level throughout the round. A second win this season is somewhere in the back of my mind, but I’m focused on staying in process mode rather than thinking about results. My goal over the next few rounds is to keep doing that and, as much as possible, stay committed to my routine.”
Lars Keunen, 29, of the Netherlands, commented: “It’s always nice to get off to a good start. I played pretty solidly from tee to green, and my only bogey came from a three-putt on the 3rd hole. For the next two days, I want to stay patient and give myself as many birdie opportunities as possible.”
Italy’s Manfredi Manica, 30, said: “I got off to a really good start and tried to stay as patient as possible because there are a lot of scoring opportunities out there. That said, I’m not entirely pleased with how I played the par 5s today, as I didn’t manage to make a birdie on any of them. I think the key on this course is patience. The par 5s are the holes you need to take advantage of, while on the par 3s you have to be careful and avoid mistakes. Over the next two rounds, I’ll do my best to remain patient and keep putting the way I did today, apart from the 18th hole, where I had an eagle chance and ended up making par.”
Also in the share of the lead is Spanish amateur Pau Sanchez Marin, 22, who birdied his final hole of the day to join the group at the top.
Tournament Promoter
The 2026 UGolf Aravell Andorra Open by Creand is promoted by former DP World Tour winner, Spain’s José Manuel Lara.
The economic promoter of the tournament is UGolf Aravell Andorra, and the main sponsor of this week’s event is the bank, Creand.
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.
#25thanniversary
#raisinggolfstars
#risinggolfstars
#2026alpstourseason
