Tight battle at the top after Second Round of the Red Sea Little Venice Open

Egypt, February 25^th, 2025 – The leaderboard is heating up after the second round of the Red Sea Little Venice Open, played on the A&B courses at Sokhna Golf Club in Egypt. A trio has emerged at the summit, sitting at 8-under par: Spain’s Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela (69-67), France’s Quentin Debove (68-68), and Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa (67-69), still leader. Wales’ David Boote, who shared the top spot with the Italian after yesterday’s opening round, slipped back to 12th position.

Hot on the leaders’ heels is France’s Aymeric Laussot, last year’s Ein Bay Open champion on this same course combination, climbing the ranks with a 6-under total (70-68). A chasing pack of four sits at 5-under in fifth place: Dutchman Bob Geurts, Frenchman Maxime Legros, Italy’s Lucas Fallotico, and England’s Robert Holden, all poised to strike as the tournament heads into its Final Round.

Last year’s winner, Spaniard Jose Antonio Sintes Navarro, who triumphed as an amateur, is currently tied for 27th place with a total of 1 stroke under par (72-71).

The French amateur Paul Franquet posted the best score of the day with a 66.

The Red Sea Little Venice Open was played on the A&B course combination, unlike the Bay Open, which featured the B&C layout.

ROUND 2 PLAYERS QUOTES

Álvaro Hernández Cabezuela, 28, Spanish golfer from Tenerife, has built a solid career showcasing remarkable talent from a young age. Growing up honing his skills at Golf del Sur in Tenerife, Álvaro enjoyed a highly successful junior career. In 2016, he claimed the Canary Islands Boys’ Junior Ranking title, establishing himself as one of the region’s top emerging talents. In 2021, still an amateur, he turned heads at the Tenerife Open, a European Tour event. At just 24 years old, he made the cut in his professional circuit debut, finishing with an impressive total of -5, highlighted by a second-round score of 65. Since joining the Alps Tour in 2022, Álvaro has notched seven Top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place result last week and a runner-up finish at the 2023 Fred Olsen Alps de La Gomera on home soil.

Reflecting on his performance after the second round of the Red Sea Little Venice Open, Álvaro said:

“It was a good round today. Honestly, I’ve been playing very well in these two tournaments. The key, I think, has been patience. Today was tricky with the wind, it was very cold this morning, conditions I’m not so used to coming from where I’m from. But I had a good warm-up, started with a few birdies, and despite a bogey with a three-putt on hole 14, I played really well on my back nine. I made a chip-in and sank a few good putts for birdies to finish at 5-under-par. I’m very happy and looking forward to tomorrow. I have a chance to win again. My main goal is to stay in contention in these events, and I’m doing that. I’m proud of how I’ve managed myself on the course, and obviously, with the scores being good, I’m even happier.”

Quentin Debove, 23, emerging French golfer, is starting to gain attention in professional golf. He recently became a professional and debuted on the Alps Tour in Egypt. Last week he began his Alps Tour experience and was happy with his 15th place scoring 8 strokes under par (68-69-71). In his second tournament, he has been playing consistently and enjoys the course, which has helped him stay focused. Today, he scored 4 under par, even though he had bogeys on holes 2 and 12. However, a great shot on the 17th hole resulted in an eagle, placing him at the top of the leaderboard. Tomorrow, he will play in the final flight with the leaders and is excited for the day ahead.

Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 30 years old Italian from Reggio Emilia, has enjoyed a successful career, claiming three Alps Tour victories in 2020 and 2021 (Italy Open, Abruzzo Alps Open, and Golf Nazionale Alps Open), along with numerous top-10 finishes. His standout 2021 season saw him win the Alps Tour Order of Merit, earning a card for the HotelPlanner Tour in 2022. Vecchi Fossa has also triumphed at the Italian National Open Championship (2018 and 2021) and the PGAI Championship (2019 and 2023). Here’s what he had to say about his round today:

“I started well today, but I hit a couple of poor shots and struggled with my approach and putting, missing from pretty close distance. I finished the front nine at two over par, but then I turned it around with four birdies in a row, striking the ball really well. I managed to stay steady until the end and picked up another birdie on 17th. I’m really pleased, my game felt strong. The wind shifted a bit during the round, but I consistently kept my drives on the fairway, which is crucial on this course to control the second shot into the green. My strategy for tomorrow is the same: I’ll stick to my game, not worry too much about what’s happening around me, and see where it takes me.”

FINAL ROUND

The final round of the 2025 Red Sea Little Venice Open will begin at 8:00 am local time from the 1^st and 11^th hole. There are 49 players who made the cut today at the end of the second round. The tournament leaders’ flight will start at 09:20 am local time from the 1^st hole.

TOURNAMENT PROMOTER