Steve Lewton on European Tour next year !

England’s Steve Lewton, 27 year old, got his card after Q school marathon.

He has won the second stage last week and after 6 rounds succeeded in grabing a precious place in top 30 of the Final stage.

Lewton played on Challenge Tour in 2010 thanks to his second place at the final ranking of the Alps Tour.

Alps Tour team wishes all the best to Steve for next season.

Agathe Séron

Steve Lewton takes three-way share at European tour Q School

England’s Steve Lewton who finished second at 2009 Alps Tour ranking shares lead after third round at European tour final stage.

Spain’s Jesus Legarrea, 2010 Alps tour member, is on the right side of the projected cut after 54 holes at 41th place.

Lawrence Dodd, Jason Barnes and Matthew Cryer must play very low under par tomorrow to make the cut.

Full story on European Tour website

Matthew Cryer at European tour Q school Final Stage

Englishman Matthew Cryer shot level par after 4 rounds at second stage to earn the right to play at Final Stage of European Tour Qualifying School. He is the only one of the top 5 of final ranking to be part of the field next week.

Fellows Lawrence Dodd and Jason Barnes succeeded as well. Spain’s Jesus Legarrea is the fourth 2010 Alps Tour member to have one chance to play on European Tour next year.

Former Alps Tour members who finished in 2009 top 5 will be part of the Final Stage too. England’s Steve Lewton who won the second stage at Arcos Gardens, Frenchman Baptiste Chapellan and 2009 winner of Alps Tour order of merit, Italian Andrea Perrino.

Agathe Séron

Bella storia for Emanuele Lattanzi

Italian Emanuele Lattanzi gave the right answer to his friends. He won the Q school Final one clear, 16under total to earn the precious category to play on Alps Tour next year. His fellows kept on supporting him and pushing him to go back on circuit.
“They were right, I will play next year and I am very happy with it. Today was strange, I struggled a little bit to stay focus on my game. Some holes I were there and some, I don’t know why, I was totally out of the game. But I have more experience than many of these young players so I am still there at the end…”

Lattanzi already won the Alps Tour final ranking in 2003 and could be the third chance in a row for Italy to grab the pole position next year. After fellows Andrea Perrino and Matteo Delpodio, the odds are good for the “squadra azzura”.

At second place, Spain’s Ignacio Sanchez Palencia 28 year old. Spaniard has been playing on Alps Tour in 2010 but finished 88th at Final ranking. He already won on Spanish Tour but misses some good results abroad to confirm his level of game. He will enter all events next year. Three other players from Spain succeeded in gaining the card for next year.

England’s Chris Paisley got third place with a twelve under par total and confirmed his good results as amateur. He will obviously be a good challenger for top 5 next year. He took the lead of “English team” at Q school. As last year, many citizens from United Kingdom tried to be part of Alps Tour circuit and it is a great pleasure to welcome 7 Englishmen and one Scottish next year.

First Italian out of the eight qualified is young amateur Cristiano Terragni who finished at 4th place tie with France’s Nicolas Mourlon leading the French group of 14 players.

The cut for full 6 category is fixed at -3. Ireland will have 3 players on Alps Tour next and Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Belgium have one player each in the right side of the line.

The 2011 Alps Tour season will start mid March with tournament in Spain. Alps Tour committee is working on the schedule. More information to be published beginning of next year.

At Riva dei Tessali and Metaponto
Agathe Séron

Lattanzi's comeback

Italian Emmanuele Lattanzi won the battle of nerves today. He shot again the best score of the day 65, -6 for -14 total at Riva dei Tessali and lead the Alps Tour Q school by 3 strokes over England’s Chris Paisley.
Lattanzi, 35 year old next December, was really happy at the end of the day and as he was speaking to journalists, he was smiling as a kid who has made a good joke.

“I was level par for the day after 11 holes, good game but no putting. Then on 11th, I holed my 50 meter chip for eagle 3 and it was the beginning of the day. I birdied 13rd and 14th, missed on the 15th then again I holed my third shot for eagle on the 16th ! Well, to be honest, I know I can trust my game and I am very happy to be here. I decided 2 months ago to play Q school because my friends told me to try to play again. I should have bet something !”

At second place, Englishman Chris Paisley, 24 year old, from Newcastle. He is graduated from University Tennessee. He was known to be very consistent in NCAA Mens Collegiate Golf events and was member of Walker Cup in 2009. He describes himself as determined and his best club in bag is the putter.

Then, third tie, Italian Benedetto Pastore and yesterday’s leader Swiss Nicolas Sulzer.

The cut is fixed at level par. Still many nationalities in the field. France 21 – Italy 18 – England 12 – Spain 8 – Ireland and Scotland, both 3 players – Switzerland, Australia and Germany 2 each, and one player from Belgium, Austria, Slovenia and San Marino.

At Rive dei Tessali and Metaponto
Agathe Séron

Alps Tour Rising Stars

Alps Tour is pleased to introduce you the top 5 of order of merit 2010.

From left to right, Italian Matteo Delpodio, England’s Jason Palmer, France’s Alan Bihan, Scotland’s Gavin Dear and Englands Matthew Cryer.

Pujalte happy in Italy

Spain’s Miguel “Puji” Pujalte captured his maiden win and lifted the trophy of Open di Publia Basilicata. Italy has always been kind to hom. After finishing second at the qualifying stage of the Alps Tour last year on same courses, he got his best result as runner up at Le Fonti beginning of June.

This morning, he was one stroke back of the lead after a great -4 front nine he stayed focus and calm to hole nine par in a row and win with easy margin of 3 shots. He signed for -13 total.

At second place, Italians Andrea Rota and the Alps Tour player of the year, Matteo Delpodio. After third win last week in France, Delpodio shot the best score of the day, 66, -5 to finish on the podium again and increase his margin on the top of the ranking. He succeeds fellow Andrea Perrino as winner of the Alps Tour order of merit.

Obviously, this final event was the last chance for some players to entr the top 5. One regret for Juan Antonio Bragulat. He dropped 3 shots on the last and it cost him the fifth place but he still have chance to play on the Challenge Tour next year. If one of the top 5 players makes the cut during the Final Stage of qualifying school, Bragulat will be the first on the list to take the free spot…

A very good reason to wish all the best to England’s Matthew Cryer, Scotland’s Gavin Dear, Frenchman Alan Bihan, Englishman Jason Palmer and Italian Matteo Delpodio…

Agathe Séron

Swiss Sulzer shines in Italy

Swiss Nicolas Sulzer, 33 year old, demonstrated his ability to proide great golf. Swiss player split his season between Challenge Tour and Alps Tour. His results were not at the level of what he could do and this last run for victory is a good support to his career. He shot 67 and 66 to lead by one at Open Puglia Basilicata with a total of -10.

One stroke behind, Spain’s Miguel Pujalte and Frenchman Remi Dupuis. Then at -8 total, Italian Andrea Rota and Englishman Jason Barnes.

It does no harm but this once, except Jason Barnes, all top 5 players will try to capture their malden win. New names on the top of the leaderboard as a prelude to a new season to start…

The cut is fixed at level par.

Agathe Séron

Three way tie at Riva de Tessali

Open di Puglia Basilicata is the last tournament in Alps Tour 2010 Schedule. Players are golfing on two different golf course for first two rounds.

On Tessali course, England’s Jason Barnes did best score with 65, -6. Barnes finished second last week and obviously hopes to win again in Puglia after his success in Acaya. Fellow Sam Robinson and Mark Davies are 2 strokes behind.

It seemed that Metaponto golf course suits much more to continental players. Italian Andrea Zanini and French rookie Remi Dupuis signed for 65, seven under par. One stroke behind, Frenchmen Anthony Pailler and Xavier Poncelet and Italian Joon Kim.

Agathe Séron

Delpodio captured Masters13

After a very long day and a battle of nerves, Italian Matteo Delpodio won his third title of the season defeating England’s Jason Barnes by one stroke.

He scored 73 today one over par in very windy conditions. He had a margin of 2 shots at the beginning of the round. His challenger Barnes holed a birdy on the first hole as a kind of warning message saying he will be around all day. And he was.
Both players showed great golf but most of game, it was a battle of nerves. When Delpodio holed for birdy on the third as Barnes dropped one shot, the spectators though it was going to be an easy Italian story but Pont Royal golf course is a place when many dramas happened.

After nine holes and great birdies both sides, Delpodio had one stroke advantage thanks to birdy on 7th and 9th. Jason Barnes waited until the 13th hole to catch again the Italian and be square. Delpodio hit a 9 iron on par 3 and a gust of wind stopped his ball and it almost felt in the water hazard. Barnes hit a 7 iron and had less than 60 cm for birdy. Then he holed another one on 14th as Delpodio played par.

As the wind, the chance seemed to turn in favour in Englishmen.

When a leading player looses a tournament, there is often a guilty hole. Jason Barnes will regret the second shot on 15th for a while. He had 135 meters to the green with strong wind coming from right. He admitted he pulled it but the punishment was hard. The ball bounced left and went out of bounds. Barnes said that he didn’t even know there are out of bounds there… He dropped three shots of the hole and Delpodio seemed to take a little breath.

On last hole, as the end of the play was supposed to be written, Delpodio missed the green for 3 and landed in the bunker, his ball embedded. Barnes was on the rub of the green, chipped first and finished 2 meters from the flag. Delpodio can’t find the green after bunker shot. At this moment if Italian dropped one stroke and Englishman holed, they could have gone into a play off…

Delpodio missed his putt and gave Barnes a opportunity to win but it was not his day. Many “Forza Italia” came from Italian fans in the crowd and finally Matteo and caddy Andrea enjoyed the victory.

“Compared to my two other wins, it was the tougher. In Spain, I was so strong that nobody could beat me. But since a few weeks, I amp plying well but I tried to fix some points for Q school so I am not in the same confidence. It was such a long day. I did not feel the pressure that much. The conditions was so hard that you have no space for stress ! I knew my chance over the guys was the wind. I play very well in the wind but so did Jason. The key for this tournament was patience but most of all, I am sure I would not have win without Andrea my caddy. He helped me so much…”

Delpodio recovers his first place at the Alps Tour order of merit.

At Pont Royal
Agathe Séron