A little more about… Lawrence Dodd

English Lawrence Dodd won the Open de Mogador last February in Morocco. He is second at the Alps Tour Order of Merit.

Golf :

What is your favorite golf course ?
The Island (Dublin, Ireland)

What dream of golf would you like to live ?
To win the British Open

You are playing the Ryder Cup (or President Cup), with who would you like to play foursome ?
Ross McGowan

Your are playing the Ryder Cup (or President Cup), which American player would you like to play ?
Tiger Woods !

If you could change one rule of golf, which one ?
Penalty for ball moving once you’ve grounded your putter

If you could mix golf of 3 players (long game, short game and putting or mental), what virtual player would it be ?
Lee Westwood (long game), Phil Mickelson (short game) Tiger Woods (mental)

Backstage :

If you were an animal ?
Crocodile

If you were a book or a movie ?
Lock Stock and two Smoking Barrels from Guy Ritchie

Public caracter (not in sport) that you admire ?
Eddie Izzard

3 favorite artists (actor, actress, singer….) ?
Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Florence and the machine

If you could have dinner with 3 people, dead or alive, real or fictive :
Billy Connelly, Robin Williams, Marilyn Monroe.

A little more about… Matteo Delpodio

Twice a month, Alps Tour website will focus on best players of the 2010 season. The same interview is going to be published to let you know “A little more about…”.

Italian Matteo Delpodio, 24 year old, is our first choice to start these series.

GOLF :

What is your favorite golf course ?
St Andrews, the Old Course.

What dream of golf would you like to live ?
I would like to play the Ryder Cup. When I was young, I had the chance to play in the Junior Ryder Cup Team. That experience changed my life, and made me understand what would be my job…

You are playing the Ryder Cup, with who would you like to play foursome ?
I would play… why not, with an Italian player! Francesco and Edoardo (Molinari) are doing great on Tour and I like to dream an Italian team into the Ryder Cup!

Your are playing the Ryder Cup, which American player would you like to play ?
I would like to play with Phil Mickelson, I love his game.

If you could change one rule of golf, which one ?
I would add a rule that let you drop the ball when it’s in fairway into a divot.

If you could mix golf of 3 players (long game, short game and putting or mental), what virtual player would it be ?
Long Game: Martin Kaymer
Short Game: Tiger Woods
Putting: Rhys Davies

BACKSTAGE :

If you were an animal ?
A beautiful Siberian wolf

If you were a book or a movie ?
(laugh) My friends would say.. Terminator movie !

Public character (not in sport) that you admire ?
Dalai Lama

3 favorite artists ?
George Clooney, Michelle Hunziker, Fiorello

If you could have dinner with 3 people, dead or alive, real or fictive :
Leonardo da Vinci, Kate Moss, Topolino 😉 (Mickey Mouse)…

Maiden win for Delpodio

Matteo Delpodio won his maiden victory as professional. He eagled the last hole to grab the trophy by one stroke over Spanish Jordi Garcia Del Moral.

It could have been a beautiful win Spanish side. Jordi Garcia Del had a 3 stroke advantage teeing off this morning. Delpodio started with a birdy but 2 holes later his friend Jordi holed to keep power. Turning first nine, Garcia Del Moral still had 2 strokes margin. At this time, the show was not in the leader group. Few holes ahead, another Spanish player was lighting fire on greens. Carlos Del Moral, European Tour player in 2009, holed 7 birdies on the front nine. He birdied every hole except par 3. He said he “offered” the tournament on the 17th hole.

“This hole is tough. Long par 3 over the water, I was 4 meters short of the flag, good shot but many things crossed my mind and I was nervous and impatient since the 10th hole. I made four putts on the 17th… and let victory gone…”

Meanwhile, nothing happened on leaders side until this famous 17th hole. Garcia Del Moral still had 2 shots clear of Delpodio, he missed the green and luck changed its mind.

At this time, Matteo Delpodio was about to grave his name on the book of the most beautiful way to catch a win. He was still one stroke behind teeing off the last hole. He drove perfectly and found the middle of the fairway. So did Jordi, 10 meters shorter so he played first. Spanish missed the green. Then, Delpodio fired the most astonishing 2 iron. His ball landed 2 meters from the flag under crowd applauses. He did a determinated fist pump and walked head high to the green. All Italian players were there, crossing fingers and whispering how it would be great to see their “budy” win.

Jordi Garcia Del Moral hit a chip a little to long stopping in small rough. He stayed short on his fourth shot and then opened the door…

“It is golf, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, today, I lost but I feel confident, I putt for birdy almost on every hole. On 17th I missed the green on the left, chipped long twice and dropped one shot. On the 18th, Matteo did a spectacular eagle. I can not complain. Finishing second in a tournament where Canonica, Lara and Del Moral are playing is an honour. I am very happy for Matteo”.

Matteo Delpodio took his stance quietly while spectators stopped breathing. He holed and a roar climbed for Italian team. They congratulaled their fellow. Matteo kept on smiling and hugged every one on his way to recording. Even if he had just take the win from local player, Spanish spectators were seduced. TV, pictures and price giving, after 3 years as professional, the 24 year old Italian enjoyed his win.

“ As I had said on the first day, it is a question of time. Being patient, agree to wait. Once you are OK with that, good things obviously are going to happen. Today, I stay patient, I had a little luck on the 17th because Jordi dropped one shot and when I hit the second shot on the 18th par 5, I was only thinking about the flag. I had about 2 meters to hole to win but I never though missing it. When you hit such a good shot (2 iron) you can not miss the putt. The first win is difficult to get, but once it’s done…”

Delpodio took the lead of the Alps Tour order of merit ahead of English Lawrence Dodd and Scottish Gavin Dear.

At Valencia
Agathe Séron

First round completed

It is a cold morning on the golf course of El Escorpion in Valencia. The first round is now completed and second round started on time.

The leaderboard did not change but the projected cut is now official : +1. Top 45 and ties.

Leaders will play this afternoon.

Garcia Del Moral 3 shots clear

Jordi Garcia Del Moral, 24 year old, took the lead of Peugeot Open El Escorpion. He signed for the best score of the day, 64, -7 to take a 3 stroke advantage ahead of Italian Matteo Delpodio. Young Spanish is full member of Challenge Tour but is just coming back from wrist surgery.

“I know the course well, I am living one hour from here and I often play practice rounds here. I feel relax to play here because it is not my circuit. I came to train. I have a medical exemption on Challenge Tour with a full category, I will play small European Tour events in April if I can then I will focus on Challenge Tour. Today, my back nine was a dream. I putted so well and I holed one putt for eagle on the 15th hole after a great 3 wood of 243 meters. I am very pleased to play with Matteo tomorrow. We are good friends.”

Yesterday leader, Italian Delpodio holed a beautiful eagle too on the 18th hole, his ninth. Confident teeing off the back nine, he missed some putts to increase his advantage. He dropped one shot with a bad 3 putt on the hole 3, short par 4. On the following green, after a wonderful shot and only 60 cm to go, he holed for birdy. It was his last one. Then, his driving was not so precise and he had to play great golf to save pars. He scored 69 and completed his two rounds with a total of -7.

“I know Jordi well, we have played St Andrews Trophy together in 2006 as amateur. We are really good friends. Tomorrow will be a good and fun day. I hope I will hole more putts if I want to challenge him.”

At 3rd position, two Spanish players are -5 in total, Jorge Campillo and Jesus Legarrea, member of the Alps Tour. Then one stroke behind, former European Tour player, Italian big hitter, Emanuele Canonica and English Steve Lewton, recently graduated from the Challenge Tour via his second place at the 2009 Alps Tour final order of merit.

The cut is fixed at +2.

At Valencia
Agathe Séron

Peugeot Tour Golf Escorpion

The Alps Tour settled in Spain this week. The Peugeot Tour is pleased to co-sanction Valencia tournament. The field were in the starting block this morning but had to wait for an hour before teeing off. The greens were frozen.

Some famous players decided to play in Spain this week. Spanish José Manuel Lara, member of the European Tour is one of them. Italian big hitter, Emanuele Canonica and English Benn Barham joined him for the first two rounds.

Barham explained : « I have lost my full membership on Tour this year, so I can not play until April so I looked at every schedule to find an event where I might play. I knew the course of Escorpion was good and that events run by Peugeot Tour and Alps Tour are great so I asked for invitation ».

Players from Challenge Tour too had no tournament this week so Baptiste Chapellan, Steve Lewton and Andrea Perrino, last year best Alps Tour players made the trip to Spain as well. Big challenge for Alps Tour rookies…

Delpodio leader at the club house in Spain

The first round of Peugeot Tour Golf Escopion has been suspended due to the darkness. About 30 players were still on course and play will resume tomorrow morning at 8:00.

The leader at the club house teed off this morning. Italian Matteo Delpodio signed for a perfect 66, -5. He turned first nine with 9 pars and stayed patient. The 24 year old native from Torino seemed much more untroubled than last season :

“Last year, I was not relax when I was on a tournament. I made a mistake by playing on each circuit if I could enter the field. I was jumping from Challenge Tour to Alps Tour and I even played my National Open on the main Tour. It was not a good choice because each week was very important for my ranking and I missed some casual attitude. This year I feel really better. I have learned from my mistake, I am a professional in my work, I play well, I have a good team around me so I know that if the win doesn’t come this week I can do it another week. Today, I was patient and knew that I would obviously holed some putts. I was very closed to holes on front nine then I holed 5 birdies on back nine. The work I made with the Italian federation is paying back. Massimo Scarpa is running a group of 20 players and he really helps us. He is a excellent coach, knows exactly what to say to make us play our best golf.”

Same kind of words in Andrea Perrino mouth. Perrino won the Alps Tour order of merit last year and came to Spain to practice. He scored 67, -4 and shared second provisional place with Challenge Tour French player Christophe Brazillier.

“Obviously, I have less pressure since I am not playing on my circuit but it is a good thing to practice here. The course is in a really good shape and the greens are firm. Last year, I did not start the season very well but I played consistent since July. I want to be ready earlier this year.”

The weather conditions were tougher for afternoon players, the wind started to blow and it was colder. Th first Spanish player Jordi Garcia del Moral was in morning group as well and scored 68, -3 for a 4th position.

At Valencia
Agathe Séron