Domingo's fiesta at Peugeot Classic Omnium International

Agus Domingo wins the Peugeot Classic Omnium International one stroke clear of fellow Pedro Erice and Frenchmen Tony Raillard and Kenny Le Sager.

Peugeot Classic is the kind of tournament used to end by a play off. At the beginning of the day, it seemed that it was going to be this way again. Many players were very closed and after 9 holes, Spain’s Pedro Erice was one little stroke clear of  Frenchman Kenny Le Sager and 2 over fellow Agus Domingo.

Meanwhile Scot Gavin Dear was scoring the figure of the day, 67 and finished at 5th place tie.

The turn of the day happened at hole 15th. Until then, Erice still had his advantage and dropped one shot on tough par 3. He joined Kenny Le Sager at -7 and save he nice par to tee off the 17th par 5 square again. Spain’s Agus Domingo was -6.

Three tee shots later, Domingo was on the fairway, Le Sager on the right side in the rough, good lie and Erice in high grass on the left. He played first and ended next to a big tree. Le Sager did great shot to find fairway and nightmare kept on going on for young Erice. He tried to find the fairway with 3 iron but  his ball hit another tree and felt a few meters from there. He hit the green with fourth shot. Le Sager hit wonderful shot as Domingo did for regulation. The two men have been playing together for all week and their challenge restarted as soon as they both holed for birdy. Erice finally dropped two shots…

Kenny Le Sager was on the road for his maiden win but still had to confront his demons of 18th tee shot. Unfortunately, he pushed his 3 iron and found his ball behind a tree with no shot to the green. He signed for a double bogey on last hole as he almost had both hand on the trophy.

“If I could replay the last hole, despite the tee shot I would make the same choice. After my small shot to the fairway, I hit a 9 iron. It was a difficult shot. I hit it well and was very surprised to see it stay short. I though it would have rolled. Then I had a 13 meter putt going down. I did not want to stay short because I prefer to have a right to left putt as second. It was too long and I missed it…. It is very tough to loose like that. I would have preferred that Agus holed a birdy. I really felt that I offer the win but I am happy it was between us…”

Agus Domingo last victories was in 2006. All Spaniards were supporting him on the last holes and Agus confessed it was really helping him. But most of all, he thanks his wife during price giving.

“ We just get married last December and this win won’t have happened if she was not there. She was my caddy this week. I am thinking of my grand father too, who passed away last year.”

This is the fifth Spanish win on the Alps Tour this season. Domingo climbed on the 8th place of the Alps Tour order of merit and for once, no change in the top 5 after this tournament.

At Montbéliard
Agathe Séron

Images Gallery

Le Sager, Schneider and Domingo to lead Peugeot Classic

A group of 3 players, Frenchmen Kenny Le Sager and Romain Schneider and Spain’s Agus Domingo shot a three-under-par card to take one stroke clear lead at Peugeot Classic Omnium International. None of them ever climbed on Alps Tour podium first step. Le Sager was even better after 14 holes but dropped two shots by three-putting 15th and 16th in a row… At fourth place tie, six players Swiss Gregori Baumann, Alps Tour leader England’s Jason Palmer, Slovenian Matias Gojcic and Frenchmen Adrien Mork, Clément Gallois and Roman Hamon.

The odds were very bad for today as far as weather was concerned. Yesterday evening, officials were thinking about a B plan to at least play 2 rounds. It was supposed to be an awful day and when first group teed off it was. Heavy rain, dark clouds and flooded putting green. But after one hour and half, sun finally took its revenge on clouds and won the battle to shine.

On course, players had to adapt and scores stayed quite high. Leaders after morning session were two Frenchmen. Clément Gallois and rookie Roman Hamon. They both shot 70, 2 under par. Then volonteers gave Vincent Cachera credit for main significant fact before lunch. He holed in one the 8th hole. But still, he was not the only player of the day to ace this hole. Montbeliard native, Adrien Mork signed for same feat. Obviously he offered champagne at club house and scored 70.

When Mother Nature teased the field in a tournament, the big deal is to be or not to be in the good draw. As day went, morning and afternoon conditions balanced out. Showers and strong gusts disturbed players in the middle of the afternoon and round ended as it started under heavy rain.

The projected cut is +2.

At Montbéliard
Agathe Séron

Domingo to challenge Le Sager

Spain’s Agus Domingo and Frenchman Kenny Le Sager maintained their leadership over the field. They both shot under par this morning in the cold atmosphere of Golf Club Montbéliard. They were in the same group and it was a great match to follow. They are -6 total and have a two stroke advantage over the closest challengers.

Spain’s Agus Domingo was very disappointed yesterday not to have a picture of him on the Alps Tour website. Was it a kind of a motivation to stay on top of the leaderboard ? Who knows ? He joked about it as his playing partner did. Beside laugh they played very solid and enjoyed the day.

Kenny Le Sager confessed he has been playing very well for a few months and that he is very closed to get a good result.

“I really improved my strategy on course. I do better deal with my mistakes and each round, I adapt my target to the swing I can produce. And obviously I am stronger in each part of the game thanks to my coaches, Maxime Van Hauwe and Mathieu Santerre. ”

Few players of morning session won against the course. As an exception to the rule, Frenchman George Leriche shot the best score of the day before lunch. He did not drop any shot and holed 6 birdies to sign for 66.

The weather during the afternoon was really better. The temperature increased enough to make players take off their pullover. More and more red figures appeared on the scoring board. Spaniard Pedro Erice took third place alone one stroke back thanks to great 67 and England’s Matthew Cryer signed for 68 and a total of -4 at fifth place. Then a group of 4 players are sixth tie : Frenchmen Tony Raillard and Clément Gallois, Italian Andrea Zanini and Spain’s Jordi Garcia del Moral.

After many expectation, the cut is finally fixed at +4 for 54 players including 6 amateurs.

At Montbéliard
Agathe Séron

Peugeot Classic Omnium International Preview

Peugeot Classic Omnium International is pleased to enter Alps Tour Schedule for the first year.

First edition of this great event was in 1984. Peugeot Classic used to be famous as amateur event in Europe. Great players graved their name on the trophy such as Robert Karlsson, Thomas Bjorn or Rapahael Jacquelin.

Defending champion and twice winner of the French Open, Jeff Remésy is here at Prunevelle Golf Club.

Weather was wonderful yesterday for the pro-am but on Thursday morning, heavy rain and storms came on the Monbeliard area. Players are on course but obviously, it will be a long day….

At Prunevelle
Agathe Séron

A little more about… Alan Bihan

Golf :

What is your favorite golf course ?
La Dehesa Golf Course (Santiago du Chili)

What dream of golf would you like to live ?
Win the Masters

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

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

If you could change one rule of golf, which one ?
No Out of Bounds on courses

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

Short game, Phil Mickelson, putting, Jack Nicklaus and my long game !

Backstage :

If you were an animal ?
A Guepard

If you were a book or a movie ?
La peste, d’Albert Camus

3 favorite artists (actor, actress, singer….) ?
Coluche, Louis de Funès, Bourvil

If you could have dinner with 3 people, dead or alive, real or fictive :
Albert Einstein, Yves Montand, Maryline Monroe.

On the edge for Weinhandl

Austrian Uli Weinhandl win the Omnium of Belgium by one single shot with a total of -11. His last win was in may 2009 in Austria. Norwegian Jason Kelly finished second and Frenchman Baptiste Chapellan, Challenge Tour player, took third place.

Until the 17th hole, it seemed that it would be a easy win for Weinhandl. He had 3 strokes advantage and he managed to stay calm and play solid despite mother nature. The weather got worst and worst during the day with rain and wind.

Austrian dropped 2 shots on 17th par 3 and open the door to main challenger Kelly. Teeing off the last hole, Norwegian needed to “win the hole” to get into a play off. Jason Kelly already birdied the 18th twice and Uli Weinhandl never did better than par… But today was Uli’s day.

Another player will remember this week as a kind of win. Gavin Dear shared fourth place and grab the famous exemption for European Tour school first stage. With a tiny margin of 25 euros he jumped on the 6th place of the Alps Tour order of merit and push Carlos Balmaseda one step behind.

Agathe Séron

Weinhandl in command

Austrian Uli Weinhandl made the field dance on one’s tune. He shot 64, 7 under par to sign for the best score of the day and to lead one stroke clear. Weinhandl, still fighting for first win this year made very good impression. He holed 9 birdies today at Omnium of Belgium and no one seems to be able to stop him.

Yesterday leader, Juan Antonio Bragulat lived on of those awful day in golf. He scored 75,  11 strokes more than today’s leader…

Another player had a bad day. Tournament Committee had to disqualify Julien Foret as he played on a wrong green. A misreading of a commun rule (25-3) that costed him a lot.

Belgian Gerald Gresse kept on playing quite well and is second only one stroke back of the lead. However he confessed he struggled a little more with short game today to finally scored 70.

The final ranking tomorrow is much more important for another tournament. The Top 6 of the Alps Tour order of merit tomorrow evening will get exemption for European Tour first qualifying stage. There are two players in the race for the precious 6th place : Spaniard Carlos Balmaseda and Scot Gavin Dear. Until today, Dear is 7th but if he succeeded in climbing on the podium tomorrow AND Balmaseda finished about 20th or worst, then Dear could catch the precious master key.

Agathe Séron

Bragulat in the running

Spain’s Juan Antonio Bragulat, 24 years old, is in the running to grab his third title of the season. Young Spaniard already won in Austria in May and in France mid June. With a third win same year, he would equalize Julien Quesne and Andrea Perrino records.

He signed for 67, 4 under par today and maintained his lead of 3 strokes over the field. At second place, Belgian pro, Gerald Gresse with same card. He wrote his feeling on his website:

“However, I only hit 12 or 13 greens, it means that my shot game was solid. I missed 3 important short putts to score even better but I am happy.”

Englishmen Jason Palmer, last week winner and Norvegian Jason Kelly tie third place.

The cut is fixed at level par including 10 Belgian players.

Agathe Séron

Bragulat and Chaudhuri 3 strokes clear

England’s Neil Chaudhuri and Spaniard Juan Antonio Bragulat shot 64, minus 7, today at The  Omnium of Belgium. Both players did not dropped any shot and signed for perfect card. They are 3 strokes clear of a big group of 10 players including Belgium amateur, Rutger Dhondt from Keerbergen Golf Club and pro Gérald Gresse.

Bragulat is used as twice winner  to be on top of the leaderboard but Neil Chaudhuri Has not been playing for a while :

“ I needed time away from tournaments. I struggled so much with my game that I took 5 weeks off. I have been training very hard for the last three weeks. I changed very little things on my swing and today my iron game was very solid. I did not miss any green and holed only one long putt. I was often closed to the pins.”

Englishman is far away in the ranking but does appreciate to feel much more confident on course as he will play Tour School in September.

The projected cut is level par including 12 Belgium’s players.

Agathe Séron

Finally Palmer!

Englisman Jason Palmer finally caught his maiden win in Austria. He won The Uniqa Financelife Open Presented by Kürier 4 strokes clear of fellow Daniel Coughlan.

Jason Palmer has been running after win for months. Englishman from Leicester was until now Alps Tour best player without a trophy in his luggages. As far as figures are concerned, Palmer’s stats were almost perfect. His stroke average was 69.07 but even better he was the first “birdy maker” with almost 5 each round.

After months getting around a win, Jason Palmer shot the best score of the day, 65 to finally get the win he deserved. Since the beginning of the season, he finished 6 times at 7th place and better and twice runner up. This good result brings another satisfaction to England’s player, he takes the lead of the Alps Tour order of merit.

At second place this week, another Englishman, Daniel Coughlan. Scot Gavin Dear climbed on podium third step and confirmed 7th place at the Alps Tour ranking. Dear needs a good result next week too.

The Belgium Omnium is the first dead line for Alps Tour players. The top 6 (six) of the ranking will have exemption  for first stage of the European Tour qualifying stage. Englishman Cryer, Spain’s Balmaseda have to be careful of Scot’s good form.

Agathe Séron