2012 MEMBERSHIP

The 2012 Alps tour Membership is now available. Two formats are available. pdf file : it’s a document to be filled in by hand. Click here to open it. docx : it’s a document to be downloaded and filled in directly on your computer. Click here to download it.

Your membership has to be returned to: [email protected]

Seven 2011 Alps Tour member to play the Final Stage

There are seven players who succeeded in gaining their ticket to the final stage of the European Tour qualifying school: Guillaume Cambis, Chris Paisley(picture), Marco Crespi, Jordan Gibb, Xavier Poncelet, Florian Preagant and Uli Weinhandl. If Cambis or Crespi make the cut next week, player at 7^th place and 8^th on Final Alps Tour ranking will obtain the precious 10 category on Challenge Tour for next year.

Many former alps Tour members will play the final as well: Baptiste Chapellan, Agus Domingo, Julien Guerrier, José Felipe Lima, Michaël Lorenzo-Vera, Ben Mannix, Victor Riu, Martin Rominger, Charles-Edouard Russo, Anthony Snobeck and 2010 Alps Tour ranking winner, Italian Andrea Perrino.

2012 Season will start next February in Marrakesh

Morocco will welcome again the Alps Tour for the launch of the 2012 Season. In partnership with the ATLAS PRO TOUR promoted by the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association, two Winter Series events will be scheduled next February in Marrakesh with a prize money of ?30,000 each and 90 participants:
Open Palmeraie Golf Palace – 8th to 10th February 2012 – Palmeraie Golf Club (Pro-Am on 11st Feb.)
Open Samanah – 14th to 16th February 2012 – Samanah Golf Club (Pro-Am on 12nd Feb.)

More details soon…

Trio to win Q School Final

A trio won the Q school Final at Toscana golf club with -9 total. Already famous Walker Cup player England’s Stiggy Hodgson, Scot’s Kris Nicol and France’s Dominique Nouailhac who celebrated the best way his come back to competition. The cut for top 35 is +1.

The weather was perfect again in Toscana. It was the kind of day a record could be broken and it happened. France’s Sebastien Gros made the show before winners made sparkles. Gros, who hurt his ankle during first round, fired an astonishing 62 9-under-par. His fellow Laurent Poncelet was under his bag and the Parisian pair did more than well. Gros jumped from the 43^rd to the 5^th place tie.

Overnight leader Stiggy Hodgson had a shy first nine and playing partner Dominique Nouailhac came back tie at -7 half way. The leader at this moment was England’s Jack Clarke with -8 as he turned first nine one under par and Scot’s Kris Nicol who holed four birdies in a row on first holes. He did not managed to holed any birdy thereafter and dropped one shot to sign for level par. Stiggy Hodgson was the man to watch this week and he finally started the birdy machine on 11^th hole. The story was almost written as the group climbed to last tee area. Hodgson had a two stroke advantage but the 18^th hole did not seem to suit him. He lost his advantage and had to share first place with Nouailhac and Nicol.

Nicol as well as Hodgson got qualified to play stage 2 of European Tour Q School but felt really relieved to secure their playing right on the Alps Tour next year they said. The 35^th place moved with last player to +1. These players will have a full category to play Alps Tour in 2012.

By Agathe Séron

England's supremacy at Qualifying stage

England’s Stiggy Hodgson (picture) and Jack Clarke are co-leaders at Final Qualifying school. Hodgson shot 67, -4 at Toscana golf club and Clarke signed for a 5-under-par-67 card at Punta Ala. France’s Dominique Nouailhac winner of Stage 1 on Toscana course, took third place 2 shots behind after firing 66, -5 in favorite garden. The cut is fixed at +5.

Walker Cup player, Stiggy Hodgson, 21 year old, shown sad face as he sat in the scoring area. The young player from Sunningdale GC had just discovered that the local rules concerning preferred lies were not the same as on the overnight played course. He unfortunatly took a 2 stroke penalty on last hole. But still with this mistake he shot 67 and took first place tie. ” I am very disapointed, Obviously it is not that bad because I am still leading but it is tough. By the way, I played very well. My putting is the best part of my game and I holed 7 birdies on pars 3 and 4. I am not a very long hitter but I have my distance on control so I was closed to the pins quite often. I am going to play the Stage 2 of European Tour in two weeks but I am playing here in case I fail. I want to have the opportunity to play next year and a friend of mine, Farren Kennan (2011 member)told me that Alps Tour was good.”

The other co-leader Jack Clarke, 22 year old, had played one year on Europrotour in 2010. He was Nick Faldo Series U18 Champion in 2007 and finished runner up at the Nick Faldo Asia Series U18.

Dominique Nouailhac is 20 years older than leaders. Nouailhac decided to come back to competition a couple months ago and as he did not have any category left he had to play the qualifying school. Nouailhac won on the Challenge Tour in 2001 and got 3 wins on Alps Tour in 2008. “I love the game and playing tournaments. The schedule for next year is to play full time on the Alps Tour and play Challenge Tour in France if I can enter the field. I played even better today than during first round of Stage 1. I did not drop any shot and I fired 66. It could have been even better because I missed a few putts between 2 and 3 meters.”

After big brain work as the software of Alps Tour failed at the worst moment; the cut was finally fixed at +5 including 75 players. The biggest names on the wrong side are Italian Nunzio Lombardi, 2010 Alps Tour member and winner in France and Scot’s Michael Stewart, 12^th at World amateur ranking. He was playing in the same group as Hodgson and the mistake concerning preferred lies cost him much more. He had to change a par into a double and a birdy into a bogey and that made him miss the cut.

From Toscana and Punta Ala golf clubs
Agathe Séron

Scot's Findlay shares lead with Lando-Casanova

France’s Jérome Lando-Casanova and Scot’s Jordan Findlay are leading at Toscana Golf Club after signing for a very solid 67-4-under par. Near the sea, on Punta Ala course, a group of 3 players shot 3 under par to lead this part of the field, France’s Nicolas Porteboeuf, Spain’ Daniel Osorio and England’s Walker Cup player “Stiggy” Hodgson.

The weather was perfect to play golf today, sunshine and gentle breeze but the bad surprise was the coldness of the early morning. Temperature was barely over zero and some of the players skipped the warm up as their fingers were frozen.

Big names finally entered the fray: Alexander Levy, Michael Stewart, Steven Brown and fellows Andy Sullivan, Jack Senior or Stiggy Hodgson. Hodgson was the only one to fit his famous status after one round. World team Champion Alexander Levy played one under par but the Walker Cup stars did not beat the course so far.

The leaders at Toscana Golf Club had kind of same day. France’s Jérome Lando-Casanova said: “I wish I could stay humble telling about my day but I have to say that I played wonderful. I hit all the greens. I hit at least 7 shots within 3 meters. My first shot touched the flag, it was a good start ! But I ditnot putt very well and I only holed 4 birdies during my round. I felt well and have played the stage 1 on the Toscana Golf Course helped me a lot.”

Scot’s Jordan Findlay, 23 year old, told about the same story: “I did not make any mistake. I hit 17 greens and holed 4 birdies.” Findlay just turned pro a couple of months ago. His highlights as amateur was a victory at the British boys in 2004 and runner-up of Scottish amateur in 2010. “I, unfortunately missed the Q school 1 of European Tour so I was advised by Gavin Dear and Scott Henry, former Alps Tour players, that this circuit is well run and good to prepare upper circuits.”

The projected cut is +3 after one round and the 35^th spot to earn full category is at level par.

From Toscana Golf Club and Punta Ala Golf Club
Agathe Séron

Final Stage – Draw for first two rounds

Tomorrow, Final Stage will start at Punta Ala and Toscana Golf Clubs in Italy at 8.30 am. Weather forecast is very good: sunny with little breeze. All players are training for the last hours.

Starting lists for both courses attached.

Di Nitto, Pailler and Nouailhac winners of stage 1

France’s Dominique Nouailhac won the Stage 1 in Toscana Golf Club shooting one over par today and two players shared first place in Punta Ala, Italian amateur Enrico Di Nitto and France’s Anthony Pailler (picture). Regarding the results, both courses were on the same level. Only a few players managed to “kill the par”.

A few words with our superintendant

Giovanni Broglio is the owner of BROGLIO GREEN company, specialized in golf courses preparation and maintenance. With its 41 employees and more than 100 mowers and devices, the company is in charge of three golf clubs in Italy: Milano, Feudo di Asti and Parma. Giovanni Broglio is also our consultant.

We met him this morning on the 18^th green of Toscana GC. He came here several times and at Punta Ala as well since beginning of September to help both courses to upgrade their preparation to higher standard level. Giovanni Broglio said: “the course were already good but They needed additional works to host a professional tournament. I have had very good cooperation with greenkeeper, I suggested him to verticut and topdress the greens, particularly narrow the greens. I came here with my assistant Daniele and two mowers and one roller. Despite the heavy rains of last days, we managed to cut all areas and offer the players a course in the best possible conditions for the season. With the sun and warm temperature, the course will be better every day.”

Qualifying School – First Stage – Punta Ala

Follow last scores available at Punta Ala GC…

LIVE SCORING

and First round scores: SCOREBOARD