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Alps Tour Qualifying School – November in Tuscany

NEW DEADLINE: 24th OCTOBER 2011

After two years passed in Puglia area, the Alps Tour Qualifying School will take in visits to new venues in Italy, with Golf Club Toscana-Il Pelagone and Golf Club Punta Ala in Tuscany. The tournament is played in two steps:
– a First Stage played on 36 holes in the two golf courses will be held on 10th & 11st November 2011
– a Final Stage played on 54 holes will be held on 14th, 15th & 16th November 2011. A cut after 36 holes will qualify the Top 65 and ties. And the last round will determine the Top 35 and ties which will obtain a full card for the following season on the Alps Tour.

Golf Club Toscana has already hosted an Alps Tour event. Designed by Keith Preston, par 71, it was elected top 10 New Golf Course in Italy by Italian journalists.
Due to own water reservoirs our fairways present themselves all year long in a perfect shape even in the hottest summer days. Experienced players will enjoy the natural course with the great panoramic views at the seaside of Elba island. The greens are very tricky and one must pay attention to the various bunkers which protect them.

The Golf club Toscana is acknowledged as one of the most exclusive in Italy and borders directly the Cordial Golf Residence Il Pelagone.Surrounded by silvery olive trees and outlined by endless rows of cypress.

Nearby, the Golf Club Punta Ala designed by Giulio Cavalsani. Overlooking the sea, the course (6168 metres) is surrounded by an impressive array of trees outlining the many natural slopes.

No doubt that the two Golf Clubs will offer a warm welcome to our players and they will keep good memories of the venues.

ALL INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE AT TAG “ALPS TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL”

Luna ends 5 years drought

Spain’s Santiago Luna won with two stroke margin the Peugeot Tour de Lerma. The 48 year old player from Madrid ended 5 years without any trophy. He staid calm and consistent to keep his leadership until last hole over fellows Jorge San Sabestian and Eduardo De La Riva. For once, the Alps Tour ranking got no change after this event.

The winner, despite his experience of victory, enjoyed his new trophy : “It’s a very long time since I won, 2006, and that was what I really feared, knowing how to control myself in this situation but I made it. I knew the game was there and I enjoyed it a lot. I felt very well with my game. The only time I knew I could be in trouble was when I bogeyed the 16, hit a bad shot to the left and a bad approach. I 3 putted the 17^th and 2 putted 18 that I l¡knew was enough to win. I was not nervous, experience helps you there, and I just enjoyed my game.The best from this week is that I have good sensations for next important weeks to come, European Tour tournaments.”

The Alps Tour schedule is closed to the end of the season and the final ranking. No move nor switches after this week in Spain’s and obviously, the two last tournaments, Masters13 and Sardegnia Open will be thrilling. England’s Chris Paisley is leading but already gets a better category on Challenge Tour so, so far, top 6 wil earn their ticket for upper circuit.

Agathe Séron

Luna tie on top with Parron

Spain’s Juan Parron and Santiago Luna are leading the Peugeot Tour Open de Lerma with -12. European Tour player Luna fired 64 to climb on the top of the leaderboard. His playing partner of the day, Carlos Balmaseda did almost as well with 66 and third place tie with only non Spaniard France’s player, Thomas Linard.

Luna and Balmaseda are not rookie any more since a while but after 2 rounds, they proved once again that in golf, players can be on top during decades. Both Spaniards had fun during this second round as they were kind of battling together.

Luna said “It has been a great match with Balmaseda, we played really well both of us. Tomorrow the main rival is the course, is important to get along well with it. This week is very important to get the confidence for next tournaments, such as the Castello Masters. It’s been a beautiful day, I hit the ball really well and putted well, score shows it all. I was so focused on every thing I did, every hole that I did not realize that I had made 6 birdies in a row until I signed the card. I played very consistent, I only made a silly bogey on hole 4 but I also chipped in on hole 3.”

The cut is fixed at -4 one of the lowest of the year. Some players still seeking for final ranking top 5 or with fragile advanatge are on the wrong side such as Xavier Poncelet, Remi Dupuis, Romain Schneider and last week winner Farren Keenan.

Agathe Séron

Parron and Genev neck and neck

Spain’s Juan Parron and German Philipp Genev both signed for 65, -7 to lead the Peugeot Tour de Lerma. Huge armada of Spaniards are playing the last co-sanctioned event of the season and no less than 4 of then are on the podium after first round. With a score of 66, France’s Mayel Oueld es Cheikh is third tie with a group of 3 Iberians including Francisco Lagarto. Lagarto has already won in Lerma 2 years ago and was celebrating his 29^th birthday today.

Philipp Genev is one a few German player on Alps Tour but the 20 year old player has been leaving in Malaga for 7 years and felt comfortable on this part of Europe.

“I played really well today, did not Drive the ball well but putted and hit wedges perfectly. Great short game. The season could have been better, only played 6 events, I have 2 weeks to do well and try to keep my category for next year”.

Juan Parron is used to play low but confessed his target is to keep on playing this way for the following rounds.

“I played almost perfect. During last tournament in Madrid -Campeonato de Madrid de Profesionales, 2 weeks ago, I started leading on the first round and played badly 2 last rounds- I have made some changes in my putting. This morning I felt so confident in a way I haven’t been for a long time. I played very calmed, giving myself many chances and knowing that, with a bit of patience, I could make a good round. I played perfectly from 10 to 18th, then OK from 1 to 7, on 8 I was putting for eagle, missed it long way and ended up with a par; tried to play aggressive on 9th, hit a good tee shot but missed the green 5 meters to the right of the hole and made a bogey. I am happy because I know I have the potential, and that is why I am at this position, but also when I am leading I get weak and suffer”.

The projected cut is fixed at -1.

Agathe Séron

Peugeot Tour de Lerma

The Peugeot Tour de Lerma starts tomorrow with a high level of competition: 126 players in search of one of the last tournaments of the season for both the Peugeot Tour and Alps Tour.

Like in every event this season on the Peugeot Tour, few places are reserved for players who are not sorted by rank, to give them the opportunity to compete. This week is a challenge especially important as a good place in the Peugeot Tour de Lerma, open the door for these Spaniards not already qualified, to play the Grand Final of the Peugeot Tour to be held in Seville Zaudín Golf course next November.

On the Alps Tour side, the battle for the Top 5 is continuing. There is a strong battle for the 4th and 5th spots between Scott Henry, Guillaume Cambis, Farren Keenan and Romain Schneider who are very closed in the current Order of Merit.

There will be entertainment and suspense to the end, for sure!

Two members qualified for the 2nd Stage of European Tour Qualifying School

The First Stage of European Tour Qualifying School started last week and will be held along September and beginning of October. First venue was GC Schloss Ebreichsdorf in Austria and allowed two Austrian Alps Tour members, Uli WEINHANDL and Jurgen MAURER to qualify for the Second Stage in Spain next December.

They will join the 7 members already qualified through their great results on Alps Tour: Chris Paisley (Eng), Marco Crespi (Ita), Jason Barnes (Eng), Guillaume Cambis (Fra), Scott Henry (Sco), Jason Kelly (Eng) and Ignacio Sanchez Palencia (Esp).

Four musketeers for a crown

A group of four payers tied for first place with -8 total in Dolomiti. No huge scores nor records but solid game enough to run for victory. First of all famous European Tour player, Italian Emanuele Canonica shot 3 under 70. England’s Jason Barnes was alone on top for a while with a total of -10 but struggled on 6th and 7th hole, and unfortunatly dropped 2 shots for s score of 69, -4. Then France’s Romain Bechu, one of the overnight co-leader managed to stay on top. Last but not least, fellow Rémi Dupuis is once again leading a tournament on the last day. He fired 68, 5 under to give him another chance to grave his name on Als Tour trophy.

Behind, they are very closed. At one stroke, Italian Benedetto Pastore and amateur Mattia Miloro and just another shot back, Spain’s Alfonso Castineira Marcos and last week winner, France’s Romain Schneider.

The cut is fixed at + 2, including 3 Italians amateurs, Mattia Miloro, Guido Dania and Luca Fenoglio, celebrating his first cut on the Alps Tour.

Maiden win for England's Farren Keenan

England’s Farren Keenan fired a 65-8-under par to hold his maiden win as pro at Dolomiti Golf Open. The 28 year old player from Surrey was not in the leading group and teed of more than one hour before leaders. None of them were able to catch him even if fellow Jason Barnes was on the verge to go into a play off but sadly dropped one shot on the last hole.

It was a kind of win the Alps Tour is used to. A player from behind shot the score of the week and overpassed all the expected winners. Keenan were six shots behind Canonica, Barnes Bechu and Dupuis. He turned first nine 2 under and kept on doing his best.

“I had pretty good birdies on 10^th and 11^th and I felt better and better. I either holed long putts or I hit very good shots to be very closed to the flags. Once my round completed, I had to wait more than one hour for the last group. Jason Barnes was said to be -12 which was not right. He was -11, so as he dropped one shot on the last hole, I was at the practice range hitting some balls when I was told I had won.. It was a nice surprise!”

Italian Emanuele Canonica and France’s Remi Dupuis both had a bad day an signed for 75. Romain Schneider, last week winner, finished 3^rd tie with Italian Joon Kim. With this win Farren Keenan earned 5 places at the ranking to 6^th position. Jason Barnes recovered his second place with only 500 points left to the first place.

Agathe Séron

Two way tie in Italia

France’s Romain Bechu and Swiss Fredrik Svanberg were the most confortable on Dolomiti Golf Club. They both signed for 67, 6 under par to lead by one. At third place tie, a group of three players, Frédéric Abadie and Italians Benedetto Pastore and big hitter Emanuele Canonica. Famous former European Tour member and fellow scored 68.

The race to final ranking and precious Challenge Tour category is still open. The top 5 is well established so far but for example, Romain Schneider jumped with his win lasty week, from 24^th to 6^th place. Farren Keenan earned 17 spots and Ricki Neil-Jones 25 ! All players thought they can have a chance. France’s Xavier Poncelet and Remi Dupuis did start well again and will for sure play with last week experience in their bag.

The projected cut is +1.