Alps Tour Golf | 2012 October

31st October 2012 | Alps Tour Golf

Celebration at Masters 13 Allianz

Masters 13 Allianz is about to celebrate the best way his 10th edition. The field is the best ever and great names such as Victor Dubuisson, Michael Lorenzo-Vera, Christian Cévaër or Jean-François Remésy, 2004-2005 Open de France winner, are going to tee off this very special event.
Jean-Charles Cambon (right on centre picture), former playing pro, created Masters 13 Allianz ten years ago and managed to improve his tournament year after year. In 2012, the breakdown is 100 000 euros and 6 of the past 7 winners came to play the anniversary.
On paper, the 2012 best player in the field is France’s Victor Dubuisson. Currently 46th at the race to Dubai, the 22 year old player is nearly playing at home. He started golf in the neighbourhood at Biot. He played the Masters13 Allianz in 2005 after getting qualifying through Masters.
For Alps Tour players, this is the week to be in swing. A check of 15 000 euros and same amount of points for the ranking are guaranteed to the winner. The final top 5 could be totally mess on Sunday afternoon.

By Agathe Séron

29th October 2012 | Alps Tour Golf

Masters 13 Allianz, D-3

Final event of the 2012 Alps Tour season this week in Pont-Royal Golf Club, near Marseille for the 10th edition of the Masters 13. The insurance company Allianz joins the tournament this year and allow to increase the prizefund to 100,000 euro. All past winners (except Matteo Delpodio) will attend the tournament plus the Top 30 players of the Alps Tour Order of Merit and some of the best French pros.
After heavy rain last Saturday and storm yesterday, the course is in great conditions with fast greens. The green keeping staff has been worked a lot during last weeks to prepare it.

Weather is more enjoyable today: sunny and a little bit windy for the SFR pro-am event started at 9.15am with 22 teams. The team owned by defending champion, Guillaume Cambis (France) won the first net prize.
Meantime, a qualifying round has been played in Sainte-Victoire Golf Club near Marseille to select the last three players who will take part in the Masters 13 Allianz: the French amateur from Ormesson, Clement Batut who scored 67, Romain Schneider and Leonardo Motta with 69.

20th October 2012 | Alps Tour Golf

Alfredo Garcia-Heradia claims victory on home soil

Spain’s Alfredo Garcia-Heredia was the most patient in the wind and as heavy rain fell on Panoramica golf course he played 71, one under par. None of his closest overnight opponents could catch him. France’s Johan Lopez-Lazaro fired 68 in the morning and climbed on his first podium of the season.

The sky was very cloudy and forecast wasn’t good for the day. The wind started to blow stronger and heavy rain disturbed the leading groups as they still have 6 holes to play. Spain’ Juan-Antonio Bragulat could have been the one today. He was leading by one as Garcia-Heredia dropped his second shot in a row on the 13th. But “Bragu” had a very bad finish preventing him from any chances.

Garci-Heredia managed to keep on swinging well. “It is always great to win, it has not been easy but it was same difficult for everybody, mainly from 12th hole. Into the wind, heavy rain… the key was playing very well, I was one shot behind and when I tied I knew I still had my chances. Even in awful conditions my swing was great which means that my work had been done the right way, and this is the path to follow for next week.
I am very excited about America. Played 3 rounds under par means that my game is going well, it is never easy to win and It is good confidence for next week.”

Young rookie Lopez-Lazaro did his best result of the season and jumped to the 18th place of the ranking to enter the Masters13 finale. ” I played great, it was a great day of golf, luckyly I did not have that much rain and I could do a good score. I really needed a good finish here to get into the Alps finale and I am very very happy I managed to do it.”

19th October 2012 | Alps Tour Golf

Alfredo Garcia-Heredia still leading in Valencia

Spain’s Alfdredo Garcia-Heredia did not hole as many putts as during first round but managed to keep leadership by one shot with -11 total at Castellon Alps Comunidad Valenciana. His compatriot Carlos Garcia-Simarro is only one little stroke behind. England’s Tom Sherreard completes podium at -9.

It was not a record day for sure a day to remebember for Brendan McCarroll. The Irishman had 2 wins last spring but after a great second place in Belgium beginning of July, he missed 4 cuts in a row. McCarroll signed for the score of the day 66 to made the cut. A relief for the talented player from Derry.

But the battle is far away. Garcia-Heredia managed to shot 3 under par and confirm his pole position. “I am satisfied because I played pretty much the same as yesterday, a bit less precise on the greens but the game is there, it is not easy to shot 8 under every day, you have to know how to shot under par whenever is possible. Something between 3 under and 5 under is always great, you can go very far with that. I am playing better and better.”

On his toes, experimented Carlos Garcia-Simarro. “I played pretty much the same as yesterday, I was a bit insecure with my putting on my front 9 (10 to 18), I 3 putted at the easiest hole 13 but played it badly, and also 3 putted the 18th. But I played really well the back 9, holed a nice put for birdie at hole 2, 3 and a great 30 meters putts for eagle at 4 that got me going, and finished holing a 4 meters putt for birdie at 9th. If tomorrow I play the same way, I will give myself chances. My game is good, my putt will decide but I am very comfortable with my game”.

The cut is fixed at -2.

By Agathe Séron

18th October 2012 | Alps Tour Golf

Alfredo Garcia-Heradia ready for USA

Spain’s Garcia Heredia fired astonished 64 course record to take 3 shot lead at Castellon Alps Comunidad Valenciana. Fellows Carlos Garcia-Simarro and Ivo Giner joined Italy’s Mattia Miloro tied for second place. This last tournament in Spain is the last chance for Alps players to enter top 30 of the final ranking and to play Masters 13.

Fall has arrived in northern Europe but the weather in Spain is still fair and players did enjoy to play the great course of Panoramica.”It is really a very good course. The shape and conditions are great, we can not ask for more” Garcia-Heredia said as he commented his round.

He also explained that he has been working for months to be ready to play the Q-school in USA.

“The key of my game has a name : Jorge Parada, my coach, my cousin, with whom I am working to get my goal: the PGA School. This season I did not much, there were not many tournaments so I kept on doing my coaching sessions, and now is time to push it to arrive in America in great shape. I have been worked harder, sent him videos and been a lot more in contact with him.
It is difficult to be concentrated when there are still 2-3 months ahead, but it is important to get there in good shape.
I missed the PQ1, played badly, but that was not my real goal, my goal has always been America. This round is a good sign that I am doing things well.”

Half of the field are Spain’s players and they are numerous in contention on Garcia-Heredia’s foot steps. One of them even made an ace on the 16th hole, 197meters by hitting the perfect shot with 3 iron. The projected cut is -1.

15th October 2012 | Alps Tour Golf

Castellon Alps de Comunidad Valenciana

Alps Tour returns to Spain this week at Panoramica Golf, in Castellón (Valencia). This is the last regular tournament of the season. 102 players come from 12 nationalities, 51 of them Spanish and the rest come from Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland and Switzerland.

The tournament will feature the best of the season, which first played as an Alps event and also scoring for the Peugeot Tour. The Top 30 Alps Tour players at the end of the week will be qualified to take part in the Masters 13 Allianz to decide the 5 qualified for the Challenge Tour next year.
Best of the year:
Be present in the Alps of Castellón Valencia: the Northern Irishman Gareth Shaw, No. 1 ranking, although not yet won a tournament, has signed eight top 10 this year, including three second places (in the Gosser Open, Peugeot Tour Alps of Madrid and Open International de Normandie).
The number 2, Frenchman Thomas Fournier, winner of the Valle d’Aosta Open and second in Guadalupe and Slovenia.
The third-ranked Briton Jack Senior, who has won two tournaments this year, the Open de Guadalupe and Lignano Open.
In 4th place, the Scot Ross Kellet, who won the Open Golf Montecchia and was tied for second Peugeot Tour Alps of Madrid.
The 5th classified at the moment, the Italian Niccolo Quintarelli, Dolomiti Openwinner, and 2nd in Montecchia Golf Open.

Jesus Legarrea, first Spaniard: the best Spanish located in the ranking is Jesus Legarrea currently in 9th place at the mercy of their four top-10s, including two second places in Lignano Open and the Valle d’Aosta Open. He will seek a victory in Castellón which has been escaped many times this year, and that could catapult him to Europe.
The Castellón Alps de Comunidad Valenciana begins this Monday with an opportunity for those who are not sorted by ranking for the tournament to win one of the five seats reserved for it. Tuesday will be day of practice, and Wednesday there will be a Pro-Am that will give way to professional competition, which takes place from Thursday 18 to Saturday 20 October.

The tournament has the support of the Provinces of Castellón, the Valencian Community, the Valencian Federation, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Panoramica Golf and is organized by MatchGolf.