23rd June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Brown's masterstroke in France
Stephen Brown with huge trophy of Open de la Mirabelle d’Or. (c) Agathe Séron
Steven Brown surprised everyone when he fired 65 as last group still had one hour to play. The Englishman was then -7 total and had to wait for an happy ending victory story. France’s Pierrick Peracino and Austria’s Uli Weinhandl did not succeed in catching him and tied for second place.
Brown was six shots adrift this morning and the players to watch, as far as golf was concerned, were not in his group. But it was this kind of last round where the leader lost, hole after hole, the advantage he got.
Brown had a great amateur career ended with a famous win over the USA Team during Walker Cup 2011. He turned pro end of 2011 and played his first season on the Alps Tour as rookie in 2012. His best result was a podium in Guadeloupe but he was expected to do better.
Brown decided not to travel to French Caraibean this year and maybe this week off was helpful to challenge Mother Nature in Metz. Most of the players are tired after 7 weeks in a row and long first round due to thunderstorms really hurt some of them.
Steven Brown waited at the club house watching Ernie Els winning in Munich while his time might come as well to lift a trophy.
“It was amazing and tough. I have been waiting for more than an hour to know if I won. It is great , I am very happy and I have good chance now to be in top 5 at the end of the year.”
“I holed a really good putt on the 9th to save par, about 4 meters and thereafter everything came easily.”
Matt Wallace, his playing partner, testified that it seemed to be very easy when watching Brown to play well.
“I holed 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th so I suddenly appears on the leaderboard and when I gave my score to the scorer at the 18th he was surprised I was leading.”
France’s Peracino was in the last group but his day was not a bed of roses.
“I am obviously disappointed. But honestly my driving was so poor I got lucky to score one over. It could have been worse. I made some really good recovery. But I struggled so much with fix my driving.”
“I know that I can be in the last group now. You know the feeling is very special, you don’t want the round to end. You want to play again and again. Even when I holed for birdie on the 17th, I still though I could do it.”
With this win, Steven Brown jumped the sixth place at Alps Tour Ranking.
From Metz
Agathe Séron
22nd June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Bruschi determined for a win
Italy’s Alessio Bruschi (c) Agathe Séron
Italy’s Alessio Bruschi maintains his leadership at Open de la Mirabelle d’Or after he scored 66. He will go into last round with two strokes advantage over France’s Pierrick Peracino and three over fellow Edouard Espana.
The latter just won in Spain his maiden trophy and refill for confidence ever since.
“Obviously since my win I feel more confident but I have worked a lot with my coach on my behaviour. I now manage to stay focus on the event and the course but not as if my life depended on the results. And one important change is my putting. I have been working hard this winter and even though I did not putt well during half of the season. I decided to change my putter and my grip, now my right hand is on top, I feel that I could hole everything. So it is a great feeling.”
Bruschi, 32 year old, played more or less 6 years and Challenge Tour and came back on Alps Tour to give himself a real chance to have a good category and most of all, to target a result at the European Tour Q School.
“I have been training hard all winter and I am in good form now. I need to win tomorrow because I have to stay in the Top 5 of the ranking. Challenge Tour is tough but the border between a good result and a bad one can be very thin. The Q school is very important and be in the Top 5 means the exemption fir Stage 1.”
“I like very much the course because it is tough. You have to be a good ball stricker to perform here. I played solid from tee to green and I putted well so I will tee off tomorrow with one goal, a win.”
Finally, France’s Peracino will experience Sunday last group for the first time.
“The battle against such a good player (Bruschi) will be great but I will try not to think about it. I will play stoke by stroke and hit each ball as if it was the first shot. My long game, especially irons is very good and I holed important putts. So I am happy.”
From Metz
Agathe Séron
21st June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Kilpatrick to lead in windy day
Richard Kilpatrick from Northern Ireland (c) Agathe Séron
Richard Kilpatrick, 31 year old, leads by two strokes at Open de la Mirabelle d’Or. He scored a solid 69, 2 under par to be added to his 66 first round.
After stomy weather for the the first round, players had to fight again wind and cool temperatures today. Kilpatrick has been playing on Alps Tour for four seasons now and still seeking for maiden win. So is France’s Pierrick Peracino who is just 2 shots behind. Peracino signed for the score of the 66 tie with Sébastien Gros.
Unfortunatly for Gros, it was not enough to make the cut. Gros, who won 2 weeks ago in Guadeloupe, had a tough first round 80 with a never-ending hole on the 10th. His card today is flawless and reflects better his level of game.
Former European Tour player, France’s François Delamontagne ties 6th place. The Alps Tour ranking could be really mix up after this French week as leader, England’s Jason Palmer misse the cut as third fellow Andrew Cooley and fourth Brendan McCarroll.
Agathe Séron
20th June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Toscany's Alessio Buschi club house leader
Alessio Bruschi from Italy (c) Italian Pro Tour
Italy’s Alessio Bruschi scored a incredible 64, seven-under-par-card to take the club-house lead. The rough of La Mirabelle golf course is “a nightmare”, as players said.
The other bad dream of the day was the weather as the heat suddenly arrived in France and violent storms were forecasted. Though the game started on time but was suspended for a first time at 8h40 during about 3 hours and a half.
Players from morning session managed to complete their first round and Northern Ireland’s Richard Kilpatrick signed for 66, 5 under to take second place by his own so far. Italy’s Joo Kin and Norvegian Jason Kelly both played 3 under par. Once again, the officals had to suspend the game at 19h15 with no hope to resume in the evening.
The play will resume at 7:00 tomorrow morning and second round is scheduled to start at 9:15.
14th June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Espana takes off in Spain
France’s Edouard Espana (c) C.L.
Edouard Espana made a joke to his playing partners from Spain. Family name sounds like local but the rookie is French and he wins his maiden title after holing putt during first extra hole. Juan Parron and Alfredo Garcia-Heredia failed to stop the Bordeaux native.
All week, Spain’s players were leading the 2013 Peugeot Open in Madrid, Borda first then Parron and Blazquez but at the end it sounds like spanish but the national flag is red-white-blue.
France’s Edouard Espana made a huge jump signing for a 66 five-under-par card to lead at the club house with -4 total. The two ovenight leaders struggled to holed birdies and the wind started to blow stronger in the afternoon. Espana just had to wait and his score was finally enough to challenge his opponent on extra time.
« Honestly, I did not think my 66 was enough to go into a play off so to me it was a bonus and I was very relaxed, more than Alfredo and Juan tough. I just though about what I had to do. I hit my driver in the middle of the fairway then my sand wegde 3 meters left next to the flag and I holed. I am so happy with this win. »
He had a poor start with a 75 on first round but improve his game to confirm his actual good form. He had finished 7th ties on Challenge Tour beginning of May in Italy.
« I was not very focused during the first round. I made some mistakes and I dropped shots on the very first part of the round. Then I managed to come back in the game and I finished better. Then I made two good rounds. »
« I don’t have any regrets not to be on Challenge Tour so far even if I made a Top 10 last month. Alps Tour is a great circuit with valuable players and I am a young player learning his job. Once again, I am very happy. »
With this win, Espana enters the Alps Tour ranking Top 5.
Agathe Séron
Golfmanager Press Agency
13th June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Spain's duet to lead in Madrid
Juan Parron of Spain (c) Agathe Séron
Juan Parron of Spain shares lead with fellow Vincente Blazquez at -5. Two strokes back, another compatriot, Alfonso Gutierrez. The good form of spanish golf keep on shining in Madrid.
Parron admitted his fear to miss a third cut in a row. He was playing great, he said, but the lack of confidence was important as he teed off this week.
« Club de Campo is a golf course that I like very much. The truth is that I arrived here a bit afraid. I have been playing great for the last 3 months and working well on swing changes with my father. I missed the cut at Alps de las Castillas. Then I missed by 1 shot at Challlenge de España struggling a lot and I was afraid to miss the third cut in a row. »
« I played incredible today, the only big change came from my long putter. What am I going to do with the long putter? well, the reality is that I was not holing anything with the short one so I decided to play long putter. As long as I can, I will use it then I will try to switch, but for the moment I am not going to fail because of the putter. Thanks to London Growers and Almerimar resort I can compete again, all I have to do is recover my confidence and I will be at high level again ».
Alongside Parron, another spanish player, Vincente Blazquez, showing less confidence in his long game and kind of surprised to lead the field.
« I am not hitting the ball well, I am not comfortable with my swing, I don’t reach fairways, but the good thing is that my short game is great. That is saving me but I have to start playing better and not trust so much in luck. I will concentrate hole by hole, day by day and I hope to keep shooting low scores ».
Ireland’s Stephen Grant take advantage of kind of a moving event. Currently sixth at Alp Tour raking, this week in Spain could be worthful. As Ricki Neil-Jones missed the cut and Enouch and Gros took a week off, the Irishman could jump in the so much coveted Alps Tour Top 5.
Agathe Séron
Golfmanager Press Agency
12th June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Borda emerges one clear in Madrid
David Borda from Spain (c) Agathe Séron
David Borda made the cut last week in Guadeloupe, the first one after four missed in a row. He was the best today after the opening round 66 in Club de Campo de Madrid. Scotland’s Michael Stewart, who finished runner-up at the very begining of the season, is one shot back of the lead. At third place by his own, another Spaniard, Vincente Blazquez.
Borda did not seem to suffer a lot from jet lag. His past week in French Carabbean made him to come back in the game and he was happy with his game especially his coach is here.
“It was a great day, I played very solid from tee to green and specially on the last holes. I holed a 7 meter putt for eagle on 14th, I made a great par safe on 16th and hit really good shots on 17th and 18th but also holed good putts. You’ve got to putt well to shoot a round like this.”
“I played really comfortable, I had my coach, Fernando Navarro with me and it helps me a lot. It’s been a great round from the very first hole, this is a difficult course and I managed to finish my font nine one under. And I played the back nine really well.”
“I played well the first couple of events at the Alps Tour this year but since March, I did not play at my highest level, was not hitting the ball badly but it was mostly a mental issue. I hope I shot a few more rounds like this and get my confidence back.”
“This is a golf course that I like a lot, the first year I played here I missed the cut by 1 shot, last year I did ok and this is definately my best score here. I am really happy, let’s see if we can continue playing the same way.
There are a lot of events to play, I set up my goals week by week, trying to keep the good feelings and playing well”.
The battle for the Alps Tour ranking is getting more and more intense. No less than four players for the fifth spot within 500 points. The leader, England’s Jason Palmer shot 72, one over today as well as Andrew Cooley and Brendan McCarroll .
The projected cut is +1.
Agathe Séron
Golfmanager Press Agency
9th June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
Gros wins in Guadeloupe after fourth extra hole
Sébastien Gros from France
France’s Sebastien Gros defeated his two opponents, Stephan Grant and Thomas Linard, after 4th extra holes to win the Open de Saint-François – Région Guadeloupe. Gros, the overnight leader, had ups and downs during last round. Fellow Thomas Linard was the first leader at the club house. He waited for the last group to finish to know if he had to play extra time.
Ireland’s Stephan Grant had holed birdie on the 16th so was already tie with Linard at -8 but Gros was two strokes late. On the 17th, a par 5 where players usually earn a shot, Grant only made par. Gros did manage to holed birdie. He was still one shot behind and as the 18th is not the kind of hole where birdie comes easily. Among the 43 players who played the last hole during this last round, only one, Jason Kelly managed to holed for birdie. The odds were quite low for Sébastien Gros to go into a play-off, but Gros doggedness was his best skills on this hole and he did make birdie to join his compatriot Linard at -8 alongside with Grant.
Thomas Linard went out the extra time after one hole. Grant managed to save par thanks to solid putting. The public had to wait until fourth extra hole to applause their winner. Gros hit a safe iron in the middle of the fairway. Grant found the fairway bunker with a hybrid shot. His approach went short of the green and his chip was not good enough. He had 3 meters to hole to save par. On his side, Gros missed his 125 meter approach but his ball stayed safe on the green collar on the right side. His chip passed the hole but he only had one meter and half to hole. His did not miss the opportunity as Grant missed his par putt. Champagne shower for the french player thanks to his friends!
« It is a huge relief because I have been playing great for a while but I did not manage to make good results reality. I had a poor start of the season so this win is first a patience award. I managed to have a good behavior on course during last 3 weeks and I am very proud of it. »
Agathe Séron
Golfmanager Press Agency
| Alps Tour Golf
2013 Open de Saint-Francois Region Guadeloupe_FINALE & PLAY-OFF
Highlights and play-off of the Final Round – 2013 Open de Saint-François Région Guadeloupe
8th June 2013 | Alps Tour Golf
2013 Open de Saint-Francois Region Guadeloupe_DAY 2
Round 2 Highlights of the 2013 Open de Saint-François Région Guadeloupe
