17th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Gornik king of wind
Slovenia’s Tim Gornik (c) Agathe Séron
Slovenia’s Tim Gornik won the Q school final in La Cala thanks to great margin after 2 rounds. He battled hard in the wind to score 76 today for -4 total. His St Andrews trophy team mate, Holland’s Darius Van Driel tried to catch up with him but he eventually finished runner-up, 3 shots back.
The wind was incredibly strong today. Balls did not move by themselves on the greens but every single shot from tee to green was a fight against the element or better, a game of patience. Many high figures were recorded and only one player shot under par, England’s Harry Casey, with one under. He finished at third place tie with experimented Ivo Giner and former European Tour player Alexandre Kaleka.
“On the 11th par 3, during the first round I hit a 8 iron and today it was a 3 iron and I ended short of the green” said a rookie. Same opinion for the winner.
“It was so tough today, the weather forecast was not so bad. It was a 4 or 5 club wind. It became less crazy at the very end, from the 15th but still. My goal today was to shot under par but it was so difficult. I had a big advantage and it is difficult to know what to do. I saw on a leaderboard that Darius was doing well. It was funny because we played a lot together last year. He hit the ball very straight and this is exactly the kind of course which suit his game. But I am happy with the win.”
The cut for category 6 felt at +10, 37 players from 11 different countries obtained the precious “licence to play”. Players ranked from 38th place to 68th will have a partial category.
The first three events of the year will take place in Egypt from 15th of February to the 4th of March. Full schedule will be announced before Christmas.
From La Cala
Agathe Séron
16th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Gornik shines in La Cala
Slovenia’s Tim Gornik
Slovenia’s Tim Gornik takes a easy lead going into the last round of the Q School Final. The 23 year old player shot 65 after first round 70 and his closest competitors are 5 shots back.
Gornik is a Duke University alumni and turned pro last September.
“I played golf 4 years for Duke University. I had played the Q School last year and I missed the cut by one so I decided to stay amateur one more year. I knew the Asia course, not the Europa one. I did not plan to shoot so low but I knew that if you could hit the fairways there are a lot of wedges to the holes.”
“Usually I hit a lot of fairways and greens but I am off and on with my putting but today it kind of clicked. I missed some but I made a lot obviously and I only missed one green today.”
“The goal when I turned pro last September is to play on the European Tour. I made the Stage 1 of European Tour but I failed to qualify for the final. I knew the Alps Tour because I am friend with Matjaz Gojcic and I played as few events on invitations. It is a good opportunity to avoid the Stage 1 of Q school and finishing in the top 5 offers a Challenge Tour category, that is definitely the goal.”
A pack of six players will challenge the leader and try to overpass him during last round. Among them, former European Tour player, France’s Alexandre Kaleka and Alps Tour 2009 winner, Italy’s Andrea Perrino.
The cut felt at +6 and 68 players will try to join or stay in top 35 for full 2015 Alps Tour category.
At La Cala
Agathe Séron
15th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Couvert flies high in La Cala
France’s Pierre-Ludovic Couvert (c) Agathe Séron
France’s Pierre-Ludovic Couvert took a two shot advantage after first round of Q School final stage in La Cala Resort. He signed for flawless 65, -6 on Europa course with one eagle and four birdies.
“ I did not play a lot last season, it was a choice then I had an injury just after the European Tour Q School stage 1. It’s been now one month and a half that I have been training a lot and I am very happy to be back on course.
You know, the weather is great so after 6 months hitting in the cold and rain, I feel so well here. I am very happy to play so when you enjoy the game, you often make good scores. I have no target for the next days except to have fun being here.”
Italy’s former Alps Tour ranking winner, Andrea Perrino is on his own at second place, he played the same course as the leader and fired 67. Perrino won the Alps Tour in 2009 thanks to two victories. He played on Challenge Tour the following season but after 4 seasons on this circuit he had to come back to the Alps Tour.
His compatriot Valerio Pelliccia and Scot John James Henry, both on Asia course, signed for the best score 70.
The projected cut after 18 holes is +4. The top 65 after two rounds will play for full category given to top 35 at the end of third and final round.
At La Cala
Agathe Séron
14th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Q School – Final Stage – Tee Times & Results
Find all information regarding the Qualifying School – Final Stage at La Cala Resort in our ‘Qualifying School’ page
HERE.
12th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
First stage completed in La Cala
England’s Harry Casey won on Europa course.
First stage is now completed and 74 players got their ticket for the final st age next week. England’s Harry Casey won on Europa course and Italy’s Tommaso Orzalesi and Carlo Guaraldi won respectively on Asia and America courses.
Harry Casey shot 66 thanks to 7 birdies and 2 bogeys for -7 total. Italy’s Agustin Bardas, overnight coleader is second one shot back. Ivo Giner, former European Tour player, was the only player not to drop any shot with flawless 68. He finished third tie with Lukas Kornsteiner. No drama for the 28 spots allocated on this course. There was only a play-off to deem the reserved players.
No extra holes needed as well on the America course. Carlo Guaraldi won with -5 total. At second place, former European Tour player, Swiss Julien Clément with -3 total. Javier Ballesteros finished at a very sad position 16th, first reserve.µ
Finally, on course Asia, the happy ending was long to come. Tommaso Orzalesi won with -3 total and two Frenchmen are on his toes one shot back, Julien Rodallec and Simon Fernoux. Unfortunately seven players were +9 at 27th place ties. Two holes were needed to distribute the last 4 spots.
11th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Gabella plays with heart in La Cala
Swiss Arthur Gabella (photo : Elisabeth Carabelli), who had a heart transplantation in August 2014, is leading on Europa course with brilliant 67.
Swiss Arthur Gabella-Wenne is one of the leader after first round of stage one Q School in La Cala resort. But his story is worth being told. Gabella is 27 year old and just turned pro. A bit late ? Maybe, but Gabella had to wait and to recover his form.
The player from Geneva had a heart transplantation in August 2013 and his plan was to come back to competition in 2015. He sticks to the schedule. He signed for a great 67 four under par on Europa course, the longest of the 3 courses on the first stage. Italy’s Agustin Bardas is neck and neck with him. Former European Tour player, Spain’s Ivo Giner, is 7th ties and the cut for the 30 spots is currently +5.
On Asia course, the shortest of the three, 5850 meters, another Italian guy leads with -5. There are 28 spots available on this course and the line is as well +5.
Finally, on the America course, where there are only 15 spots to go to the finale, Italy’s Carlo Guarraldi is leading thanks to a colourful card. No less than eight birdies but 4 shots dropped as well. Former Swiss European Tour star, Julien Clément is one of the four players under par on this course. He is third tie with -1.
Seve Ballesteros’ son, Javier, who turned pro a few weeks ago, shot 77 and Ryder Cup star’s son, Francesco Rocca had a difficult day with a 83 card.
Agathe Séron
10th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Q School – 1st Stage – Final Results
Find all information regarding the Qualifying School – First Stage at La Cala Resort in our ‘Qualifying School’ page HERE.
9th December 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Q School Day-2
La Cala Resort is the host of the Alps Tour Qualifying school.
La Cala Resort is the host of the Alps Tour Qualifying School for the third time. This is a year when all records have already broken. No less than 260 players from 21 different countries including 4 former European Tour members.
Stage 1 is a two round tournament, 11th and 12th of November and Final Stage is a 54 hole event from the 15th to the 17th November. There are 70 players already qualified for the final stage thanks to their status (2014 Alps Tour ranking, former winner…) so to complete the field – 144 players – there are 74 spots available in the first stage.
These spots will be allocated as follow: about 30 players to be qualified on each course ASIA and EUROPA and about 10 on the AMERICA course. The official numbers will be published on Thursday 11th once all players are on the course.
27th October 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Nino Bertasio, 2014 Alps Tour king
Italy’s Nino Bertasio, 26 year old, won the 2014 Alps Tour ranking (c) Agathe Séron
The 2014 Alps Tour is now completed and the five graduates have been deemed. Italy’s Nino Bertasio, 26 year old, won the ranking with 31 994,20 € and an easy margin of more than 7300 points over the second player, Spain’s Borja Etchart, 26 year old as well.
Bertasio won twice this season, back-to-back titles in Open de Saint François in Guadeloupe and Asiago Open. He recorded two runner-up places and two podiums as well.
Etchart won the Alps de Andalucia on his home soil and finished once second and once third. At third place of the ranking, Autria’s Tobias Nemecz. His elder brother Lukas, 25 year old, was graduated last year and Tobias, 3 years younger, walked in his relative’s steps. Tobias Nemecz won twice this season, the Servizitalia Open and the Open International du Haut-Poitou. He finished the season with solid 4th place at Masters 13 and as runner-up in Abruzzo Open, the last tournament of the international schedule. Thanks to these results, he climbed from 4th to 3rd place at the ranking.
Coming at fourth place, Spaniard Borja Virto, 23 year old, who won two Alps Tour titles in 2014 : Open de Las Castillas in Spain and Open La Pinetina in Italy. Finally, the last spot went to France’s Thomas Elissalde, 22 year old, who won the Gösser Open and recorded to places on the podium.
19th October 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Renewed success for Bragulat
Spain’s Juan Antonio Bragulat (c) Alessandro Bellicini
Spain’s Juan Antonio Bragulat enjoys renewed success winning the last tournament of the season, the 2014 Abruzzo Open. He has been waiting for 4 years to lift another trophy after his two titles in 2010. He fired 66 for -12 total.
Bragulat had won twice in 2010, his maiden victory was the Gösser Open and then he was crowned as well in France during the Open de la Mirabelle d’or. Overnight leader, his compatriot Eduardo Larranaga had a complicated start as he dropped three shots on the first two holes. He managed to score 69 and and finished second tie with Austria’s Tobias Nemecz who proved, once again, his will and commitment to stay in the final top 5. He signed for 66 and secure a second place in the tournament and a third place at the final ranking.
The two Borja, Etchart and Virto confirmed as well their card for the Challenge Tour next season and France’s Thomas Elissalde who missed the cut, did not loose his precious 5th place. Itlay’s Nino Bertasio did not play this week as he was sure not to be overpass thank to his advantage in the ranking.
Four out five players will try to go further. They will play the European Tour Q school (except Etchart). If one of them manage to go to the final stage and to make to cut, the 6th man, France’s Clément Berardo will also earn his right to play on Challenge Tour next year.
