29th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
A little more about Flory van Donck
This year marks the 102th anniversary of Flory van Donck’s birth. He was a great Belgian professional player during the last century.
His career started in the thirties and counts more than fifty victories. He had been the recipient of the prestigious Harry Vardon Trophy in 1953 as Player of the Year for his record of seven victories in a year. His most emblematic performances are the following:
– Twice Individual World Champion (1955 and 1960)
– Twice Runner-up in The Open (1956 and 1959)
– 25 victories in different European Opens, including 6 times the Belgian Open, 5 times in Netherlands Open, 4 times the Italian Open, 3 times the French Open…)
He also dedicated a large part of his life to transmitting his knowledge and his passion. He had been involved with several golf clubs in Belgium and Switzerland and was the coach of the German national team during fifteen years.
In tribute to him, several competitions are organized in Belgium and abroad. For nearly 20 years, the ‘Flory van Donck Pro-Am’ opens the week of the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana. And from 2011, the Alps Tour event in Belgium is entitled to him.
28th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Virto…rious in Madrid
Spain’s Borja Virto (c) Luis Corralo
Young Spaniard Borja Virto, 23 year old, won his first title as professionnal in Alps de Las Castillas. He had took the lead at the very end of second round and managed today to deal with the pressure. He signed for final level par card for -8 total.
The wind was quite strong today but some players had amazing start such as England’s Josh Loughrey. He holed four straight birdies from the first hole and grabbed another stroke on the 7th hole. Unfortunately, the Englishman dropped four shots on the 10th and he could not be in contention from there.
Virto hold his nerves pretty well as he kept on doing some pars from first to eighth hole. On his toes, his compatriot Borja Etchart could have been a threat but he evnetually dropped three shots in two holes, on 8th and 9th.
Par was enough for Virto to lift the golden castle trophy. The 6 960 € check made him enter the Top 5 of the Alps Tour ranking at fifth place.
“It is amazing, I am so happy, it has been such a difficult day because of the wind but I have finally done it!
It was the third time I was leading and event and finally Ihave won. Being new, I had no expectations for this year but it is great to see that all the job done was in the right way.
I started with 8 pars in row, it was bad not to birdie holes 4 and 7 where I had good chances. Then I bogeyed the 9th with a very difficult shot from the bunker.
On the 11th , I did a very good shot from the bunker and putt for birdie, but I bogeyd hole number 12 with 3 putts. From then I played really well and I managed to birdie the 15th holing a good 2 meter putt.
It has been hard, the hardest day of the event but I am really happy I have done it right. I was just concentrating on my game not looking what other were doing. It was great to have my father caddying for me this week, he has been a great help.”
Agathe Séron
Carmela Fernàndez Piera
27th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Virto last minute leader
Spain’s Borja Virto (c) Agathe Séron
Spain’s Borja Virto took the lead in Alps de Castillas at the very end of the day with -8 total. His compatriots Javier Colomo and Borja Etchart are two strokes behind.
The sun kept on shinning on Golf Club Los Angeles de San Rafael but the wind made the course harder than it was during first round. With a cut who eventually felt at +4 when the average on Alps Tour is level par, it proved that players have struggled to tame the course.
Last minute leader confessed he is feeling well on the Alps Tour and intend to improve his best result – second – in Egypt. He was leading twice during the two events played near Cairo but did not hold any trophy. Should the third time be the right one, he would win his maiden title as pro.
Despite painful hip due to inflammation, he added a 66 to the opening 68 he scored.
“Today I started putting for eagle so it was an easy birdie, I have missed the green on 3rd and chipped in and on 4th I holed a three meter putt so I was 3 under after 4 holes and very happy. The only mistake of the day was on hole 7 when I missed the green to the right but recovered well with a birdie on the ninth.
On 12th, I hit the wrong club but I made good birdies on 14th and 15th, I missed a clear chance on the 16th and finished with a great birdie on 18th, a three meter putt uphill after a 3 wood shot.
I was in the leading match twice in Egypt and I finished 2nd and 4th, I hope to do better.
I am very happy the way my season has started, I did not expect anything like this. I am playing really well the Alps Tour but not that well the Challenge Tour events, I guess I still feel some pressure…”
Agathe Séron
Carmela Fernàndez Piera
26th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Etchart co-leader with Sherreard
Spain’s Borja Etchart (c) Agathe Séron
A duo is leading the Alps de Castillas after opening round in Golf Club Los Angeles de San Rafael, England’s Tom Sherreard and Spain’s Borja Etchart. Both shot 67, four under, to lead by one over a group of eight players.
Sherreard teed off from 10th tee and had a pretty quite front nine with only one birdie but coming back to the club house, the Englishman holed three birdies in a row from the 1st and eventually add three shots earned to his card.
“I played nice, I hit the ball nicely today, did not putt great but holed a couple. The best part of my game today was my driving, got the ball in play a lot. If you put the ball in the right spot here, you can be quite aggressive. I holed good putts on holes 2 and 3, 15 and 20 footers.
I have been playing well for the last couple of weeks, I did not play the first events for personal reasons. I just need to keep going and get some good results”.
Etchart, whose last Alps Tour was in France last year, had a similar path to sign for 67.
“I finished with 3 birdies in the last 5 holes so I am very happy. I have played really well from tee to green even though I did not feel very comfortable on this greens. I am happy to have recovered from 2 greens at 3 putts in the par 5s and the bogey, and the good thing about today’s round is that this 3 putts did not make me loose confidence.
I am very happy with my season so far, super happy with the changes I have made. No major changes I just went back to my natural golf, the golf that made me win. I am working with Salva Luna (brother of Santi) and I am playing very comfortable. I just have to trust me a little bit more”.
Nino Bertasio, current Alps Tour ranking leader, shot 69, two strokes behind the lead. The projected cut after 18 holes is +1.
Agathe Séron
Carmela Fernàndez Piera
24th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
2014 Open de la Mirabelle d'Or – Final Day report
Golf de La Grange aux Ormes
22nd June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Verselin wins in France
France’s Jean-Pierre Verselin (c) Alessandro Pia.
France’s Jean-Pierre Verselin won Open International de la Mirabelle d’Or with -9 total with a two shot margin on overnight leader, his compatriot Xavier Poncelet.
Poncelet who teed off with -7 total did not manage to score under par during this last round. He turned front nine one over par as his playing partner was already -3 for the day. The Player from Bordeaux could not lean on nice memories he had from his win two years ago. Meanwhile, Verselin kept on holing birdies on front nine, on 3rd, 4th, 8th and 9th.
Coming to the club house, the punishment was even tougher to Poncelet who dropped two more shots on the 12th and the 14th. The path to glory was clear for Verselin, very comfortable with this new leader status until the 14th where he dropped two shots. Poncelet holed for birdie the next two holes but bogeyed the 17th while Verselin struggled on the last. But he still had a two shots advantage and that was enough to lift the trophy.
Italy’s Federico Maccario signed for 66 for -5 total and a third place on the podium.
21st June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Poncelet run for second title
France’s Xavier Poncelet (c) Agathe Séron
Xavier Poncelet has a one shot lead heading into the final round of the 2014 Open International de la Mirabelle d’Or at Golf de La Grange aux Ormes.
The Frenchman, a winner of this title in 2012, has a narrow advantage over compatriot Jean Pierre Verselin with Italian Nino Bertasio a shot further back on five under.
Bertasio has already won twice this season and carded a best of the day four under 67 to get himself firmly in contention.The 25-year-old from Brescia leads the Order of Merit and must be a genuine threat to the leader Poncelet.
The 28-year-old Poncelet got off to a bad start on Saturday, dropping a shot at the par five first. He replied with a birdie at the fourth to go to the turn in level par.
Poncelet picked up another birdie at the 12th and then eagled the 13th but a dropped shot at the par three 16th saw him sign for a two under 69.
Verselin stayed in touch following an up and down round that included two double-bogeys, six birdies and bogey. If he can keep the mistakes off his card he could yet have a big say in the final shake-up on Sunday.
20th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
French duo to lead on home soil
Frenchmen Xavier Poncelet (c) Agathe Séron
French duo Xavier Poncelet and Jean-Pierre Verselin lead the 2014 Open International de la Mirabelle d’Or at Golf de La Grange aux Ormes on six under par.
The French duo carded rounds of four under 67 on day two of the tournament to take a two shot lead over Ireland’s Brian Casey and another Frenchman, Raphaël Marguery.
The 28-year-old Poncelet won this title two years ago, beating Spain’s Jaime Camargo in a play-off.
Coached by Nicolas Besançon, Poncelet went to the turn in two under 34 following birdies at two, three and four and one bogey at the par four ninth.
Two further birdies followed at the 10th and 12th as he came home in two under 33.
His compatriot Verselin, who has yet to win on the Alps Tour, struggled to the turn in one over 37 but hit back on the back nine, collecting birdies at 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th.
Overnight leader Brian Casey struggled round in two over 73 but stayed in touch alongside Marguery who aced the par three 12th with a six iron as he shot a best of the day score of five under 66.
19th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
Brian Casey in command
Ireland’s Brian Casey (c) Agathe Séron
Ireland’s Brian Casey took command of proceedings on day one of the 2014 Open International de la Mirabelle d’Or firing a brilliant five under par 65 at Golf de La Grange aux Ormes to lead the field by three shots.
The 23-year-old went to the turn -He started at 10 thtee- in four under 31 with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th. On the back nine he added further birdies on four, six, eight and nine, offset by dropped shots at five and seven.
Casey finished tied for 36th on his last Alps Tour outing, the Open Peugeot at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
Spain’s Juan Antonio Bragulat, France’s Leo Lespinasse and Englishman Andrew Cooley are locked together in second place on three under par.
Cooley rattled off five birdies in a row from the second before a dropped shot at the par three seventh halted his progress. Two further birdies followed at the 14th and 15th but his good work was undone by a double-bogey at the 16th and a bogey at the par four 18th.
Spain’s Borja Etchart and French duo Xavier Poncelet and Jean-Pierre Verselin are four shots behind the leader on two under par.
16th June 2014 | Alps Tour Golf
