25th October 2018 | Alps Tour Golf
Qualifying School-La Cala: Join Us in 2019
The Alps Tour is pleased to announce that La Cala Resort will be, for the 7th time, the host of the Qualifying School scheduled from December 9 to 15, 2018.
It is with great pleasure that Alps Tour will organize its Qualifying School First Stage and Final once again in this great resort, only 39 km from Malaga airport, in the South of Spain. La Cala Resort offers wonderful facilities, hotel on site, great practice range and 3 championship golf courses.
The First Stage is scheduled on December 9 and 10 over 36 holes, and the Finale is to be played on the 13th, 14th and 15th of December over 54 holes. This year, the Final Stage will be played on Asia & America courses.
The Top 35 will obtain a full category to play the 2019 Alps Tour events.
The entry deadline for the First Stage is November 9 (November 20 for the Final Stage).
For all info and entry forms – go to this link on our website to download terms & conditions, entry form and hotel – transfers – trolley booking forms.
Accomodation: La Cala Resort is glad to welcome all participants in the La Cala Hotel on site with special offers, including a shuttle service between Malaga airport and La Cala Resort. All details and booking forms included in the tournament entry form.
21st October 2018 | Alps Tour Golf
Spain’s Borda wins Grand Final; Tarrio ends 2018 season in first place overall
David Borda (ESP) won today the Alps Tour Grand Final with a total score of -19. It is Borda’s second victory on the Alps Tour this season.
Hugues Jr Joannes (BEL) finished in 2nd place (-17 total) while Ivan Cantero Gutierrez (ESP) and Leo Lespinasse (FRA) tied for 3rd place with a total score of -13. Lespinasse turned in the best card of the day (64, -7) making an eagle, 6 birdies and a bogey.
« I’m feeling really really good, I could not be happier, I think it was my best week ever. I’m so happy » Borda said. « For sure, I felt the pressure, everybody was feeling the pressure this week, but I managed it and I played very very good during the last 4 days. I’m looking forward to next year on the Challenge Tour ». Last year, David Borda failed obtaining a Challenge Tour card by a few points.
Santiago Tarrio (ESP), who played this week at the European Tour’s Valderamma Masters in Spain and thus did not take part in the Grand Final, finishes the 2018 season first in the Order of Merit, the Alps Tour official season ranking, with 26,702.45 points. With today’s win, David Borda moves up to second place in the Oom. Alexandre Daydou (FRA), Louis Cohen Boyer (FRA) and Marcus Mohr (ENG) complete the top 5 of the Oom and will all be playing on the Challenge Tour next season. Marcus Mohr, who had a very disappointing Grand Final finishing tied for 33rd place (+3 total), makes the top 5 by less than 700 points. « I feel very lucky to finish 5th in the Order of Merit. I did not play very well at all this week » Mohr said.
« First, I would like to congratulate my friend David Borda for his second victory of the season » Tarrio said. « I was disappointed not to be able to play the Final because it is a course that I love and I feel welcome at the Golf Des Iles Borromées » he continued. « Finishing first in the Order of Merit is very important for me because there were many very good players this year on the Alps Tour and to beat them means that I can reach the European Tour as I think they will also do » he added. « Finally, it’s great to follow the footsteps of Adriá Arnaus who won last year’s Alps Tour season ranking. This shows that I am on the right track » Tarrio said.
As an amateur, Adria Arnaus won the 2017 Grand Final and finished first in the Order of Merit. Arnaus is currently ranked 9th on the Challenge Tour and will play on the European Tour next season.
« I would like to dedicate this season to my whole team. Without them, I would not be at the top. I’d like to thank my friends and my sponsors, my whole family, Joaquín Dosil for making me improve and for supporting me from the first day in many aspects and of course, my caddie and girlfriend, Noelia Garcia. Much of the successes are because of her » Tarrio concluded.
The Alps Tour would like to thank the Golf Club Des Iles Borromées for their wonderful hospitality and all the sponsors of the tournament for their strong support.
The next Alps Tour event will be the Qualifying School at La Cala Resort in Malaga, Spain, December 9th through December 15th, 2018.
20th October 2018 | Alps Tour Golf
Borda retakes the lead before decisive final round
19th October 2018 | Alps Tour Golf
Joannes takes control of Grand Final
Belgium’s Hugues Jr Joannes took the lead of the Alps Tour Grand Final today with a total of -11. Joannes made 8 birdies turning in the best card of the day (63, -8).
The overnight leader David Borda (ESP) is one stroke behind (-10) while another Spaniard, Ivan Cantero Gutierrez, completes the podium (-9).
« Today was just a day where everything fell into places I guess » Joannes said. « I did not start very well, I made 4 pars to start. Then, I made birdies on holes 5, 6 and 9 so I was 3 under through hole 9. And then I made birdies on holes 10, 11, 13, 14 and on 17 where I nearly made an eagle » Joannes explained. « It was actually a really good day, I’m very pleased with it. The course is very nice, it can be tricky at times but it’s a really fun course to play. You have to hit good tee shots and obviously you have to putt well which I did today so it was a lot of fun » he continued. « We’ll see what happens in the next few days, the tournament is still long, there are still 2 more rounds to play, I’ll try to keep doing what I’m doing and if I do what I did in the last 2 days, it should be good » 29-year-old Joannes concluded.
« I did not play very well the front 9 as I made 9 pars, I missed a lot of putts » Borda said. « It was a tough day, I struggled all day. I made a good birdie on hole 11 and then I got my good game back and made 2 birdies at the end. I’m pretty happy about the result today » he explained. « I think I had a good round to head into the weekend and stay in contention » the Spaniard concluded.
The top 50 players of the Order of Merit, the Alps Tour official season ranking, are competing against each other through Sunday to determine the overall winner of the season. The winner of the Grand Final will get 11,000 points while the runner up will grab 7,000 points. Following this week’s Grand Final, the top 5 of the ranking will take a full category on the Challenge Tour next year.
Weather conditions were again sunny today at the Golf Club Des Iles Borromées with warm temperatures in the afternoon and practically no wind.
Tomorrow’s round 3 tee off is at 08h30 local time.
18th October 2018 | Alps Tour Golf
Spain’s David Borda leads Grand Final
David Borda (ESP) turned in the best card of the day today at -7 to take leadership of the Alps Tour Grand Final at the Golf Club Des Iles Borromées in Italy.
Borda finished round 1 of the tournament with 1 eagle, 6 birdies and a bogey.
He is followed by Frenchman Victor Marchiset who finished his round one stroke behind (-6) and by a group of 3 players all at -5: Leo Lespinasse (FRA), Timon Baltl (AUT) and Tom Shadbolt (ENG).
« It was a really good round, I started really good with 2 birdies on the first 2 holes. I finished the front 9 with 5 under so I’m pretty happy » Borda said. « We know the course well because we’ve played it several times already. It’s a good course, you need to be all the time with the ball in play to be able to make birdies. If you putt well, I think you can have a good round » he explained. « This is the most important tournament of the year, it’s the Final, it’s a long tournament so I’ll try to keep myself in contention to be there at the end of the week. I’m in 6th position in the Order of Merit but there are more points to take in the Final and everybody can get in the top 5. I want to win, that’s the objective for this week, to try to get into the Challenge Tour » Borda, who missed the top 5 last year by a few points, concluded.
« I’m very satisfied with my day » Frenchman Victor Marchiset said. « I’m not used to play that low on the first day. I played well in all compartments of my game. I used the same game plan than when we played here in July. I like this course, there is no stress at the start of each hole » he explained. « It’s a bonus for me to be here as I was not sure I would make the top 50 at the end of the regular season. It was a pleasure to play here today » Marchiset concluded.
The Alps Tour Grand Final is the culmination of the 2018 season. The top 50 players of the Order of Merit, the Alps Tour official season ranking, are competing against each other through Sunday to determine the overall winner of the season. Following the Grand Final, the top 5 of the ranking will take a full category on the Challenge Tour next year.
The €45,000 prize money tournament is played over 72 holes of traditional stroke. But because it is the Grand Final, 70 000 points will be distributed to give the opportunity to players not in the top positions of the Order of Merit to jump in the top 5 with this last tournament. The winner of the Grand Final will get 11,000 points while the runner up will grab 7,000 points.
Weather conditions on the shores of Lake Maggiore were sunny with warm temperatures in the afternoon and some wind gusts throughout the day.
Tomorrow’s first round 2 tee off is at 08h30 local time.
16th October 2018 | Alps Tour Golf
Alps Tour Grand Final concludes 2018 season
Rising golf stars of the Alps Tour are heading this week to Lake Maggiore (Italy) for the culmination of the 2018 season, the Alps Tour Grand Final.
The top 50 players of the Order of Merit, the Alps Tour official season ranking, will compete against each other starting this Thursday to determine the overall winner of the 2018 season.
On top of being in the top 50 following the last tournament of the regular season (the Abruzzo Open), players must also have played in at least 6 tournaments in 3 different countries this season to be able to take part in the Grand Final.
At the end of this week’s Grand Final, the top 5 of the ranking will take a full category on the Challenge Tour next year. As an amateur, Adria Arnaus won the 2017 Grand Final and finished first in the Order of Merit. Arnaus is currently ranked 9th overall on the Challenge Tour and will play on the European Tour next season.
Santiago Tarrio, the leader of the Order of Merit with 26,702.45 points, will not participate in this week’s Grand Final as he’s been invited to play in the European Tour’s Valderrama Masters in Spain. « I’m sad not to be able to play in the Grand Final. I like the course very much and I feel very welcomed there. But there are tournaments I can’t turn down » Tarrio said.
« I can’t wait to start playing on a course where I have played well there twice finishing tied for 6th (Des Iles Borromées Open 2018) and tied for 9th place (Grand Final 2017) » England’s Marcus Mohr, who is ranked in 4th place in the Order of Merit, said. « I said at the start of the year that I wanted to give myself a chance and I have » he continued. « I will be nervous and excited when the Grand Final starts on Thursday but I know that if I play my game, I will come out where I deserve to be at the end of the week » Mohr concluded.
« I just want to end the season with the same state of mind I’ve had all year long, that is determined and at the same time serene » Frenchman Xavier Poncelet said. Poncelet is ranked 5th in the Order of Merit but is closely followed by David Borda (ESP) who is 133,44 points behind him.
The €45,000 prize money tournament will be played over 72 holes of traditional stroke. But because it is the Grand Final, 70 000 points will be distributed to give the opportunity to players not in the top positions of the Order of Merit to jump in the top 5 with this last tournament. The winner of the Grand Final will get 11,000 points while the runner up will grab 7,000 points.
This is the second year in a row the Golf Des Iles Borromées is hosting the Grand Final. It is also the second time this season the Alps Tour makes a stop at the Golf Des Iles Borromées after a tournament played there at the end of July.
The Golf Des Iles Borromées, a 18-hole par 71 golf course located 500 meters above sea level, is surrounded by beautiful nature and an exceptional flora. The course has spectacular views of the Swiss Alps and of the Ticino Plain. From the 18th tee, one can see the skyline of Milan and four lakes: Lake Maggiore, Lake Varese, Lake Monate and Lake Comabbio. The Golf club is also the home of a very dynamic junior school managed by a former player of the Alps Tour, Federico Colombo.
