Alps Tour Golf | 2020 November

19th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 Final Round – Trio of Winners at -7 (209)

November 19th, 2020 – Rome, Italy – A tightly fought final round saw three winners of the Final Round of the Alps Tour Qualifying School 2020; Blaire McKeithen from the USA, Philip Bootsma from the Netherlands, and the French amateur, David Ravetto with -7 (209) for the three rounds.

The Frenchman was first into the clubhouse with the lowest score of the day out on the Golf Nazionale course. An eagle, five birdies and a bogey saw him card a 66 (-6) today.

“Perfect playing conditions with 20°C, sunny and no wind. I came here with the goal of winning the QSchool but after a mediocre first round it looked complicated. So, I just decided to aim for as high a classification as possible. Today, the greens were receptive, and I hit all the fairways which is essential on a course like this. The putts dropped on the back nine and the eagle on the 7^th helped. A great day.”

Last years’ winner of the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, the first French player to do so since 2007, the amateur is considering turning pro next year.

Next in was the Dutchman, Philip Bootsma, with a bogey-free 67 (-5) and five birdies. A particularly satisfying win for him as he had just come back from injury when the Covid-19 crisis hit meaning his season did not start until July at the Gosser Open.

“During the downtown I decided to work on my swing to try and pick up some distance from the tee. So, I went back to the drawing board and made some changes. That’s why in the previous events my results were not too good but now it’s finally paid off which is great. It’s just a shame that the season’s over now but it’s a good motivation for the coming months.”

Last in was the American, Blaire McKeithen on par 72 with two birdies and two bogeys. On the green for two on the 18^th hole par 5, he nearly emerged as outright winner.

“The feelings were good today. The course played a lot more difficult today and it was a bummer to finish off with a three putt but it was so much fun to even have a chance to win. Obviously, it’s great to get the tour card for next year because I love this tour and want to come back again”.

The Californian resident is a long way from home and had quite a challenge to get here:

“I actually had to go to London, quarantine for two weeks, take a test and then flew to Vienna and played at the event in Graz. Obviously then I couldn’t go back home so, I’ve been a kind of nomad for the last five months. But it’s been a wonderful year, a great life experience for me to do all this travelling and then overcome the disappointment of the season”.

Indeed, the American had a long series of missed cuts and just edged into the Qschool Final Stage:

“From there it was like the monkey was off my back, so the confidence skyrocketed. Now I feel like a world beater out of nowhere, going from the lowest to the highest so I’m very excited about next season. I love Europe, love all the countries I’ve been able to spend time at, love the people that I met out here and everyone who runs the tour. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m coming back”.

In total for the field, 36 players secured cards in category 6 and 37 players secured category 8 for the Alps Tour 2021 season.

Final Results : click here

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18th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 Final – Round 2 – Will Heffernan Fires 65 To Take The Lead

November 18th, 2020 – Rome, Italy – With the best score of the day on both courses, a resounding 65 (-7), Will Heffernan from Australia took the lead with an overall -9 (135) after 36 holes.

Teeing off on the Terre dei Consoli Golf Club course from the first, the player from Down Under started in style with a birdie. He finished the first nine with three more, started the back nine with another birdie, dropped a shot with a single bogey but recovered with three more birdies coming home.

“I’m confident with the putter. The putter and the driver in fact but it’s all about the putting here as it’s quite wide off the tee. I holed a lot of putts today and that’s always gonna get it done, isn’t it? So far, I’m doing everything pretty well so I can’t complain”.

Winner last week on the Golf Club Parco de’ Medici course, he heads into the final round at the Golf Nazionale with the same approach:

“You’ve got to plot your way around the course. It’s going to be soft as I’m sure the grass is still wet there. So, just put yourself on the fairway and try to give yourself as many birdie opportunities as possible”.

Two strokes behind him on the same course, preserving his second place from yesterday is the American Blaire McKeithen. He had a grand total of 7 birdies and would have been joint leader if not for two bogeys on each nine to give him a 67(-5) for the day and an overall -7 (137).

Over on the Golf Nazionale, the Englishman Jack Trewhitt signed a 68 (-4) with just one bogey today to put him in third place with -6 (138).

In joint fourth place, Paul McBride from Ireland on the Terre dei Consoli Golf Club and Javier Gallegos Marsal from Spain on the Golf Nazionale are both at -5 (139). The two players came in at 69 (-3) for the day.

Tied for sixth after their rounds on the Golf Nazionale, yesterdays leader, the Irishman, Simon Bryan, and Will Porter from Scotland sit at -4 (140). Three birdies and two bogeys for Bryan for a 71(-1) today, whilst the Scotsman had six birdies and a lone bogey for a 67 (-5), six shots better than yesterday.

The highest amateur on the leader board is the French player Paul Margolis, at -3 (141) in eighth position. He had another steady round today on the Golf Nazionale with two birdies and a bogey for a 71 (-1).

Also on the Golf Nazionale, a trio of players share ninth place at -2 (142). The two Dutchmen, Philip Bootsma and Koen Kouwenaar both shot a 69 (-3) who are joined by the Italian player, Giovanni Craviolo.

The cut came at +7 with 16 amateurs among the 73 players coming through. The Final Round tees off tomorrow from the 1^st and 10^th tees of the Golf Nazionale to decide who gets category 6 (top 35 and ties) or category 8 (from 36th to 73rd) on the Alps Tour next year.

Those players who did not make the cut will be eligible for membership in category 9 of the Alps Tour for the 2021 season.

The weather forecast looks to be smiling on the Final as sunny skies and light winds are forecast for tomorrow.

Results Round 2 Final Stage: click here

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17th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 Final – Simon Bryan Leads After Round One

November 17th, 2020 – Rome, Italy – Blustery conditions made play difficult today but after the first eighteen holes, the Irishman, Simon Bryan is in the lead by one stroke from his nearest contender at -3 (69).

The 28-year old player from Druids Heath Golf Club in County Wicklow is not unfamiliar with such meteorological conditions:

“It was very windy; it was basically like being back at home but just with much warmer weather. So, keeping the ball’s flight down was pretty handy and with some of the greens being soft we could get at some of the flags, but you had to pay attention with being short sided. It was good, I kept ball in hand pretty much most of the day and when I was out of position on the greens, I just tried to put it close”.

Playing on the Terre dei Consoli course, Bryan teed off from the 1^st making one bogey on each nine and a total of 5 birdies. Having arrived early in Italy, he has got to know the course well:

“I’ve been here for three weeks. As soon we went into lockdown, I straightaway got onto the Alps Tour and then I got the General Manager’s email and we asked if we could come over and practice and they were more than happy to have us over. So I’ve been playing this golf course for three weeks solid. There were a couple of times today that I didn’t even look at the yardage book and just hit the shot. So, it was really nice to have that and it helped big time. We also got in a couple of practice rounds on the Golf Nazionale, so that’s tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it. I have a good game plan in place which is key on that course.”

There is a bit of a bottleneck in second position with seven players sitting at -2 (70). Three of them also played the Terre dei Consoli course; Javier Gallegos Marsal from Spain and two English players; Jack Trewhitt and Thomas Thurloway. The other four players were on the Golf Nazionale course today including the leader’s compatriot, Paul McBride. From the USA, we see Blaire McKeithen who briefly took the lead during the day and Will Heffernan from Australia, winner at Golf Club Parco de’ Medici in the First Qualifying round. The final slot is filled by the French amateur Paul Margolis.

In joint ninth place at -1 (71), is the top-ranked amateur present, Eduard Rousaud from Spain who had the only bogey-free round of the day. He is joined by Alan De Bondt from Belgium, Alessandro Notaro from Italy and Victor Trehet from France.

Eagles were few and far between today, but the French amateur, Carl Bertrand, finished his round at the Golf Nazionale with one on the par 5 18^th. He is among the next group of five players at Par (72). The other eagle was from the Italian Guglielmo Bravetti who scored a hole-in-one on the par 3 9^th. He is in the dozen players at +1 (73).

The players switch courses tomorrow for the second round at the end of which comes the cut to 65 players. The weather promises to be sunny and the wind should drop.

Results Round 1 Final Stage: click here

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14th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 – All Set For The Final Stage

November 14th, 2020 – Rome, Italy – With the play-offs of the First Stage completed yesterday, the 144 players in the Final Stage of the Alps Tour Qualifying School 2020 are registered. And we can look forward to some great golf given the players in the field.

Notably, among the 42 amateurs, there is David Ravetto from France currently 23^rd on the WAGR who raised the Brabazon Trophy in August of this year by winning the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

From Spain, there is Eduard Rousaud ranked 4^th on the WAGR who became only the fifth ever Spanish player to play a Major as an amateur when he participated in the US Open in September 2020. Just last week he finished joint fifth at the Andalucía Challenge de España, the only amateur to make the cut at the Challenge Tour event.

The Portuguese amateur, Pedro Lencart E Silva, recently distinguished himself with a win at the Portuguese Federation Cup last month.

Another rising French amateur is Charles Larcelet winner of the 2019 French Men’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship (Murat Cup) who also did himself proud at the 2019 Amundi Open de France by making the cut.

And within the home-grown amateurs, two Italians to watch, Gregorio De Leo and Davide Buchi have already participated in three Alps Tour events this year with their best results at the Cervino Open, 6^th and 17^th respectively. Plus, of course, Alessandro Radig who was second in the First Stage on the Golf Club Parco de’ Medici course.

Several former, top, amateurs, recently turned pro, join the qualifiers. Matyas Zapletal from the Czech Republic won what is considered the pinnacle of amateur golf competitions in his home country with victory at the Czech International Amateur Championship in August.

Conor Purcell from Ireland, a former Walker Cup player, won the Irish Golfer Shootout this July, staged at the K Club in Ireland, site of the 2006 Ryder Cup.

The Dutch player, Koen Kouwenaar, and the Belgian player, Alan De Bondt both had wins in 2019, one at the Dutch National Open Championship and the other at the King’s Prize.

There are also a number of previous Alps Tour tournament winners lined up. From the 2018 season we have the English player, Marcus Mohr – Open St Francois Region Guadeloupe, and from Italy, Michele Cea – Ein Bay Open. Frenchman, Franck Daux, was a two-time winner in 2016 at the Ein Bay Open and Red Sea Little Venice Open. Whilst, in 2011, the Italian, Cristiano Terragni won the Feudo di Asti Open.

The Final Qualifying Stage is scheduled to be played over 54 holes. The players will play two rounds, one each on the Golf Nazionale and Terre dei Consoli Golf Club courses.

After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 65 players and those players tied on the final qualifying place score, who will then play one further round on the Golf Nazionale golf course.

At the conclusion of the 54 holes, the leading 35 players (and those players tied on the final qualifying place score) will be ranked according to score. Players holding these positions will be eligible for membership in Category 6 of the Alps Tour for the 2021 season.

Players making the cut of the Final Qualifying Stage and finishing between the 36^th and the 65^th position will be eligible for membership in Category 8 of the Alps Tour for the 2021 season.

Players between the 66^th and the 144^th position will be eligible for membership in Category 9 of the Alps Tour for the 2021 season.

Official practice rounds start tomorrow with the weather threatening some heavy showers over the next two days. Hopefully, things should improve on Tuesday with the sun returning and gentle breezes.

Entries Final Stage: click here

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12th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 – First Stage Second Round – Partial Results, Play-off Tomorrow

November 11th, 2020 – Rome, Italy –Despite play being delayed for two hours by fog at Terre dei Consoli Golf Club everyone finished before nightfall. All the rounds were concluded at the Golf Nazionale as well. However, on both courses there are six players tied at 33rd position meaning a play-off is necessary tomorrow to determine the official announcement of all the qualified players.

After the withdrawal of an exempt player from the Final Stage an extra slot was added to the Golf Club Parco de’ Medici number of places for a total of 14 for which the qualified players list is official.

Golf Club Parco de’ Medici course: 14 spots available for the Final Stage:

The first winner of the day into the club house at -3 (141) was Will Heffernan after a round of 70 (-2). The sole Australian player at the QSchool, the Melbourne native explained his presence so far from home:

“I’ve been living in the UK for the past 3 months playing golf there since Australia’s in lockdown. I play on the Asian tour as well but they’re not up and running at the moment, so hopefully I can get some status on the Alps Tour”.

With four birdies and two bogeys, his game showed regularity over the 36 holes:

“My game was solid. I hit my driver really well, which obviously helps. The putter was a little bit cold today. I hit it a lot better than what the score suggests but I played pretty solid, hit the middle of most greens and made some nice up and downs”.

In second place at -1 (143) is yesterday’s leader, the Italian amateur, Alessandro Radig. After shooting 69 (-3) yesterday, two birdies and four bogeys saw him finish the day with a 74 (+2).

Coming in at Par (144) to take the third position is the Austrian player Robert Molnar. Despite a double bogey on the par four 4th hole, five birdies and a bogey saw him card a 70 (-2) for the day.

Of the fourteen places available for the Final Stage there are four amateurs and ten professionals qualified.

Golf Nazionale course: 37 spots available for the Final Stage:

It was a three-player share of the first place at -2 (142). Alessandro Notaro from Italy, and the two Spanish pros, Sigot López and Roberto Garagorri. The Italian, who has previously played on the Alps Tour, carded a 69 (-3) today with five birdies and a double bogey. Lopez had two birdies and three bogeys for a 73 (+1) whilst his compatriot, Garagorri, had one of the best scores of the day on the course with a 68 (-4) after six birdies and two bogeys.

The play-off tomorrow morning will see six players vying for five spots.

Terre dei Consoli Golf Club course: 36 spots available for the Final Stage:

David Morago from Spain headed the leader board at -4 (140). A former Alps Tour player, he last played the circuit in 2017 and was happy with conditions here in Rome:

“The course was great, it’s long and wide so after three years of no competition it was perfect for my game. My game the last couple of days was great. I missed a lot of chances but in general it was really, really good and steady. So, I’m ready for the next stage”.

One stroke behind him in second place is the Austrian player, Jurgen Maurer on -3 (141). An eagle, two birdies and two bogeys saw him in for a 70 (-2) for the day.

In third place with the best score on the course in the second round, is the Italian player Marco Archetti on -2 (142). Five birdies and a single bogey gave him a 68 (-4) today.

Six players will be competing in the play-off tomorrow for the remaining 4 spots.

Results Round 2 Golf Nazionale: click here

Results Round 2 Terre dei Consoli Golf Club: click here

Final Results Golf Club Parco de’ Medici: click here

Entries Final Stage: click here

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11th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 – First Stage Round One Results

November 11th, 2020 – Rome, Italy – After all the players had teed off this morning on each of the three courses in the First Stage of this year’s Alps Tour Qualifying School, the official announcement of the number of places available to qualify for the Final Stage was made. Of the 161 players today, there will be a total of 86 slots to join the 58 others already qualified by exemption.

Interestingly, the leaders on each of the three courses today carded identical scores of 69 (-3) over the first eighteen holes.

Golf Nazionale course: 37 spots available for the Final Stage:

A total of seven players hit under par today. At the end of play, at 69 (-3) joint leaders are Leo Andeer from Switzerland and the Spaniard, Sigot López. The Swiss player, with three birdies and no bogeys, carded the only bogey-free round of the day on all of the three courses.

In second place at 70 (-2) are two amateur players, Odin Antonino Urso from Italy, and Sam Dumez from France. And in joint third at 71 (-1) another duo of amateurs from Spain, Victor Garcia Broto and Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela alongwith Henry K Simpson from France. Hernandez Cabezuela was the author of one of two eagles on the course today, the other going to Paul Foulquie from France currently lying 24^th. We then have a group of four players at par,

Terre dei Consoli Golf Club course: 36 spots available for the Final Stage:

A total of nine players broke par today. Joint leaders from Spain, David Morago and Javier Gallegos on -3 (69). Morago had one of the three eagles scored here today, alongside three birdies and a double-bogey. Gallegos had five birdies and two bogeys.

Joint second place goes to two Austrian players on 70 (-2) who have previously played on the Alps Tour; Clemens Prader winner of the 2008 Czech Open, who also had an eagle on his card and Bernard Neumayer. The third eagle of the day went to Augustin Hole from France currently in 25th position.

We then have a pack of five players at 71 (-1) including two amateurs, Henri Battilani from Italy and Hugo Legeay-Gaucher from France. They are joined by Alvaro Veiga Pena from Spain, the Austrian Jurgen Maurer and Alessandro Aloi from Italy.

Parco de’ Medici course: 13 spots available for the Final Stage:

Only two players came in under par. Leading after 18 holes is the Italian amateur, Alessandro Radig on 69 (-3). Two strokes behind him is Will Heffernan, the only Australian player present, on 71 (-1). Both had steady rounds as Radig carded five birdies and two bogeys, whilst Heffernan had two birdies and one bogey. Two more Italian players are next at par 72, Filippo Bernabe and Matteo Massitti. The rest of the field are at 74 (+2) or more.

The players tee off tomorrow morning in the decisive round at 8:00 am on the Golf Nazionale and Terre dei Consoli Golf Club courses and at 8:30 am on the Parco de’ Medici course. Should there be a tie on any of the courses, then a hole by hole playoff will be used to determine the players for the last qualified spot and alternates.

The weather will be a little less favourable than today being forecast to be cloudy and with the possibility of occasional showers in the afternoon.

Results Round 1 Golf Nazionale: click here

Results Round 1 Terre dei Consoli Golf Club: click here

Results Round 1 Golf Club Parco de’ Medici: click here

Entries Final Stage: click here

Stay tuned! www.wp-alpstour.ocs-sport.com and the app « Alps Tour Golf » (on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android) will keep you updated on every news about Alps Tour.

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8th November 2020 | Alps Tour Golf

Qualifying School 2020 – First Stage Tees Off This Week

November 8th, 2020 – Rome, Italy – The culmination of the Alps Tour 2020 season is here. The First Stage of this year’s Qualifying School will be played over 2 days, on 3 courses, by golfers from 19 nationalities to earn one of the 85 places remaining for the Final Stage of 144 slots to gain a card for next season’s Alps Tour.

On the Golf Nazionale course, a field of 71 players will face off this Wednesday. In the French contingent we have Hubert Tisserand, who turned pro in 2019, a former winner of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or in 2016 whilst still an amateur. Among the current 34 amateurs, we have two members of the French national team, Paul Margolis and Paul Foulquié, sixth and twelfth respectively on their national, amateur Order of Merit. Five Alps Tour players are also signed up hoping to requalify after a disappointing 2020 season.

Over at Terre dei Consoli Golf Club, 71 players will also line up. Notably, Alps Tour winner of the Flory van Donck Trophy in 2014, Kevin Hesbois from Belgium. In addition, the Spanish players, Alvaro Veiga Pena, David Morago and Javier Gallegos Marsal, alongwith the Austrian player, Bernard Neumayer, all holders of at last one top ten finish on the Alps Tour. And among the 23 amateurs, we have the fittingly named, Anis Le Jeune from France, who at just sixteen years old is the youngest entrant.

Whilst on the Parco de’ Medici course, a field of 26 players are entered with a predominant home presence of 15 Italian players, 11 of whom are amateurs. Among professionals, three of them, Pier Paolo Cuomo, Federico Zuckermann and Umberto Cuomo, have previously played on the Alps Tour.

After the two rounds, the qualifiers will join the 59 other players already entered for the Final Stage from November 17^th – 19^th due to their exemption status. The field of 144 finalists will then play two rounds, alternating on the Golf Nazionale and Terre dei Consoli GC courses. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 65 players and those players tied on the final qualifying place score who will then play one further round on the Golf Nazionale golf course. The final results determine the category for each player for the 2021 Alps Tour season with the top 35 receiving a full category.

The weather conditions for the next ten days are forecast to be good ranging from a minimum of 8°C to a maximum of 21°C, a mixture of sunshine and partly cloudy, with winds light and variable.

Tune in on Wednesday for an update on the future rising stars of professional golf.

Entries Golf Nazionale: click here

Entries Terre dei Consoli Golf Club: click here

Entries Golf Club Parco de’ Medici: click here

Entries Final Stage: click here

Stay tuned! www.wp-alpstour.ocs-sport.com and the app « Alps Tour Golf » (on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android) will keep you updated on every news about Alps Tour.

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