18th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Angel Hidalgo Portillo Comes Through to Claim Victory
June 18th, 2021 – Como, Italy. Angel Hidalgo Portillo went right down to the line today but pulled off his second Alps Tour victory of the year to raise the trophy of the Memorial Giorgio Bordoni on -14 (196) at the GC Pinetina.
It was not all plain sailing for the Spaniard though as he got off to a wobbly start: “I started well, made two solid putts and then on the fourth I don’t know what happened. I hit a straight shot OB and I started to feel not nervous, but the feeling was not solid. Then I made a bogey on the seventh. At that point I said to myself whoa, I need to start to make a few birdies”.
At this stage after the double bogey and bogey Hidalgo was sitting -10 and the tournament looked to be slipping through his fingers as he had fallen back to fourth place, three strokes behind the leader. But he remained focussed and turned the tide: “I made a good birdie on the tenth and from then I felt better. I’ve played the back nine really well all week and today I had two great putts for birdie on the sixteenth and seventeenth.”
With four birdies under his belt, he headed to the eighteenth green on -14:” I had my eye on the leader board a lot of the time, but it was funny on the 18th fairway as I saw that the Italian guy (Giovanni Manzoni) was 14 under and I said, okay, I just need to make par and maybe go to a play-off but that’s okay. So, I focussed on just making par and when I got to the green and was looking at the slope my caddy said, “two putts is enough” and that’s what I did”.
Indeed, the Italian amateur Giovanni Manzoni had played a dream round today with a perfect card bearing 7 birdies and sitting fourteen under on the eighteenth. But his sole bogey of the day stole victory from him giving him a more than respectable joint second place on -13 (197). His compatriot Leonardo Rigamonti and fellow amateur player played a solid round with five birdies and one bogey to tie for second.
In joint fourth place on -12 (198) were Victor Garcia Broto, yesterday’s runner-up and the French player Romain Vallaeys. The Spaniard had a fault-free round, but two birdies proved insufficient. Vallaeys topped the leader board at one stage lying -13 at the fifteenth tee. Unfortunately, despite a birdie on the last hole, the two bogeys on sixteen and seventeen sealed the deal.
With a brace of victories in his bag, Hidalgo now leads the Order of Merit with 20,578 points. Jacopo Vecchi Fossa from Italy moves back to second place with 18,152 points and the Frenchman Pierre Pineau remains third on 11,897.
After two back-to-back competitions the players now have a bit of respite before heading to Spain for the Alps de Las Castillas from 7th to 9th July at the Club de Golf Las Pinaillas.
Final Results: 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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
17th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Angel Hidalgo Portillo Pumps Up the Pressure Day 2
June 17th, 2021 – Como, Italy. Lots of movement at the top of the leader board today as the players continue a close battle to claim victory here at the Memorial Giorgio Bordoni by AON. An outstanding round by Angel Hidalgo Portillo put him in the lead on -11 (129) after scoring the lowest round so far in the competition with a 63 (-7), one of three players to achieve this today.
The Spaniard started the round in style with par, birdie, eagle. He finished the outward nine with two more birdies and his sole bogey of the day. Three more birdies coming home, and the top place was his: “I played exactly the same way as yesterday but today I holed a few putts and that made the difference. I think I hit my wedges a little better today which allowed me to put the ball closer to the hole and so easier to make some putts. The driver is also one of my strong points and I think that is an advantage on this type of course”.
Winner of his first Alps Tour tournament a month ago at the Ein Bay Open in this, his second year on the circuit, has boosted his confidence and helped his strategy for tomorrow: “When I won in Egypt it took a lot of pressure off me and so tomorrow, I’ll just enjoy it and see what happens”.
The Spanish player nudged his compatriot Victor Garcia Broto into second place. The Barcelona amateur finished the morning round at -10 (130) after a superb 64 (-6) for the day. He temporarily took the lead after carding seven birdies and one bogey: “I started really well. I was hitting the ball well yesterday and today. Today I started holing putts at the beginning and it was pretty much a controlled round during the whole day. I’m putting the ball in place on the fairway and as the fairways are pretty tight that’s a main point. Tomorrow, I’m going to go out there like the past two days, try to focus on my thing and go shot by shot”.
Still well in contention in joint third place is Jack Floydd on -9 (131). The Englishman narrowly missed joint second place as he headed to the eighteenth on -10 after an eagle, four birdies and a bogey but his second bogey of the day saw him fall back a shot. Sharing the spot with him is the amateur player Leonardo Rigamonti from Italy. The Lombardy native had a faultless 63 (-7) with not a bogey in sight, an eagle on the par five 8th and five birdies.
Rounding out the top ten on -8 (132), are three French players; Franck Medale who carded a 64 (-6), Romain Guillon and Romain Vallaeys who both shot 66 (-4). Joining them are the Austrian Uli Weinhandl with a 65 (-5) and Arthur Ameil-Planchin from Switzerland who had a 67 (-3).
The contest remains tight though as there are eight players within 5 shots of the leader including yesterday’s leader Vince Van Veen who played to par and Sebastien Gandon from France who was the third player to make a 63 (-7) today. If we take seven under as the benchmark from today it leaves the field wide open as the cut came at -2 (138).
The final round will see 54 players teeing off tomorrow, 43 pros and 11 amateurs with the first flights heading out at 8:00 am and the last ones at 9:28 am. The temperatures will hit a high of 31°C/88°F with a strong chance of showers and the possibility of a thunderstorm. Let’s hope the weather doesn’t disrupt another exciting 18 holes here at the GC Pinetina.
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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
J
16th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Vincent Van Veen Edges Ahead Day 1
June 16th, 2021 – Como, Italy. After a first-round win for the Netherlands on Sunday in the Euro 2020 football it was the turn of Dutch player Vincent Van Veen to emulate his home team’s victory by taking the lead here at the Memorial Giorgio Bordoni after carding a 64 (-6).
Playing from the tenth in the early afternoon, the Dutchman shot four birdies and two bogeys going out and came home with a bogey-free back nine and four more birdies.
His previous time on the course saw him finish joint 41st: “I played here two years ago and remember that it was a narrow course. I had to get back to the drawing board after the first year here and figure out a game plan that suits me better on this course and for now it’s working nicely. I got off to a nice start today and just tried to stick to my game plan”.
Nor was he overly bothered by the hot and sunny conditions this afternoon at the GC Pinetina but his result was especially satisfying as he acknowledged having experienced a downturn in 2020: “I struggled last year and went through a bit of a slump, but I’ve worked my way out of it nicely by sticking to just doing one thing, keep doing the same thing over and over again until I find my comfort zone and it’s paying off now”.
Just one stroke behind on 65 (-5) are five players including one of Van Veen’s partners out on the course today, the Englishman Jack Floydd. At the end of the outward nine, Floydd was actually one stroke ahead after three birdies and not a bogey in sight. Despite a flawless inward nine and two more birdies it was not enough to topple the Dutchman.
The other four players on 65 (-5) are Sigot Lopez from Spain, Arthur Ameil Planchin from Switzerland, Franck Daux from France, and the Italian, Ludovico Addabbo. Also teeing off from the tenth, at the end of the morning rounds the two were joint leaders. Daux entered the clubhouse first having fired seven birdies and two bogeys. Addabbo joined him later with a spotless card of five birdies to continue his best season so far on the Alps Tour and content with today’s work: “Today was a very good day out on the course. I played a solid long game; I missed some putts but I’m happy with the result. It’s a very hard course and in very good condition. You have to hit a lot of irons from the tee and pretty straight as there are a lot of out of bounds and water hazards on the right and left of the fairways”.
The chasing pack on 66 (-4) has eleven players including two amateurs: Gregorio De Leo from Italy and Victor Garcia Broto from Spain.
Tee-off starts at 7:30 am tomorrow form the first and tenth with the leader heading out at 8:14. Temperatures will remain high with a few showers in the early morning prior to play as we head into crunch time and the cut after 36 holes.
Results Round 1: 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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
14th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Italy Welcomes the Mid-SeasonTournament
June 14th, 2021 – Como, Italy. It has been a quick-step turnaround for the Alps Tour players as they arrive here in Lombardy for the Memorial Giorgio Bordoni just a day after the final of the Open de Mirabelle d’Or in France. This eighth of the 2021 season’s sixteen competitions and the 7th edition of the tournament tees off in two days’ time on the GC Pinetina course located in the middle of the immense natural Parc Pineta.
All seven of this year’s current winners are among those confirmed including last weekend’s champion Franck Medale of France. His compatriot, the amateur Paul Margolis – MIRA Live the Soul Open, joins him. The three Italian victors are among the home contingent; Jacopo Vecchi Fossa – Abruzzo Alps Open, Stefano Mazzoli – Antognolla Alps Open and Luca Ciancetti – Red Sea Little Venice Open. They are joined by the other Egyptian Spring Series winner, Angel Hidalgo Portillo from Spain – Ein Bay Open and finally the season’s opening trophy raiser, the Scot, Ryan Lumsden – MIRA Golf Experience Acaya Open.
Nine of the top ten on the Order of Merit will be battling for points. Alongside the seven winners are Pierre Pineau from France, currently third after three top ten places in 2021 and Vitor Londot from Portugal whose recent second place moved him up to tenth.
Four Italians and two Spaniards have so far enjoyed success in the Memorial Giorgio Bordoni. Winner of the previous edition in 2019, Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez from Spain, will not be contending as he now plays on the European Tour. But we have one previous winner, the Italian, Stefano Pitoni who saw victory in 2016, his best season ever on the Alps Tour with three first places.
The par 70 course may not be particularly long, 6300 yds/5761 m, but it is hilly and complex requiring a great deal of accuracy. Designed by Harris Albertini Mezzalane and built by ‘Commander’ John Dering Harris, the course opened in 1971. The undulating fairways weave their way through trees and lush vegetation with occasional steep inclines both up and down typified by the 14th. This par three plunges steeply down to a green protected by a huge bunker hugging three quarters of the putting area. Both nines conclude with tough par fours, the first downhill and the second downhill. A spot-on short game will be key.
For the football loving fans among the players, they will be delighted to know that just next to the entrance to the GC Pinetina is the Inter Milan training ground. Unfortunately, the season ended in May so little chance of catching a glimpse of the stars.
The weather looks favourable if hot with temperatures in the high 20’s and a slight chance of thunderstorms at the end of week. If the players are lucky and the cloud cover is not too dense, they may even catch a glimpse through the trees of the Monte Rosa in the distance, the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe, after Mont Blanc.
The Memorial Giorgio Bordoni is dedicated to the highly respected former coach of the Italian teams, Giorgio Bordoni, who passed away in 2013 at the age of only 48. The tournament is presented this year by AON which is also a worldwide partner of the Ryder Cup through to 2024.
Entries: 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.
Instagram @alpstourgolf
Facebook @Alpstourgolf Satellite
Twitter @AlpsTourGolf
13th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Franck Medale is King of Mirabelle d’Or
Metz, 13th June 2021 – Frenchman Franck Medale started off so well on the final day of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or, at Golf de la Grange aux Ormes, with five birdies in a row from hole n. 2 and finishing the front nine in 29 (-5), that he soon took the top spot on the leaderboard and never lost it afterwards. His final 62 (-8) and an overall -14, with one eagle, 8 birdies and two bogeys (one on the last hole), was what he needed to grab the trophy, the 5,800 euros check for the winner and the 6,525 points at stake as an Alps Tour member, which allowed him to climb 26 positions in the ranking and occupy the 7th spot.
“I certainly like the course”, says Medale, 26, who studied in the U.S. and had some wins there during college years. “I finished in 3rd position here two years ago, but this is my first win as a pro”.
“Obviously, the day went very well for me, I have followed my goals all along the game, trying to focus on making my best on every hole, and to stay in the moment. I was not thinking about what was going on around me because my partner Vitor Lopes was playing very well, too, and we had a genuinely nice fight! I chose to be aggressive on most of the game because I thought it was a good strategy, I was feeling like attacking and it actually paid back in terms of the score”.
On his side, Portuguese Vitor Londot Lopes, 24, did very well, too, starting the day T4 with Medale at -6 and chasing him very closely, to end on second spot at -13 with a partial for the day of 63 (-7). “Well, what a week it was, just short by one! I know it was not today that I gave it away, but on the first two days. Putting has not been my friend for the last weeks but I must keep practicing hard to get the first win here on the Alps Tour. Congrats to Franck for an amazing round. It was enjoyable to watch”. With a cheque of 3,940 euros and 4,432 points, Londot Lopes has improved his position in the ranking by 13 steps and has now reached the top 10.
The leader of the Order of Merit after seven tournaments is still Italian Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, who – with his third position at -11 at Open de la Mirabelle – has improved his margin on Spaniard Angel Hidalgo Portillo and Frenchman Pierre Pineau, third; Vecchi Fossa has 17,205 points, Hidalgo 14,053 and Pineau 11,514.
No time to rest for the Alps Tour players now, as next tournament is about to start in just three days at La Pinetina GC, in Italy, where 144 players will meet for the 7th edition of Memorial Giorgio Bordoni.
Click here for the Final results, or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
#20thanniversary
12th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Vecchi Fossa and Gris joint leaders on day 2
Metz, 12th June 2021 – With another great day at the office at Golf de la Grange aux Ormes, Italian Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 26, has climbed one step from yesterday’s position and is sharing the lead at -8 with Frenchman Jules Gris, 25, after the second round of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or, in Eastern France. Portuguese Tomás Bessa, 24, is enjoying his third position just one stroke back at -7, while 4th spot is shared by six players at -6.
On a weatherwise complicated day, with a light morning breeze turning into a real wind in the afternoon, Vecchi Fossa (teeing off at 13:14 from hole n. 10), leader of the Order of Merit after 6 tournaments, is showing once again that he is the man to beat: adding a 67 (-3) to yesterday’s 65 (-5), he has carded one eagle, three birdies and two bogeys. “It’s been a hard, windy day, the course is tight, the rough is definitely unforgiving, deep and thick. Overall, I’m satisfied with my game especially from the tee, I’ve missed some putts but I made an eagle three on hole n. 5 which definitely helped! I have suffered a bit on the last holes, with a bogey on n. 9; those are the most difficult holes and the wind made them even more problematic. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!”.
Jules Gris, who gained his spot in the tournament thanks to his 3rd place in the French Qualifying School, which gives him the right to also play two Challenge Tour events on French soil, is obviously very happy with his result: “I have been playing well for a while now and my coach was feeling that something good was about to come, and it happened today. I’m curious to see how I’m going to face the game tomorrow, as it is the first time that I’m in such a good spot. My strategy was to keep the ball in play and play with my head, it worked well. I will try to keep the same mindset for tomorrow, always trying to have fun on the course whenever possible”.
The best card of the day was signed by Italian Gianluca Proietti, who shot a 63 (-7), ten shots better than first round, with one eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys, and is sitting on T15 at -4.
Once again, the work of the fore-caddies was really precious helping to find balls in the rough and speed up the game; 59 players (44 pros and 15 amateurs) made the cut at level par, and will play tomorrow to share the 45,000 points for the Alps Tour members (and the 40,000 Euros for the pros). The second round statistics record also 51 players under par and a total of one double eagle (made by Frenchman Sam Dumez, a 2 on hole n. 4, a par 5 of 460 metres!), 25 eagles and 460 birdies for the day.
Click here for the 2nd round results or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
11th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Swiss Ameil-Planchin is solo leader after 1st round
Metz, 11th June 2021 – As the turn of the 2021 Alps Tour season approaches, the 18th edition of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or has started at Golf de la Grange aux Ormes, in Eastern France, producing some great show, as expected. After the first round, in fact, Swiss Arthur Ameil-Planchin, 27, is leading on 64 (-6) on the par 70, Philippe Gourdon designed course, with one eagle, five birdies and just one bogey for the day.
Italian Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 26, leader of the Order of Merit after 6 tournaments, is pushing on the accelerator with a 65 (-5, with six birdies and one bogey) and shares the second position with four other players – compatriot Andrea Saracino, and Frenchmen Frank Medale, Romain Vallaeys and Dimitri Darnaud, who lost his leadership with a double bogey on the last hole. Vecchi Fossa will try to increase the gap with his pursuers in the ranking – he has now an advantage of 767 points on the second, Spaniard Angel Hidalgo Portillo, currently T38th at -1 (69) as well as Frenchman Pierre Pineau, third in the Order of Merit with 3,520 points less than the leader.
Ameil-Planchin started his round from hole n. 10 with fireworks: “I holed a nice putt for an eagle 3 at the first, followed by two birdies on 11th and 12th, then at the 13th I hit probably the only bad shot of the day, a 3-wood that ended in the deep rough but I reacted with a nice wedge and saved par. I’ve putted well overall, I managed to stick with the strategy I had worked out and everything went smoothly. My caddie Guillaume certainly helped to stay calm and focussed. The course is more challenging than last year in September, the rough is really high and thick, you really need to keep the ball in play”.
In spite of the high temperatures – a bright sun shone all day, with virtually no wind – and a punishing rough that made the fore-caddies work hard on many holes and the players hit many provisional balls whenever they would miss the fairway, the first round statistics record 54 players under par and a total of 21 eagles and 484 birdies overall.
Tomorrow the second round will start at 7:30, and at the end of the day the top 40 and ties plus amateurs within the cut line will proceed to play the final round and share the 45,000 points (and the 40,000 Euros for the pros).
Click here for the results.
9th June 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
The show goes on in France for the 18th edition of Open de la Mirabelle d’Or
The 18th edition of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or gets back to its traditional June date, and looks to have what it takes for offering a great show by the talented Alps Tour players gathering at Golf de la Grange aux Ormes, in Eastern France. The stage will open from June 11th to 13th with 144 players from 15 nations competing for a €40,000 prize money and 45,000 points, anticipated on Thursday 10th by the first Pro-am of the year in the Alps Tour schedule.
Most of the top ten players on the Order of Merit count present including the top three, as well as five winners of the 2021 season tournaments so far: from Italy, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa (Abruzzo Open), Stefano Mazzoli (Antognolla Alps Open) and, fresh from his Egyptian win two weeks ago, Luca Cianchetti (Red Sea Little Venice Open); from France, amateur Paul Margolis, Mira Live the Soul Open champion; from Spain, Angel Hidalgo Portillo, victor at the Ein Bay Open.
With 70 French players confirmed there will be a strong home turf contingent vying for grabbing the coveted trophy, won last September by Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey, now active on the European Tour. Among them, previous tournament winners Maxime Radureau who won in 2017 and Xavier Poncelet who triumphed in 2012. Also, Pierre Pineau, number 3 on the Order of Merit, will be looking to add his first victory to his season after the two 2nd spots in the Ein Bay Open and Abruzzo Open.
Also, Issa Nlareb is in the field for the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or. The 30-year-old player from Cameroun, who was struck by bacterial meningitis in February 2018 and suffered complications which led to a partial amputation of his legs and fingers, hit the headlines last month when he made the cut in the Ein Bay Open in Egypt, with three birdies in the last four holes. He will be hoping to repeat the exploit, but his participation itself is a proof once again that an iron will can overcome any disabilities.
The Golf de la Grange aux Ormes always ensures a great welcome for the players and guests. The Philippe Gourdon designed course just outside Metz in the Lorraine region of France offers a par 71, 6664 yard/6094 metre parkland terrain lined with century old trees. The fairways are broad, overall, but with dense rough running the length to grab any wayward drives.
For the list of entries, click here.
