13th May 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Ronan Mullarney wins the 31st Gösser Open
Final Review
Maria Lankowitz, Graz, Austria
11th– 13th May 2023
Leaderboard
| Pos. | Name | Score |
| 1 | Ronan Mullarney (IRL) | -12 (132) |
| 2 | Gianmaria Rean Trinchero (ITA) | -8 (136) |
| 3 | Timon Baltl (AUT) | -7 (137) |
| 4 | Oihan Guillamoundeguy (FRA) | -6 (138) |
| Enrico Di Nitto (ITA) | -6 (138) |
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Ronan Mullarney wins the 31st Gösser Open
Maria Lankowitz, May 13th 2023– Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney wins a weather shortened 2023 Gösser Open with a two-round total of 12 under-par. Gianmaria Rean Trinchero from Italy concluded the tournament in 2nd place with a two-day score of 8 under-par. In 3rd place, a past winner of the Gösser Open Austria’s Timon Baltl with a total score of 7 under-par. Tied for 4thplace just 1 stroke back France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy and Italy’s Enrico Di Nitto.
The 144 players in the 2023 Gösser Open field had to compete three days with a constant rain fall and cold weather condition. As the rain never stopped falling over Golf Club Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz, Austria the course was definitely softer but the weather conditions didn’t make it easy for the players.
Due to the delays and the unfavorable weather forecast, yesterday, the Tournament Committee of the 31st edition of the Gösser Open decided to reduce the tournament to 36 holes with no cut.
Play was first suspended on Thursday during the 1st round due to flooded greens and continuous heavy rain. Round 1 then resumed yesterday, Friday 12th May thanks to the great work performed by the Golf Club Erzherzog Johann- Maria Lankowitz superintendents lead by head superintendent Robert Keusch and his staff.
The second round began yesterday at 3:00pm but at 7:30pm, Tournament Director Alessandro Pia, suspended play due to darkness. The last 18 holes resumed today at 8:00 am still under an unceasing rain fall and cold weather.
Final Round Player Quotes
Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney who is 27 years old, captured his 1st full-field professional win at the 2023 Gösser Open! He shot an 8 under-par 64 in this first round and a 4 under-par 68 in round 2 for a two-day total of 12 under-par. He previously had played in some events in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic began but this is his 1st full year on the Alps Tour. Ronan turned professional in 2019 and competed in the 2022 Open Championship. After his victory, he was very pleased, “It was a difficult 36 holes, in these conditions. Trying to keep the umbrella up and down and keeping my bag as dry as possible, a lot of things to happening on top of the golf that has to be played. Being from Ireland and having grown up into these conditions probably helped me. I can assure you that no one likes playing in these conditions but I might have slightly more experience than the rest of the guys.” Ronan went on to add: “I’m delighted to have won this event but it won’t mean a lot to me unless I’m able to end the season in the top 5 at the end of the year.”
Gianmaria Rean Trinchero from Italy who currently represents Golf Club Monticello concluded the tournament in 2nd place at 8-under par. After his round, Gianmaria happily commented: “today was another very wet round of golf, unfortunately, I got the bad side of the draw where we got hit with the heaviest rain but I’m pleased as I played pretty well from tee to green and putted very well.” He went on to add that “I’m very happy because I didn’t make any silly mistakes that allowed me to not make many bogeys. I would like to thank my caddy for the support this week on all the on-course decisions we made together and allowed me to not make silly errors”. Gianmaria also said: “My objectives for the year won’t change, I obviously would like to finish the season in the top 5 of the Order of Merit rank.”
Austria’s Timon Baltl who represents Murhof Golf Club and previously won the Gösser Open in 2019, concluded the tournament in 3rd place with a two-day score of 7 under-par. He captured his Challenge Tour card in 2020 thanks to the results he achieved on the Alps Tour in the 2019 season. Timon concluded the event as the highest Austrian player on the leaderboard. After the round, he commented “I played a lot of golf at this golf course since it’s very close to where I was born. I played various junior events growing up as well as the Gösser Open for so many years. It really helps to know the course inside and out especially as I know the greens well and they can be tricky. I stayed in Graz at my dad’s house this week which is what I believe one of the reasons that allowed me to play well.” Timon believed his key this week was to “stay calm and patient especially with the weather conditions we had and also because the course was really wet. It would have been easy to get frustrated but I’m glad I was able to remain patient throughout the week.”
At the conclusion of the 31st Gösser Open, Spain’s Quim Vidal still leads the current Order of Merit standings. Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney jumped into 2nd place with his win today. In 3rd place Netherland’s Kiet Van der Weele and in 4th place France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy. England’s Jack Floydd rounds out the top 5.
Final Round
Ronan Mullarney winner of the 2023 Gösser Open, earned 6,525 Order of Merit points and the winning check of €5,800. The players competed for an overall prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points.
Due to the fact that the 31st Gösser Open became a 36 holes event with no cut, the prize money will be assigned to the top 40 professional players and ties. The Order of Merit points will be given to the top 40 (and ties) Alps Tour Members both professional as well as amateur players.
The next scheduled event is set for May 24th-16th at Golf Club La Pinetina in Como, Italy for the 2023 Memorial Giorgio Bordoni presented by AON.
Tournament Promoter
The 4th event of the 2023 season, is promoted by Murhof Gruppe. The sponsors and partners of Murhof Gruppe are Gösser Beer, Region Graz, Lipizzaner Heimat- Steiermark, Austrian Golf Federation, the city of Maria Lankowitz Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. Their media partners are: Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark andKleine Zeitung.
The Murhof Gruppe owns various golf courses throughout Austria including this week’s venue.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).
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12th May 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Ronan Mullarney currently leads as Round 2 is suspended for darkness at the 31st Gösser Open
Provisional Round 2 Review
Maria Lankowitz, Graz, Austria
11th– 13th May 2023
Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
Current Leaderboard
| Pos. | Name | Score | Holes |
| 1 | Ronan Mullarney (IRL) | -12 | F |
| 2 | Daniel Berna Manzanares (ESP) | -6 | 13 |
| Benjamin Kedochim (FRA) | -6 | 11 | |
| 4 | Paul Margolis (FRA) | -5 | 15 |
| and 2 other Players at | -5 |
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Current Round 2 Leaderboard
Ronan Mullarney currently leads as Round 2 is suspended for darkness at the 31st Gösser Open
Maria Lankowitz, May 12th 2023– It was a very long day of golf under difficult and cold weather conditions the 144 players competing at the 31st edition of the Gösser Open had to face. After play was suspended during yesterday’s 1st round at 11:58 am due to flooded greens, the Tournament Director Alessandro Pia decided at 2:00 pm to suspend play for the remainder of the day due to the continuous heavy rain fall.
After all night rain and cold temperatures which continued for the entire day, the 1st round resumed at 8:30 am local time and the 1st round afternoon wave tee times began at 9:00 am. Play was able to resume thanks to the unbelievable work performed by the Golf Club Erzherzog Johann- Maria Lankowitz superintendents lead by head superintendent Robert Keusch and his staff: Thomas Hacker, Matthias Schaffer, Josef Keusch, Johann Pölzl, Gregor Koschar and Stefan Fall.
When the 1st round was successfully completed, Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney was at the top of the leaderboard with an 8 under-par, 64. In 2nd place, France’s Paul Margolis with a 5 under-par,67. Tied for 3rd place only 1 shot back at 4 under-par: France’s Augustin Hole, Italy’s Gianmaria Rean Trinchero and Spain’s Daniel Berna Manzanares.
Round 2 began at 3:00pm local time from both the 1st and 10th hole. At 7:30 pm, Tournament Director Alessandro Pia, suspended play due to darkness. The second round will resume tomorrow morning, Saturday 13th May at 8:00 am. The afternoon wave tee times for the 2nd round will begin from hole 1 and 10 at 8:00 with the final group
When play was suspended, the current 31st Gösser Open leader, Ireland’s Ronan Mullarney concluded his round with a two-day total of 12 under-par. He holds a 6 strokes advantage on Spain’s Daniel Berna Manzanares and France’s Benjamin Kedochim, both of which still have to conclude their round.
Due to the weather delays and expected forecast, the Tournament Committee has decided to reduce the tournament to 36 holes with no cut.
The prize money will be assigned to the top 40 professional players and ties. The Order of Merit points will be given to the top 40 (and ties) Alps Tour Members both professional as well as amateur players.
The players are competing for a prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner of the 31st Gösser Open will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter
The 4th event of the 2023 season, is promoted by Murhof Gruppe. The sponsors and partners of Murhof Gruppe are Gösser Beer, Region Graz, Lipizzaner Heimat- Steiermark, Austrian Golf Federation, the city of Maria Lankowitz Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. Their media partners are: Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark andKleine Zeitung.
The Murhof Gruppe owns various golf courses throughout Austria including this week’s venue.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).
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11th May 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Round 1 is suspended for the day at the 31st Gösser Open
Round 1 Review
Maria Lankowitz, Graz, Austria
11th– 13th May 2023
Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
Quick Links
Round 1 Current Leaderboard
Round 1 is suspended for the day at the 31st Gösser Open
At 11:58am play was suspended due to some greens being flooded. At the 2:00pm update, Tournament Director Alessandro Pia decided due to the continuous heavy rain fall and the weather forecast to suspend play for the remainder of the day.
The 1st round of the 31st Gösser Open will resume tomorrow, May 12th at 8:30 am and the 1st round afternoon wave tee times will begin at 9am. Round 2 is expected to begin at approximately 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon.
Only the 1st group out that teed off at 7:30 am from the 1st hole which included Agustin Bardas from Italy, Austrian Simon Austin (am) and France’s Romain Guillon were able to conclude their 1st round.
In the current Round 1 Leaderboard, Italy’s Gianmaria Rean Trinchero leads with a 4 under-par after 9 holes. Only 1 back tied for 2nd place at 3 under-par Paul Murphy, Augustin Hole, Riccardo Bregoli, Matthieu Caron and Timon Baltl who all 5 players are midway through their back nine.
The players filling up the field this week represent a wide array of golfing generations with the youngest player just 13 years old and the oldest 59 years old.
The 144 players are competing for an overall prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
The 4th event of the 2023 season, is promoted by Murhof Gruppe. The sponsors and partners of Murhof Gruppe are Gösser Beer, Region Graz, Lipizzaner Heimat- Steiermark, Austrian Golf Federation, the city of Maria Lankowitz Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. Their media partners are: Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark andKleine Zeitung.
The Murhof Gruppe owns various golf courses throughout Austria including this week’s venue.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).
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9th May 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
The Alps Tour heads to Austria for the 31st Gösser Open.
Pre-Tournament Notes
Maria Lankowitz, Graz, Austria
11th– 13th May 2023Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
Quick Links
Tournament Entries for the 2023 Gösser Open
The Alps Tour heads to Austria for the 31st Gösser Open.
Maria Lankowitz, May 9th 2023- The Alps Tour players head to Austria to compete in the 31st edition of the 2023 Gösser Open. This will be the 4th event of the 2023 season and will be played at Golf Club Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz from Thursday May 11th until Saturday May 13th.
On May 9th at GC Graz-Andritz St. Gotthard, owned by the Murhof Gruppe, this week’s promoter, the 2023 Austrian International Par 3 Championship will take place. Some of the professionals that will be taking part will then be competing for the Gösser Open title.
On Wednesday May 10th, the traditional Gösser Open shotgun Pro-Am will take place with approximately 32 teams competing.
The Gösser Open, is one of the most important stops of the Tour season and it is the oldest tournament on the Alps Tour schedule. It is also the most traditional professional golf tournament played in Austria.
The event began in 1993 at Steiermärkischer Golf Club Murhof and in 2000 it moved to Erzherzog Johann GC, which became its permanent host course. Just a year later in 2001 when the Alps Tour was founded, the Gösser Open became part of the Alps Tour schedule, and has been a regular event since then.
The Field
All of this season past winners will headline a strong field of 144 players at the 2023 Gösser Open: Jack Floydd, winner of the 2023 Ein Bay Open, Quim Vidal, winner of the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open and Kiet Van der Weele, winner of the 2023 Alps de Las Castillas.
In the field this week, all of the players who are currently in the top 10 of the actual Alps Tour Order of Merit will be competing except for number 7, Spain’s Jacobo Pastor. The current top 3 places are held by leader Spain’s Quim Vidal, number 2 Netherland’s and most recent winner Kiet Van der Weele and England’s Jack Floydd who rounds out the top 3 spots.
The current defending champion of the Gösser Open, which also celebrated the 30th edition is Austria’s own Markus Brierwith a score of 17 under-par. He is a current Legends Tour player with multiple wins on both the Challenge Tour as well as the DP World Tour. He captured the Gösser Open title three times in his career: 1994, 1995 and 2022.
Brier will be in the field this week alongside fellow Legends Tour players Swiss André Bossert and England’s David Shacklady.
The Gösser Open title was captured by notable players over the years that include England’s Matt Wallace in 2016. Inevitably a number of Austrian players have triumphed over the years some of which multiple times: Lukas Nemecs, Gordon Manson and most recently Markus Brier.
One of the most recent past champions, Austria’s Timon Baltl who won in 2019 will be competing for the title this week alongside other past champions like: Austria’s Martin Wiegele, France’s Thomas Elissalde and Austria’s Jurgen Maurer. Baltl was able to earn his Challenge Tour card in 2020 thanks to the results he achieved in 2019 on the Alps Tour.
This week, there will be 144 players competing from 17 different nationalities for the title. The players will be playing for a prize fund of €40,000 and 45,000 points. The winner of the 31st edition of the Gösser Open, will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
The format of the tournament is a 54 holes stroke play, where a cut will be made after 36 holes. The top 40 players and ties will compete during the final round on May 13th 2023.
To view the most up-to-date entry list, click here.
The Course
Golf Club Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz is a 5967 meters par 72 course. It was designed by architect DI Herwig Zisser and inaugurated in 1992. The course is located about 40km from the city of Graz on the edge of a natural reserve in the Western Styria area. It was built as part of a revitalization project due to the fact that the area underneath the golf course was previously a coal mine.
Golf Club Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz has some picturesque views including rolling hills, lakes, and forests which appease the eye. Nonetheless, the course creates numerous challenges for the players that require accuracy and precision due to the layout of the golf course.
The current tournament course record is held by Lukas Lipold in his 2nd round of the 2022 Gösser Open, Thomas Feyrsinger in his 2nd round of the 2005 Gösser Open and Claude Grenier in his 1st round of the 2011 Gösser Open, all with a score of 63.
Tournament Promoter
The 4th event of the 2023 season, is promoted by Murhof Gruppe. The sponsors and partners of Murhof Gruppe are Gösser Beer, Region Graz, Lipizzaner Heimat- Steiermark, Austrian Golf Federation, the city of Maria Lankowitz Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. Their media partners are: Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark andKleine Zeitung.
The Murhof Gruppe owns various golf courses throughout Austria including this week’s venue.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).
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14th May 2022 | Alps Tour Golf
Austria’s Markus Brier wins the 30th anniversary of the Gösser Open
Graz, May 14th, 2022 –The Final Round of the 30th Gösser Open began at 8:30 from hole 1 and 10. The final group that included, two Legends Tour players, Austria’s Markus Brier and America’s Clark Dennis with Round 2 leader Lukas Lipold teed off at 9:47 from the 1st hole. It was a beautiful spring day with optimal scoring conditions for the players, at Golf Club Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz. This course has hosted the Gösser Open since 2000.
Legends Tour player, Austria’s Markus Brier won by one shot on the 18th hole over his compatriot Lukas Lipold. One shot back, there was a three-way tied at 16 under-par : Italy’s Andrea Saracino, Austria’s Lukas Lipold and fellow Legends Tour player American Clark Dennis. This is the third time that Markus Brier wins the Gösser Open, his previous wins were in 1994 and 1995.
Koen Kouwenaar, remains the current Alps Tour Order of Merit leader. He has a 3,399.39 points advantage over Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli who is still in second place.
Winner Quotes-
Legends Tour player, Markus Brier, won by 1 shot the 30th Gösser Open celebrating another home success for Austria. He is a previous winner of this tournament in 1994 and 1995 when it was still played at its previous host, Steiermärkische Golf Club Murhof. Brier shot a 6 under-par round for an overall 17 under-par. He turned professional in 1995 and he is a multiple winner on the Challenge Tour as well as the European Tour. Brier was very happy after his round today, “This is probably the most surprising victory I have celebrated in my professional career. The key to success today was that I got into a good rhythm very quickly and made a lot of birdies on the first nine holes.” He was really pleased about the victory today especially after not having played well the week before at the Legends Tour event at Murhof Golf Club.
Andrea Saracino who finished in a tied for 2nd place, just one shot back, had a final round, 6 under-par 66 that included 1 eagle, 6 birdies and 2 bogeys. After his solid performance this week, Saracino has now moved to 19th in the Alps Tour Order of Merit. He turned professional in 2017 and hopes to move up in the Alps Tour Order of Merit to regain his Challenge Tour card.
Austria’s Lukas Lipold who unfortunately bogeyed the 18th hole to finish in a tied for 2nd, had 5 birdies and 3 bogeys in today’s round for a 2 under-par. Lipold turned professional at the end of 2019, this is his 3rd season as a professional player and he hopes to qualify for the Challenge Tour.
In his final round, Clark Dennis shot a 5 under-par 67 with 1 eagle, 4 birdies and 1 bogey finishing tied for 2nd. Dennis turned professional in 1986 and has played on the Nationwide Tour, on the PGA Tour, and currently plays on the Legends Tour as well as the Champions Tour. He was very pleased with his result this week in preparation for `his participation in the Senior PGA Championship in a few weeks.
Final Round-
Markus Brier, winner of the 30th Gösser Open, earned € 6,162.50. There was a three-way tied for second place at 16 under-par that included, Clark Dennis, Andrea Saracino and Lukas Lipold.
For the Final Round leaderboard click here or go on the official Alps Tour Golf app
The Alps Tour returns to the Northern part of Italy for the 9th event of the season. The event is scheduled from May 25thuntil May 27th at Golf Club La Pinetina in Como, Italy for the 2022 Memorial Giorgio Bordoni.
Tournament Promoter-
The promoter of this week’s tournament is the Murhof Gruppe. They own various golf courses throughout Austria that include this week’s venue.
The sponsors and partners of Murhof Gruppe are Gösser Beer, Region Graz, Lipizzaner Heimat- Steiermark, Austrian Golf Federation, the city of Maria Lankowitz Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. Their media partners are: Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark, Kleine Zeitung.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android)
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10th May 2022 | Alps Tour Golf
The Tour heads to Austria for the 30th Gösser Open.
Graz, May 10th 2022– The tour heads to Graz, Austria this week for the 30th Gösser Open. This will be the eighth event of the 2022 season and will be played at Golf Club Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz from Thursday May 12thuntil Saturday May 14th. On Wednesday May 11th, the traditional Pro-Am will take place with 32 teams on the course.
This year we celebrate the 30th edition of the Gösser Open. The event began in 1993 at Steiermärkischer Golf Club Murhof and in 2000 moved to Erzherzog Johann GC, now its permanent host location. A year later, in 2001 when the Alps Tour was founded, the Gösser Open became part of the Alps Tour, and has been a regular event on the schedule since then. This event has become the most traditional professional golf tournament played in Austria.
The Field-
This week, there will be 150 players competing from 17 different nationalities for the title. The players in the field will be playing for a prize fund of €42,500 and 45,000 points.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the event, the promoter has invited five players from the Legends Tour to take part in this special edition. Clark Dennis, Markus Brier, David Morland IV, David Shacklady and Peter Wilson who all played last week (May 6th-8th) at the nearby Legends Tour tournament at Golf Club Murhof will be competing this week.
Some notable players have won this tournament including England’s Matt Wallace in 2016 with a score of 20 under-par. Furthermore, since its inaugural year in 1993, a number of Austrian players have triumphed. The latest Austrian player to have won the tournament for the second time, was Lukas Nemecz in 2020 with a score of 17 under-par. Besides Nemecz, Austria’s Timon Baltl has also been a past Gösser Open winner. He was able to earn his Challenge Tour card in 2020 thanks to his 2019 Alps Tour results. Balt will be competing for title this week alongside numerous past champions like: Martin Wiegele, Markus Brier, Thomas Elissalde and Jurgen Maurer.
Niklas Regner who is just 23 years of age, and a current DP World Tour player will be competing this week. He has already played this tournament in the past and is looking forward to hopefully capture a win this time. Regner commented, “At the 2019 tournament, I led as an amateur after two days, but then I collapsed on the final round and finished 20th. The following year it went a lot better with sixth place and now I feel ready to play for the victory.”
Netherland’s Koen Kouwenaar, who won last week’s Alps Tour tournament in Italy is the new Alps Tour Order of Merit Leader. Kouwenaar will be in the field this week playing along side Order of Merit number 2 and 3, Stefano Mazzoli and Tomas Bessa Guimaraes.
The Course-
Golf Club Erzherzog Johann Maria Lankowitz is a 5967 meters par 72 course. It was designed by architect DI Herwig Zisser and inaugurated in 1992. The course is located about 40km from the city of Graz on the edge of a natural reserve in the Western Styria area and has some picturesque views including rolling hills, lakes, and forests which appease the eye. Nonetheless, the course creates numerous challenges for the players that require accuracy and precision due to the layout of the golf course.
The current tournament course record is held by Thomas Feyrsinger in his 2nd round of the 2005 Gösser Open and Claude Grenier in his 1st round of the 2011 Gösser Open, both with a score of 63.
Tournament Promoter-
The 8th event of the 2022 season, is promoted by Murhof Gruppe. The sponsors and partners of Murhof Gruppe are Gösser Beer, Region Graz, Lipizzaner Heimat- Steiermark, Austrian Golf Federation, the city of Maria Lankowitz Wallfahrtsort Freizeitparadies and Steiermärkische Sparkasse. Their media partners are: Gepa Pictures, Antenne Steiermark, Kleine Zeitung.
The Murhof Gruppe owns various golf courses throughout Austria including this week’s venue.
Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android)
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21st August 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Paul Elissalde Clinches Victory
August 21st, 2021 – Maria Lankowitz, Austria – We saw a real battle out on the fairways of Golf Club Erzherzog Johann today with five of yesterday’s top players jockeying for pole position. However, Paul Elissalde finally clinched victory by one stroke on the eighteenth green finishing on -20 (196).
Elissalde had another error-free round today. The birdies may not have fallen as abundantly as yesterday but he pulled one out of the bag at the perfect moment. With four birdies up to the eighteenth tee putting him at -19, he stood level with Daniel Berna Manzanares and Gregorio de Leo who were already in the clubhouse. His final putt dropped for a birdie on the par 4 eighteenth and gave him his first Alps Tour win.
“My game was not quite as good as the last two days when I made very few mistakes. I felt under pressure today, I must admit. I looked at the leader board from time to time and saw that the flight in front were playing really well which put some additional pressure on me. Nevertheless, I managed to stay focussed, and I’m really pleased with the result today as I didn’t have a single bogey on my card.”
The 25-year-old Biarritz native has made some recent changes to his training routine:
“I’ve been gaining experience for 5 years now on the Alps Tour and am managing situations better. I started mental coaching two months ago after finally finding someone who was a good fit with me, so that’s new and it’s really helped. I’ve also changed my physical trainer this year. Its satisfying to see that all the hard work is bearing fruit.”
Interestingly, his older brother Thomas Elissalde had his first Alps Tour victory at the same tournament in 2014. He finished this year on one under.
The two runners-up on -19 (197), Daniel Berna Manzanares from Spain and the Italian amateur, Gregorio de Leo, both played 64 (-8) today. Teeing off on -11 from the first tee, De Leo started with a bang, holing an eagle on the par 5 first and completed the front nine with four birdies. Three more birdies coming in and a lone bogey completed a stellar performance. His playing partner, Berna Manzanares, started with a birdie, the first of the nine he holed today with just one bogey on the front nine.
Ryan Lumsden playing with Paul Elissalde and Franck Medale in the last flight, came in fourth on -18 (198). The Scotsman put in a third solid performance of the week with six birdies and was the only other player in the top ten, besides the winner, without a bogey or higher on his card. He now moves to the top of the Order of Merit
Paul Elissalde’s win catapults him up to fifth on the OofM just behind his compatriot Franck Medale whose -16 (200) put him at number five for the tournament today.
Next stop Spain, and the Alps de Andalucia at the Anoreta Golf Club in Malaga from September 9th-11th. Just two more tournaments before the Grand Final in Italy in October.
Final Results: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
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20th August 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Paul Elissalde Tops the Leaderboard Day 2
August 20th, 2021 – Maria Lankowitz, Austria – After a flawless round today, Paul Elissalde from France took the lead here at the Gösser Open. Another course record of 63 (-9) put him on -15 (129), one stroke ahead of his compatriot Franck Medale.
Elissalde had a total of nine birdies and narrowly missed a tenth on the final green:
“I played well throughout the day. I put quite a few wedge shots close to the pin and sank a few long putts and managed to get some points here and there. The course is very good. It was a bit wet at first but playing in the afternoon meant it had time to dry out. The greens are a little bit complicated putting with the grain as we are not used to it. I started the season well with a fifth place and then it was a little bit more complicated until the last tournament when I finished third so tomorrow, I’m going to fight to improve on that result”.
Franck Medale teed off this morning and was leader in the clubhouse before his fellow countryman came in. After seven birdies and zero bogeys, he stands at -14 for thirty-six holes. The winner of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or this June has had two consistent rounds which promises for tomorrow’s final round:
“The two rounds started slowly, I took a bit of time to get into it, but I was patient and waited for the birdies to start dropping. I played intelligently and set up lots of birdie opportunities even if I missed a few. I’ve been daring to take aggressive drive lines which helped me to get near the pin and boosted my confidence. Having already won this season also helps me feel more confident, knowing that I can consistently produce good scores and even when I hit a bad shot, I can recover. I’m happy with the two days and two good scores.”.
Two strokes behind on -12, Ryan Lumsden continues his streak of impressive results. Seven birdies today keep the Scottish two-time winner this season well in contention for the title.
A three-way tie at fifth position on -11 are the two Italian players, Carlo Casalegno, third yesterday and Gregorio de Leo who had the best result among the amateurs. Alongside them, one of yesterday’s joint leaders, Daniel Berna Manzanares from Spain had two bogeys on the front nine and one more on the back which ate away points.
The next highest ranked amateur, Joel Moscatel from Spain was tied fifth yesterday. Today, a bogey on each nine cost him places but left him just five strokes behind the leader in seventh position on -10. With him is the Irishman, Gary Hurley who had all the colours of the rainbow on his card today; one eagle, five birdies, eight pars, three bogeys and a double bogey on the par 5 hole nine.
The same hole caused problems for yesterday’s joint leader, Edgar Catherine, who started at -9 off the tenth. Four birdies and a bogey going out put him at -12 at the turn. Another birdie on the first hole but then things took a turn for the worst with a bogey on the fifth and a triple bogey on the sixth seeing him shed four shots in two holes. Birdie on the seventh was cancelled out by a disastrous double bogey on the last hole to leave him at one over for the day on -8. On the same score is the top home turf result of the day from Uli Weinhandl. The Austrian player shot a 68 (-4) today.
The cut came at -3 (141) with 59 players, 40 pros and 19 amateurs going through to the Final Round tomorrow which tees off at 8:30 am from tees one and ten.
Results Round 2: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
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19th August 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Joint Leaders Day 1 – Edgar Catherine & Daniel Berna Manzanares
August 19th, 2021 – Maria Lankowitz, Austria – Leader at the end of the morning flights Daniel Berna Manzanares from Spain maintained the top spot until near end of play when the French player Edgar Catherine entered the clubhouse to join him at -9 (63) after the first round of the Gösser Open. The two players equalled the Golf Club Erzherzog Johann course record of -9 (63) today to take the lead by one stroke.
Daniel Berna Manzanares started and finished in style with a birdie on the tenth and an eagle to close for a bogey-free round totalling seven birdies.
“I played very well from tee to green and holed a couple of very long putts, so it was a good day. I took the break of four weeks to teach and so I didn’t really train like I normally do but I was very relaxed, and it was very clear in my mind for the round today. I’ve been practising to control the ball and make high balls fly and so I’ll try to do the same tomorrow”.
Edgar Catherine started the front nine smoothly with an error-free 33 (-3). A bit of a wobble on the par 4 tenth with a bogey but then he absolutely powered home with seven birdies and par and 30 (-6).
“I started with a three putt on the first, and said to myself ‘okay, lets keep going and see what happens’. I had a good front nine including a birdie on the eighth from 1.5 metres and finished 3 under for nine. Coming in I sent my 3 wood too long on the tenth and ended up in the water and made bogey. From then I really motivated myself to give it my all and it worked well. I sank a few putts from 4 or 5 metres and had a great iron shot on the seventeenth leaving a short putt and the bonus was on the eighteenth when, from ten metres, with the break it went in. It’s always satisfying to finish like that and I was globally happy with all the aspects of my game today”.
In joint third place on -8 (64), are Gary Hurley from Ireland and the Italian, Carlo Casalegno. The Irishman briefly took the lead this morning after carding eight birdies. Casalegno, playing in the same flight as Berna Manzanares had a terrific round with nine birdies but missed sharing the lead when a wayward shot cost him a bogey on the par 4 fifth hole with its green protected by water.
There is a three-way tie at fifth place on -7 (65) with Joel Moscatel from Spain, best result among the amateurs today, Franck Medale from France, winner of the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or this year and Hamza Amin from Pakistan.
The highest ranked Austrians are Clemens Gaster and the amateur Fabian Lang on -5 (67) putting them in joint tenth.
More than half the field of 144 players came in at par or better today and with 27 players within 5 strokes of the leaders there is still everything to play for. Playing conditions should be much the same as today for Round 2 with tee offs from both the first and tenth at 7:30 am.
Results Round 1: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
Stay tuned! www.alpstourgolf.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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16th August 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Gösser Open Kicks off Alps Tour End of Season
August 16th, 2021 – Maria Lankowitz, Austria – After a four-week break, the Alps Tour players are back on the tee box here at the Golf Club Erzherzog Johann. The Gösser Open or ‘5th Major’ as it is sometimes referred to by members, sees its 29th edition this year. With just three more tournaments to go this year, the players will be aiming for points on the Order of Merit.
We have got seven out of the eight winners to date this season lined up. The absentee from the victors list is the Spanish two-time winner and currently first on the OofM, Angel Hidalgo Portillo. However, the number two, Ryan Lumsden from Scotland, who also has a brace of wins this season with the MIRA Golf Experience Acaya Open plus Alps de Las Castillas and a close second at the recent Roma Alps Letas Open, will be looking for that illusive third.
Winner of the last event, Frenchman Xavier Poncelet, currently twelfth on the OofM, will be more than focussed on repeating the feat here in Austria. His compatriots, the amateur Paul Margolis, winner of the MIRA Live the Soul Open and Franck Medale, victor at the Open de Mirabelle d’Or, fourth and fifth respectively on the OofM will be ready to give him a run for his money. They are joined by Thomas Elissade who previously won the Gösser Open back in 2014.
The other three 2021 title holders head a thirty-two strong Italian contingent: Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, winner of the Abruzzo Alps Open, the Antognolla Alps Open champion, Stefano Mazzoli, and Luca Ciancetti, victor at the Red Sea Little Venice Open. Sitting third, seventh and ninth on the OofM, they all have everything to play for.
The host country is represented by forty-two players, more than half of which are amateurs. Florian Thuller and Maximilian Klaus recently both had top ten finishes in the 2021 Austrian Amateur Championship. Among the pros, there are two former Alps Tour winners Clemens Gaster at the 2017 Alps de Andalucia and Uli Weinhandl whose wins may go back to the 2009/2010 season but who has had eighteen top ten finishes to date. The last two Gösser Open winners, Lukas Nemecz 2020 and Timon Balt 2019 were Austrian. Both are absent from the field this year, but their countrymen will be keen to keep the trophy at home.
Events get underway on Wednesday with the Pro-Am and weather conditions promise to be mild with periods of sunshine, light breezes, and no rain for the duration of the tournament.
Many thanks again go to the historic promotor, Murhofgruppe, for making the tournament possible.
Entries: click here or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
Stay tuned! www.alpstourgolf.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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