27th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Spanish amateur Jose A. Sintes Navarro wins the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open.
Egypt, February 27th, 2024 – After three days of fabulous golf, Spanish amateur Jose A. Sintes Navarro wins the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open with a total score of 16 under-par. In a three-way tie for 2nd place at 15 under-par: Italy’s Enrico Di Nitto, Spain’s Eduard Rousaud and Austria’s Lukas Lipold.
Another beautiful day with optimal scoring conditions hosted the Final Round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open which is being held at the gorgeous Sokhna Golf Club near Suez, Egypt. Play began at 8:00 am local time from the 1st and 10thhole and the leaders teed off 9:30 am local time from the 1st hole.
Italy’s Enrico Di Nitto, 31 years old shot a bogey-free final round of 5 under-par, 67 to conclude the tournament in a three-way tie for 2nd place at 15 under-par alongside Spain’s Eduard Rousaud and Austria’s Lukas Lipold. He made 3 birdies on his opening front nine and then added another birdie on the 12th and 18th hole to end his day. Di Nitto is a past winner on the Alps Tour and has achieved good results in the past here in Egypt. After his bogey-free round, he commented on how: “My iron play today was outstanding; however, my short putts were horrible. I missed seven putts under 10-ft and that’s unfortunate otherwise my round would have been even better. For the event next week I plan to work a lot on my short putts within 3 meters so I try and put together even better scores.”
Eduard Rousaud, twenty-three years old from Spain is the second player who concluded the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open in the three-way tie for 2nd place at 15 under-par. During today’s 4 under-par, 68 round, Rousaud made 2 bogeys and 6 birdies. After his round, he commented: “I fell just short from having a chance to win today unfortunately as I made a big mistake on the last hole, I hit a bad wedge shot and bogeyed. Overall, today I must say I didn’t start well but I tried to stay focused on what I could control and I’m very proud of how I stayed in the present and how my putter worked all day. Obviously, now I’m a bit disappointed falling just one shot short, but overall, I’m very happy with how the tournament went. I can say that today my driving was beautiful today, much better than yesterday and my putting was also very solid.” Rousaud added that he plans on, “focusing playing on mainly on the Alps Tour this season and try to do my best and maybe play a few Challenge Tour event if I’m able to get some invites but we will see. Definitely, I will be playing the Alps Tour season and trying to earn as many Order of Merit points as possible.”
Thirty years old, Lukas Lipold from Austria, who turned professional at the end of 2019 is the third player in the three-way tie for 2nd place after the final round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. He shot a 3 under-par,67 in today’s final round with 2 bogeys and 5 birdies. Lipold has earned various top finishes over the years but is still looking to earn his 1st victory on the Alps Tour. After his round, Lipold was: “happy with the tournament but I’m unfortunate to be short by just 1 shot. Today was a bit tougher to play to be honest, there was more wind, at times even 2 clubs of wind. Today I didn’t drive the ball so well, so I found myself recovering a lot and didn’t give myself a lot of birdie chances. My putting is still pretty good, and I gave myself a good chance on the last hole but, unfortunately, just missed it. Overall, like I said I’m happy. There are a lot of positive feelings coming from these two weeks. I look forward to continuing to work on what I did prior to these two weeks for hopefully even better results in the tournament to come.”
After the first two events of the season, the Alps Tour Order of Merit rank has France’s Aymeric Laussot in the lead with 7,285.50 points. Spain’s Jose A. Sintes Navarro (am) and Italy’s Edoardo R Lipparelli close out the top three spots. In 4th place, Austria’s Lukas Lipold and in 5th place Spain’s Eduard Rousaud.
Final Round
Jose A. Sintes Navarro (am) winner of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, earned 6,525 Order of Merit points.
The third and final event of the 2024 Egypt Winter Series, the 2024 New Giza Open will get underway March 1st-3rd at New Giza Golf Club, Cairo, Egypt.
Tournament Promoter-
The 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open appreciates the support of: Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice, and Coca Cola Egypt.
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).
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
26th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Three players are tied for the lead after Round 2 at the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open.
Another beautiful day with sunny skies, a warm temperature, and some moderate winds welcomed the players at Sokhna Golf Club for the 2nd round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. Play began at 7:00 am from both the 1st and 10th hole.
Twenty-seven years old, Edoardo R Lipparelli, from Italy, continues his good performance as he is one of the three co-leaders at the end of round 2 at the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. He shot two fabulous rounds of 6 under-par,66 for a two-day total of 12 under-par. During today’s 6 under-par round, Lipparelli made 3 birdies and 1 bogey on the front nine holes and 6 birdies and 1 bogey on the back nine. He is a past winner on the Alps Tour, won the 2018 Alps Tour Order of Merit, and has collected a number of top 3 finishes over the years. After his strong performance, Lipparelli commented: “today I played really well, it was a good round where I played really solid my shots were all very good and make some important putts. I also hit it very close to the pin on some holes which facilitated making the birdies. Tee to green, my game was overall very solid.” He has been performing well since the beginning of the season, even if he found that “my iron play was slightly more precise than the prior rounds. This makes me happy for sure.” Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final round, Lipparelli plans on “working on my putting a little bit more to make sure it is more consistent, and for my long game I will just keep working on the same aspects to make sure it is tidy throughout the round.” He added that this offseason he focused on “improving my driving and my putting as those were the two aspects that weren’t allowing me to shot low scores so to see the results so early in the season it is gratifying.”
Lukas Lipold, thirty years old from Austria, who turned professional at the end of 2019 is the second player in the three-way tie for 1st place after round 2 of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. He followed his 3 under-par, 69 opening round with a fabulous bogey-free 9 under-par, 63 to tie the lead ahead of tomorrow’s final round. Lipold has earned various top finishes over the years but is looking to earn his 1st victory on the Alps Tour. After his incredible 9 under-par round, Lipold was satisfied with how “I was very consistent, I was putting very well, and it was a good round from start to finish. I am driving the ball very well this week and that allows me to have a lot of good chances on this course.” He added that he is really “looking forward to the tension tomorrow that is just there when you are in the right position on the final day. I don’t want to change my gameplan, I will try and do the same things I did today and go for it.”
Lukas Lipold, Round 2 co-leader at the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. Photo Credit: Alps Tour Golf / Federico Capretti
Round 1 leader, Mario Galiano Aguilar, twenty-eight years old from Spain is the third player in the three-way tie for 1st place after round 2 of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. He followed his fabulous 10 under-par, 62 in round 1 with a 2 under-par, 70 in today’s round where he made 3 birdies and 1 bogey. He has earned several Top 10 finishes on the Alps Tour throughout his playing career but is looking to break through and earn his 1st win on the tour. After his 2-under-par round, Galiano Aguilar commented: “Today was a good result even if it wasn’t as good as yesterday. I have the opportunity to win the tournament tomorrow which is always nice, and I will do my absolute best tomorrow to try and achieve it.” When asked about the difference between his 1st round and today, he explained: “I feel like I could have done better today than what I did but maybe I didn’t push too hard knowing the score I did yesterday. Tomorrow will be a new opportunity, not only for the tournament but also for myself to keep making putts and playing well. I will be focused on myself and try to do my best and see after the round how I finish. I will follow the same gameplan as I did the past two days as it worked well, and hopefully, it will work the same tomorrow.”
Mario Galiano Aguilar Round 2 co-leader at the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open. Photo Credit: Alps Tour Golf / Federico Capretti
France’s Nicolas Muller, twenty-two years old finds himself tied for 4th place with a two-day total of 11 under-par after today’s round. He shot a 5 under-par, 67 in round one and a 6 under-par, 66 round 2. He is continuing his good performance as he tied for 4th place at the first event of the season, the 2024 Ein Bay Open. Muller was happy to comment: “Today was a very good day on and around the green for me, I managed to not make many mistakes with my long game but what really helped me to make a lot of birdies was my putting and chipping.” He added that he found, “a little bit of difference playing in the morning as there is no wind usually for the first 5 or 6 holes and maybe you can be more aggressive with some pin position and create more birdie opportunities.”
England’s twenty-four-year-old Arron Edwards-Hill shot a 5 under-par,67 in today’s 2nd round for a two-day total of 11 under-par and be tied for 4th place ahead of tomorrow’s final round. During today’s round, he made 6 birdies and 1 bogey. This is his first full year of playing as a professional golf player since he turned professional at the end of 2023. After he concluded his 5-under-par round, Edwards-Hill proudly commented: “It puts me in a good position at -11 total going into the last round tomorrow. I played tee to green very solid today. Unfortunately, I had two 3-putts, but I feel like I’m rolling the ball nicely on the greens and staying in the fairways as I’m not being overly aggressive off the tees. My wedge and my iron play feel good so I’m giving myself tons of chances. When asked about heading into tomorrow’s final round so close to the lead, Edwards-Hill explained: “It’s my first year as a professional, so you know, in my second event, to have a chance to put in a good performance is great. I’m looking forward to the challenge for sure.”
Tied for 4th place alongside Muller and Edwards-Hill with a two-day total of 11 under-par you can find: France’s Benjamin Kedochim and Spain’s Eduard Rousaud.
Final Round
A total of 46 players (42 professionals and 4 amateurs) made the cut which was set at 139 (-5).
The Final Round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open will begin at 8:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. The Final Pairing will tee off at 9:30 am local time from the 1st hole.
The winner of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, will earn the winning check of €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Tournament Promoter-
The 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open appreciates the support of: Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice, and Coca Cola Egypt.
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
25th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
Mario Galiano Aguilar ties the Course Record to take the first-round lead at the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open.
The first round of the 2nd tournament of the 2024 Winter Series, the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, played on courses B&C at the beautiful Sokhna Golf Club in Suez, Egypt, began this morning at 7:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. Like last week, players can compete under favorable weather conditions this week as blue skies and temperatures that could reach a high of 25° Celsius are expected even if, during the afternoon, some light to moderate winds are forecasted.
Spain’s twenty-eight years old, Mario Galiano Aguilar shot a 10 under-par, 62 in the 1st round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open to lead by 1 stroke. With today’s incredible round, Galiano Aguilar ties the current course record which was already set at 10 under-par. He has earned several Top 10 finishes on the Alps Tour throughout his playing career but is looking to break through and earn his 1st win on the tour, “I had the opportunity in a couple of tournaments to win but I knew my game wasn’t ready to win. However, now I feel my game is ready to win and I’m very confident. If it’s not going to be this week, it’ll be another week, but I know I’m competitive enough. I’m very focused and determined on this year’s goal which is to win tournaments.” During today’s 10 under-par, 62 round, Galiano Aguilar made 1 bogey and 6 birdies on the front nine and then added 5 more birdies on the back nine to conclude his fabulous round. After he signed his card, Galiano Aguilar commented, “I wasn’t aware of what the course record was, but I knew my lowest round ever was a -9, so I really tried the last three holes to get to -10, and I’m obviously very happy about it.” He added that he made a change between the 2024 Ein Bay Open and this week’s event, “I usually putt with a marked line on my ball however today I didn’t use it, I just put my ball down with no line and was trying to feel more the line and the aim I wanted. I hope it works well the next two days like it did today. I made this change because last week I hit the ball extremely well, but my putting was very disappointing. Today the putter finally worked, and I was able to put together a good round, I was -4 in my first 6 holes and that gave me good confidence for the rest of the day.”
Francesco Santoni, twenty-five years old from Italy, finds himself in 2nd place with a 1st round score of 9 under-par, 63, and only 1 shot off the lead. He began his round by making 4 birdies and 1 bogey on the front nine and then went on to make 6 more birdies on the back nine to conclude his day. After his round, he commented: “Today was a really good day overall, as you can expect with a -9, but to be honest with you, while I was out on the course, I didn’t realize the round I was putting together. I realized the round I did while coming off the 18th green. I worked a lot this off-season with my coach Alain Vergari. We worked a lot on my swing to try and gain more consistency and the results I saw today were satisfying. I did the first step, which was putting together today’s round, but tomorrow, I want to go out there and keep doing what I was doing today and put together another good round, if not better than today.”
Twenty-nine years old, Benjamin Kedochim from France concluded his first round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open with an 8 under-par, 64 and finds himself in a two-way tie for 3rd place alongside Spain’s Borja Martin. He teed off on the 10th hole where he made 3 birdies and 1 eagle. After making the turn, he went on to make 4 more birdies and 1 bogey to conclude his day. Kedochim has earned a number of top 5 finishes in his career but is looking to capture his 1st title: “I’ve been close several times in the past 2 years to earn a win but I don’t think I was missing something specific I just need to keep playing my best every day and sometimes you have a little extra luck which is what you need to win and other times you won’t get it.” He also explained that: “today I began the day with a few lip outs, but I tried to stay in the moment as I told myself they will drop so I tried to stay patient. I’m really trying to play shot by shot like I did last season and made a good putt on 14 which got me into the round. I struggled with my putting during the first event of the season, so I worked a lot on it before we started this tournament and I’m pleased with the results I saw today. I had a stretch of 6 holes where I made 3 big putts and that helped a lot.”
Spain’s twenty-four-year-old Borja Martin is the 2nd player in the two-way tie for 3rd place at 8 under-par with a great bogey-free round. He made 1 birdie on the front nine for a front-nine score of 35 and after making the turn at 1 under-par, he made 5 birdies and 1 eagle to close out in 29 for a total score of 64, 8 under-par. After his round, Martin commented that today, “I played pretty well on the front side but wasn’t able to take advantage of a couple of good situations I had. However, on the back nine, I kept hitting good shots and was able to make some important putts. On the few holes I hit a few bad tee shots, I managed to recover and made par on those holes.” He found that the conditions at Sokhna Golf Club, “were great. The wind made a few holes a bit tougher on the front nine, but it stopped for the back nine luckily. The main difference I found is if you play in the morning, the greens are nicer, while in the afternoon, it’s tougher to make putts.”
The competitors in this week’s event are battling it out for an overall prize fund of €40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points.
The winner of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
Round 2
The second round of the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open will begin again at 7:00 am local time from the 1st and 10th hole. Once Round 2 is completed, a cut will be made to the top 40 players and ties.
The first-round leader, Mario Galiano Aguilar will begin his second round of the tournament at 12:00pm local time from the 1st hole.
Tournament Promoter-
The 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open appreciates the support of: Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice, and Coca Cola Egypt.
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
19th February 2024 | Alps Tour Golf
The 2024 Winter Series in Egypt gets the 2024 season started.
Egypt, February 18th, 2024 – Since 2022, the new Alps Tour season gets underway in Egypt with three events that make up the 2024 Winter Series.
The first two events of the 2024 Winter Series will be played on two different courses at the magnificent Sokhna Golf Club in Suez. The first tournament, the 2024 Ein Bay Open, will be played February 20th– 22nd on courses A&B. Only 3 days later, the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open will get underway February 25th– 27th on courses B&C.
The Field
An exceptional field is expected for the first two events of the 2024 Winter Series as players are eager to start the season and chase their ultimate goal on the Alps Tour, which is to earn one of the coveted 2025 Challenge Tour cards that are up for grabs.
Jose Manuel Pardo Benitez, Manfredi Manica, Gianmaria Rean Trinchero, and Augustin Holé, who all won on the Alps Tour during the 2023 season, will be in the field during both tournaments. Also, the 2021 Order of Merit winner, Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa will be competing.
Last year, England’s Jack Floydd won the 2023 Ein Bay Open with a score of 17 under-par. He won’t be in the field this week to defend his title as he earned playing status on the Challenge Tour. The 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open title was captured by Spain’s Quim Vidal in a sudden-death play-off. Like Floydd, he will not be in the field as he qualified for the major tours.
Among the 120 players competing at the first two tournaments of the 2024 Winter Series, approximately 23 worldwide countries will be represented. The field is made up of 13 amateur players and 107 professional players.
On Friday 23rd February, our traditional best ball aggregate to par shotgun pro-am will take place on courses B&C at Sokhna Golf Club with approximately 30 teams participating.
At the 2024 Ein Bay Open and the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, there will be 120 players competing in each field for a prize fund of €40,000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner of each tournament will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. Both events will be played as 54 holes stroke play tournaments where a cut will be made after 36 holes.
To view the most up-to-date entry list for the 1st event of the season, click here.
The Course
The first two events of the 2024 Winter Series, the 2024 Ein Bay Open and the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, will be hosted at Sokhna Golf Club in Ain Sokhna, Egypt, which is home to 27 holes of golf. This golf club has hosted Alps Tour events for more than 10 years, allowing it to become a point of reference on the Alps Tour schedule.
The players competing for the 2024 Ein Bay Open title will play on courses A&B as a 6968 meters par 72, while for the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open players will compete on courses B&C as a 6670 meters par 72.
Sokhna Golf Club is a joint venture between the Little Venice Golf Resort, which is part of Hassan Allam Properties, and El Ein Bay, which is owned by Galalah Touristic Investments Company. They joined their forces to create a “real first-class golfing destination” in Ain Sokhna.
Sokhna Golf Club is located alongside the shores of the Gulf of Suez and was designed by John Sanford & Tim Lobb. The courses were built with gently undulating fairways and well-placed water and sand traps. All the courses are known for their technical difficulties and are located near the shores; therefore, players could face strong winds throughout the week.
Tournament Promoter
The 2024 Ein Bay Open, as well as the 2024 Red Sea Little Venice Open, appreciate the support of Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice, and Coca-Cola Egypt.
As we are promptly awaiting the first tee shot at the 2024 Ein Bay Open to get the 2024 season underway, we wanted to wish all the players the best of luck for this new and exciting golf season.
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).
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
28th February 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
Quim Vidal wins his 1st Alps Tour event.
Final Round Review
Red Sea Little Venice Open Sokhna Golf Club
Suez, Egypt
26th – 28th February 2023Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]Leaderboard
| Pos. | Name | Score |
| 1 | Quim Vidal (ESP)* | -14 |
| T2 | Lars Keunen (NED) | -14 |
| Issa Abou El Ela (EGY) (am) | -14 | |
| Davey Porsius | -14 | |
| 5 | Oihan Guillamoundeguy (FRA) | -11 |
Final Round Leaderboard
After today’s final round, Alps Tour President, Mr. Marco Durante commented: “I’m very proud that the Alps Tour keeps growing, giving more possibilities to young talented golfers from all over the world a chance to compete and try to reach the next level of professional golf.” Since 2001, the tour has expanded, visiting more countries also across the Mediterranean Sea, allowing more players the opportunity to compete.
Final Round Player Quotes –Quim Vidal captures his first professional win at the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open after 3 holes of a sudden-death play-off with a 5-meter putt. Quim shot a 4 under-par 68 during today’s final round with 2 bogeys and 6 birdies for a three-day total at 14 under-par which tied him in the lead alongside 3 other players. When he completed the play-off, he was delighted even though he didn’t “hit the ball my best today but the short game was really nice. I had a rough start but then I made 2 birdies making some nice putts that gave me confidence and that was able to put me on top of the leaderboard. Even if it wasn’t my best day I was making the putts and staying patient because I knew birdies would come.” He went on to express his joy about capturing his first professional win by saying, “this win feels really nice, I have a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the season and I’m really looking forward to it. This is my first professional win and couldn’t dedicate it to anyone else other than my team, my family and my friends that support me every day.”Davey Porsius from the Netherlands shot a final round of 3 under-par with 4 birdies and 1 bogey to conclude the tournament tied for the lead at 14 under-par. He is a previous winner on the Alps Tour winning the 2022 Hauts de France- Pas de Calais Golf Open. After his round, Davey commented on how well he played today but couldn’t “make any putts. I chipped in on 14, which was nice to give me the necessary birdie to share the lead. I got a bad break on 17 with my iron shot into the green and missed the putt.” When asked about the playoff, he commented: “I, unfortunately, lost the playoff to a well-holed putt from 4 or 5 meters from Quim Vidal. I tried to stay steady throughout the entire round and the playoff but couldn’t hole putts at all.”
Egyptian amateur Issa Abou El Ela who represents Alexandria Sporting Club was one of the four players who took part in the sudden-death playoff at 14 under-par. He was on top of the leaderboard for the first two rounds and his performance continued with a 3 under-par, 69 in today’s final round. After concluding his final round, he had mixed emotions: “I’m very disappointed I couldn’t get the win here in my home country. However, it was a fun day with Davey. We kept matching each other with birdies. Going up 17 I was able to make a clutch birdie; however, I knew the guys in front had chances, and Davey also did, so I tried to stay in the moment.” He went on to add, “it meant a lot to me to see so many people around the greens just clapping and being there for me. They’ve seen the struggles, and for me to have a chance to win here and give back to them would have been incredible.” He was pleased about his game: “It’s a step in the right direction; these players are all tour pros and playing at an excellent level, so for me to match them, I’m delighted. Hopefully, I will have another chance in the future. I would love to be able to play more Alps Tour events.”
Netherland’s Lars Keunen, shot a 6 under round 66 today with 2 bogeys and 8 birdies to be the 4th player tied for the lead at 14 under-par. He had a strong finish today, with 6 of the birdies occurring on the back nine, which allowed him to gain a spot into the playoff for the title.
Defending champion, 18 years old France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy shot the low round of the day in the final round today with a 7 under-par, 65. He concludes his tournament with a three-day total of 11 under-par and in 5th place. Oihan won this event last year as an amateur at 17 years old and now competes as a professional since he changed his playing status at the beginning of December 2022. He began his round with an eagle on the 3rd hole and then 6 birdies until a bogey on the last hole.
The Alps Tour Order of Merit rank after the first two events of the season has Quim Vidal leading and Jack Floydd and Davey Porsius to close out the top three spots. In 4th place, Andrea Romano and in 5th place Cristiano Terragni.
Final Round-
Quim Vidal winner of the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open, earned 6,525 Order of Merit points and the winning check of €5,800.
Now, the Alps Tour players will have a few weeks off before the third event of the 2023 season.
Tournament Promoter-
Both the 2023 Ein Bay Open and the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open are grateful for the support of: Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice and Coca Cola Egypt.
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).
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
17th February 2023 | Alps Tour Golf
The 2023 Alps Tour season gets underway in Egypt!
Pre-Tournament Notes
Sokhna Golf Club
Suez, Egypt
21st – 23rd February 2023 and 26th – 28th February
Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]
Quick Links
Tournament Entries for 2023 Ein Bay Open
Tournament Entries for 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open
The 2023 Alps Tour season gets underway in Egypt.
Egypt, February 17th 2023 – The 2023 Alps Tour season will begin in Egypt with back-to-back events which enclose the 2023 Egypt Winter Series. Both events will be played on two different courses at the beautiful Sokhna Golf Club in Ain Sokhna. The first tournament, 2023 Ein Bay Open, will be played from February 21st until February 23rd on courses B&C. Only 3 days later, the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open will get underway from February 26th until February 28th on courses A&B.
The Field –
A riveting start to the 2023 season is expected as players are eager to begin the season in their chase for the 2024 Challenge Tour cards.
Last year Stefano Mazzoli won the 2022 Ein Bay Open with a score of 14 under-par. This year, he won’t be in the field defending his title as he earned playing status of the major tours. The 2022 Red Sea Little Venice Open was won by Oihan Guillamoundeguy as an amateur with an incredible score of 24 under-par. He will be defending his title as a professional player from February 26th until February 28th.
Approximately 22 different nations are represented among the players competing at both tournaments during the 2023 Egypt Winter Series. The host country will be well represented by three professionals competing each week. At the Ein Bay Open there will be: Maged Abdel Tawab, Selim El Ebiary and Ahmed W Naim. While at the Red Sea Little Venice Open there will be: Abdel Monem El Shafei, Ahmed Moslhey and Ahmed W Naim.
For each event in the 2023 Egypt Winter Series, there will be 120 players competing for a prize fund of €40,000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner of each tournament will earn €5,800 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. Both events will be played as 54 holes stroke play tournaments where a cut will be made after 36 holes to the top 40 players and ties.
The Course-
The venue for both events, Sokhna Golf Club in Ain Sokhna, Egypt is home to 27 holes of golf. The golf club has hosted Alps Tour events for the past 10 years now and therefore has become a point of reference for players. The 2023 Ein Bay Open players will compete on courses B&C as a 7296 yards par 72, while for the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open players will compete on courses A&B as a 7620 yards par 72.
The courses are located along the shores of the Gulf of Suez and were designed by John Sanford & Tim Lobb. They were built with gently undulating fairways and well-placed water and sand traps. The courses are known for their technical difficulties being located near the shores. With that being said, the players could face strong winds.
Sokhna Golf Club is a joint venture between the Little Venice Golf Resort which is part of Hassan Allam Properties and El Ein Bay owned by Galalah Touristic Investments Company. They joined to create a “real first-class golfing destination” in Ain Sokhna.
Tournament Promoter-
Both the 2023 Ein Bay Open and the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open are grateful for the support of: Sokhna Golf Club, Ein Bay, Hassan Allam Properties, TPC- Touristic Promotion Company, Jaz Hotel Little Venice and Coca Cola Egypt.
While we are eagerly awaiting the first tee shot on February 21st to get the 2023 season started, we wanted to wish all the players the best of luck this season.
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).
#risinggolfstars
#raisinggolfstars
Instagram- @alpstourgolf
Facebook- Alpstourgolf
Twitter- @alpstourgolf
25th May 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Cianchetti goes wire-to-wire and celebrates third Alps Tour win
The last round of the 9th edition of the Red Sea Little Venice Open at Sokhna GC, in Egypt, was coloured in green-white-and-red like the Italian flag, when Luca Cianchetti from Modena confirmed his great form of the past two days and finished the tournament at 200 (-16) topping the leader board again and seizing the first prize with a two-strokes margin over fellow compatriots Jacopo Vecchi Fossa and Ludovico Addabbo, tied second at 202 (-14).
With today’s 64 (-8) – best round of the day, signed also by Irishman David Carey – Vecchi Fossa, 26, from Reggio Emilia, climbed seven positions from yesterday’s T9th place and regained the leadership of the Order of Merit that he had briefly conceded last week to Spaniard Angel Hidalgo, now in 2nd spot. Ludovico Addabbo, 22, from Rome, proved to himself he can hold his nerves under pressure and has all the abilities to compete at a higher level, as he started the day as 2nd and in the last group, and never lost his focus, with 4 birdies and just 1 bogey at the turn on hole 10, for a 69 (-3) and a total -14, two strokes better than experienced Frenchman Julien Foret, who dropped two spots and finished 4th at 204 (-12).
“I am super happy for this win”, said Cianchetti, 25, who can boast two more success in Alps Tour tournaments, the first when still an amateur, in the 2015 Abruzzo Open, and the second in the 2019 Katameya Dunes Open in Cairo. “I didn’t really expect it after the first tournament here where I missed the cut, but after the 62 in the opening round I gained a lot of confidence. It was a difficult day because I was a bit nervous in the beginning and I had a bogey 5 on the 2nd hole and a double bogey 5 on hole n. 4, but little by little I found my focus back and I managed to keep calm and play my game, so I started holing some putts and making some birdies, including four in a row from 11 to 14”. The bogey 5, missing a short putt on the last hole was irrelevant as his margin was already comfortable enough to secure his third Alps Tour title and climbing the Order of Merit up to the 5th place. “Of course I like Egypt, as I already won in Cairo two years ago, and it is a bonus to share the podium here with two other Italian guys who are also friends of mine”.
The Egypt Swing is now in the books. The Alps Tour schedule will resume next month in France with the 18th edition of the Open de La Mirabelle d’Or at Golf de La Grange aux Ormes, in Metz, June 11-13.
Click here for the Final results and here for the updated Order of Merit, or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
24th May 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Italian Cianchetti still topping the leader board at -14
It was another good day at the office for overnight leader Luca Cianchetti. After sealing the new course record 62 (-10) yesterday at Sokhna GC (A+B courses), the Italian has kept the top of the leader board after adding a 68 (-4) in the second round of the Red Sea Little Venice Open for a total 130 (-14) and therefore gaining a comfortable 3-strokes margin over fellow compatriot Ludovico Addabbo and Frenchman Julien Foret, both sitting at 133 (-11).
“Today it was a bit more difficult for me, but I expected that”, said Cianchetti, 25, who is attached to Bologna GC. “After such a good round you need to completely reset, and I think I kind of made it right. Even though I did not play as well as yesterday, I was able to make good use of any birdie chance I had. I have made a few more mistakes and three bogeys (on holes 1, 2 & 5), but on a positive note I closed with three birdies in a row in the last five holes (from hole 6 to 8). My putting was still decent today while my long game was more erratic than yesterday. Tomorrow I will need to reset it all again, and think shot by shot”.
Julien Foret, 38, scored the best result of the day, a bogey-free 64 (-8) carded with 10 pars and 8 birdies equally distributed on front and back nine. “A good day for me obviously, where I could mark lots of birdies and, even better, no bogeys, which is always good news. I had the chance to hole many putts, and I think I have also taken advantage of the weather with my tee time at 8:10, as this morning it was probably less windy than the afternoon”.
Ludovico Addabbo, 22, from Rome, is playing in his second season on the Alps Tour after gaining his card at the 2019 Qualifying School. Last season was a disappointing one for him and led to a return to the QSchool where he got a conditional card with category 8. After missing the cuts in the first 3 tournaments of the 2021 season, Ludovico has put his game on the right track and scored a 13th and a 14th place. Now, with today’s round in 65 (-7) with one eagle, 8 birdies and 3 bogeys, he hopes to sensibly improve his record and fill that 3-strokes gap with the leader.
50 players made the cut at -1, including 8 amateurs. The final round will start tomorrow at 7:00, with the leader’s team off at 8:28 from hole 1.
Click here for the 2nd round results or check on the Alps Tour Golf app.
23rd May 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Cianchetti leads with course record 62 (-10)
Only one day of rest after the end of the Ein Bay Open, just the time for some fine-tuning training and another Covid-test check for all – players, staff, caddies and coaches, all negative – and today the 120 contenders of the Egypt Swing went back to work with new energy to compete in the 9th edition of the Red Sea Little Venice Open, taking place on a different mix of the Sokhna Golf Club (the A+B courses).
With less aggressive temperatures than a few days ago, and a pleasant breeze from the North, Italian Luca Cianchetti grabbed the spotlight as he signed a new course record 62 (-10), with 8 birdies and 1 eagle, leaving his nearest contender – Spaniard Dani Berna – three strokes back, at 65 (-7), and Englishman Bradley Bawden in third position at 66 (-6).
“I made just one mistake today”, said Cianchetti of his bogey-free round, “but it was on the good side, so I made a birdie anyway. I managed to keep calm and focussed the whole round, not getting caught up in the heat or trying to overdo it, I played my game and that led to a minus 10”.
“I’m happy about how I’ve putted today, 28 putts in all, and from the tee I hit 10 fairways, which is good”, said the 25-year-old from Modena, winner of the 2019 Katameya Dunes Open. “This season has started better for me than the last one when I did not play well and finished 46th in the Order of Merit, just inside the cut line to retain my card for 2021. I had a top-ten at the Abruzzo Open last month, and a couple of other good tournaments. I arrived here in Egypt trusting my game, but my putting was disappointing last week, and I missed the cut. Today I found back the right feeling with the putter and it certainly was the best part of my game, together with the long game as I was always pretty close to the pin – the longest putt I’ve made was from 7 metres. Of course, I did not expect to shoot 10 under, but I knew I was playing well and was just waiting for a good score, which obviously arrived today!”.
A total of 54 players shot under par, and among them Swiss Mathias Eggenberger who made a hole-in-one on hole n. 9 (par 3, 186 mt) with his 6-iron, and with a total of 68 (-4) is sharing the 8th position with six more colleagues.
Tomorrow the second round of the Red Sea Little Venice Open will start at 7:00 and at the end of the day the top 40 and ties, plus amateurs within the cut line, will be admitted to the third, final round.
Click here for the 1st round results.
30th April 2021 | Alps Tour Golf
Stefano Mazzoli Wins in Playoff
April 30th, 2021 – Perugia, Italy. What an incredible final round that saw a play-off with five players at -9 (204). Stefano Mazzoli sealed victory on the first hole of the play-off with a birdie on the 18th whilst his competitors carded pars.
The Italian, started far from being in contention this morning as he teed off from the 10th at +1 putting him 9 strokes behind the leader. But golf being golf, anything can happen over 18 holes and Mazzoli proved just that. He entered the clubhouse with a 61 (-10) for the day, the record round for the inaugural Antognolla Alps Open:
“It’s something unbelievable to finish this strong after making the cut by one. I feel really happy after a period where things were not really going as I expected. The first lockdown was a really tough period for me to keep my mind going. I did pretty good in Cervino where I finished second but after that I struggled a little bit. I had a wrist problem, so I had to take three months off during the winter and I started the season really badly this year. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been concentrating on my shots off the tee, my range and putting strokes on the green. Today was a good test for me, playing under pressure so I’m really pleased to walk away with a trophy after winning the play-off”.
Mazzoli played a solid outward nine starting from the 10th with 4 birdies and pars to turn for home at -3. He then started as he meant to go on with 2 more birdies and a third one on the 5th. He added an eagle on the 6th uphill par 5 and the cherry on the cake, a birdie on the par 5 17th.
The other four players in the play-off were two of Mazzoli’s compatriots, Stefano Pitoni and Filippo Bergamaschi, the Irish player, Paul McBride and Alex Esmatges from Spain who provided some heart-stopping moments during their rounds.
Yesterday’s leader, Pitoni, held onto the lead on the front nine with 3 birdies but two bogeys on the back nine and a dearth of birdies put him in the play-off.
Bergamaschi also had a strong start with 5 birdies going out to put him at -10 on the 10th tee. A bogey there dropped him back a shot which he recovered on the 16th with a birdie but a final bogey on the 18th saw victory slip through his fingers.
McBride, off the 1st at -3 this morning had an impeccable round up to the 12th with 7 birdies in the bag. Despite a closing birdie on the 18th, the 2 bogeys on the 13th and 14th cost him dearly.
Esmatges, starting on -4, had a majestic round with 8 birdies leaving the 16th green. A sole bogey on the 17th would not have been fatal but the double bogey on the 18th proved his undoing.
Mazzoli’s win catapults him up the Order Merit from 68th to 5th position but the leader remains Jacopo Vecchi Fossa who finished joint 6th today.
The Alps Tour players now have a four-week break before heading to Egypt and the Sokhna Golf Club where they will play two tournaments. First off is the Ein Bay Open, 19th-21st May and then the Red Sea Little Venice Open 23rd-25th May which Stefano Mazzoli won in 2020 and where we are sure he would like nothing better than a repeat success this year.
Many thanks to the Antognolla Golf for their warm welcome and superb course as well as the presenting sponsor +Energia, main sponsors DS Automobiles and Fideuram, the promotor Infront Sports & Media, FIG Official Advisor, official suppliers, Kappa and Eureco, media partners Corriere dello Sport, Il Giornale, Tuttosport and the Italian Golf Federation.
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
