Adri Arnaus has won on the Alps Tour in Italy. Can he win his first European Tour title at Golf Club Adamstal, which hosts this week’s Euram Bank Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SPANIARD Adri Arnaus returns to his Alps Tour roots this week as he prepares for the Euram Bank Open.

It will be his first appearance at the picturesque Golf Club Adamstal in the Austrian Alps.

Arnaus burst on to the professional golf scene in 2017. He won two events on the Alps Tour as an amateur, including the Grand Final at Golf Club des Iles Borromees, in the Italian Alps.

He also topped the Order of Merit that year to earn his place on the European Challenge Tour.

The following season he graduated to the European Tour after finishing inside the Top 15 on the Challenge Tour Rankings – winning the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, in the United Arab Emirates.

Adri Arnaus said: “I definitely missed out on playing a beautiful golf course a couple of years ago.

“I love any course which is different to what we are used to – being here in the mountains with the tree lines is very special.

“It’s one of the coolest places I’ve been to so far this year,” said the Texas A&M University graduate.

“It’s so different. You can breathe in the nature everywhere you turn. I’m going to remember a lot of holes on this golf course.

“I’ve tried to make a schedule which looks good for the rest of the year,” added the 2017 Spanish Amateur Champion.

“It’s great we can get back to competition and hopefully play for titles on Sundays.

“Last year I wanted to get to the DP World Tour Championship, and hopefully I can get a bit higher up on the rankings this year.

“I had a good year last year and started pretty well this season, so I had some momentum,” added Arnaus, talking about the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We had to reschedule everything and find new things to do,” said the 25-year-old who is now looking for his maiden European Tour win.

“Golf is a game where you don’t have to be on the range all the time, you can improve other aspects of your game.

“I’ve been focusing on the physical and mental aspects. Then when we were allowed to play golf in Spain again, I did that and got back in shape.”

And if that preparation will pays dividends if he can follow last week’s winner Marc Warren by winning in Austria, which hosts an event for a second week in a row.

Golf Club Adamstal – situated in the Austrian Alps – will again stage the Euram Bank Open. The Challenge Tour tournament has been upgraded to dual-ranking European Tour event

Ewen hoping it’s Fergie time in Alps

GOLF Club Adamstal is situated in a valley in the Lower Austrian Alps.

And after hosting the Euram Bank Open on the Challenge Tour since 2018, it is now the venue for the second of two dual-ranking events.

Arnaus is pleased to have made the trip to Ramsau as the 2020 season continues, after missing out on the tournament two years ago.

Also in the field this week is Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson, who will be hoping to go one better than his runner-up finish at last year’s Euram Bank Open.

The 24-year-old carded an eight-under par 64, making a charge from 13^th place at the start of the final day.

He finished as runner-up to compatriot Calum Hill alongside Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima.

Ferguson said: “There are a lot of good players right now in Scotland. Loads of good guys coming through.

“I think Marc Warren was very motivated by not doing well last year and getting on top of his game. There are loads of young Scots coming through.

“I think it’s a kick up the backside for the older guys and they’re pushing on.

“You look at leaderboards now and there seems to be a lot of Scots kicking around.

“It’s good for us, even having lunch you can chat to friends you’ve known for years. It makes it homely rather than it being hard on the road.

“You know you can bat ideas off each other and inspire each other. I played well here last year.

“I finished second and had a good run at it in the end. It was a good week for me. It’s been nice practicing here again.

“I know some of the places to go and places not to go, that could be quite helpful. I’m excited to get going.

Schneider hopes Austrian form continues

HOPING to carry on his form from last week’s Austrian Open is Germany’s Marcel Schneider.

The 30-year-old carded four consecutive rounds of 69 – dropping just four shots all week – to finish one stroke behind winner Marc Warren.

Schneider said: “I’m so happy to be back out and competing. My game was super solid.

“You could see from the scores, three-under four times and I just dropped four shots the whole week. Hopefully I can continue that.

“Something clicked there. Putting has never been the strength of my game. But it worked quite well last week.

“Hopefully I can ride that wave for a long time. I love the course, beside the walking, I really love the views from the fairways and the greens.

“You need a lot of tactics in your game,” added Schneider who won the 2018 Swiss Challenge

The Euram Bank Open will be governed by the European Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy, as will all events for the remainder of the 2020 season.

The strategy relies on healthcare specialists Cignpost to deliver rapid on-site COVID-19 screening.

All players, caddies and on-site personnel will be tested in order to help mitigate the risk of new COVID-19 infections.

Participants will operate within national public health guidelines, including social distancing as well as following enhanced hygiene directives.

•To follow Adri Arnaus in the first round click here for live scoring.

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Matt Wallace spoke about his time in the England Golf Elite squad to current members – and his years struggling on the Alps Tour before winning three European Tour events

EUROPEAN Tour stars Matt Wallace and Matt Fitzpatrick have gone back to their roots to encourage, inspire and advise the next generation of English golfers.

The former England Golf graduates took part in separate online Q&A sessions with current players, coaches and staff and captivated their audiences with tales on their careers and anecdotes from life on tour.

Ex-Hertfordshire Men’s and Colts player Wallace expressed his hopes that his unconventional route to the top can inspire England Golf’s current performance squads.

Speaking from his base in Florida, World No. 43 Wallace relived his amateur days, his trials and tribulations grinding away on the Alps Tour and then his breakthrough with victory at the Portuguese Open in 2017.

Among the many questions posed were some from players such as Farnham’s England Girls international Lottie Woad, who was also a promising footballer on Southampton Ladies’ books.

Current Portuguese Amateur Champion Harry Goddard – who also plays for Hertfordshire, Wiltshire’s Scottish Amateur Strokeplay winner Jake Bolton and Yorkshire’s Ben Schmidt, the youngest-ever winner of the Brabazon Trophy at 16, nearly a year ago, also fired off questions.

Fitzpatrick – a five-time winner on the European Tour and a member of the 2016 European Ryder Cup team – was keen to stress how important it is for players to take nothing for granted.

They need to realise that hard work can be the key to success said the 2012 winner of the Selborne Salver, a competition won 12 months earlier at Hampshire’s Blackmoor GC, by Ryder Cup team-mate Andy Sullivan.

Matt Fitzpatrick talking to England Golf squad members in the online Q&A

Matt’s unconventional rise to top

WALLACE explained just why he was happy to meet the request of England performance director Nigel Edwards to speak to the rising stars of the English game.

“I feel it’s important for the players to realise there can be more than one way to reach the top,” said Wallace from the renowned Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound.

“I was in the England Golf set-up, but kind of on the fringes of it and always pushing for attention.

“The year prior to my involvement with England, the squad was amazing.

‘Then a number of guys turned pro at the same time – Tom Lewis, Andy Sullivan and Steven Brown included – and I came in from nowhere to the elite squad.

“I maybe didn’t feel as if I’d earned my stripes and didn’t back myself as a golfer as much as I should.

“But I gave it everything, was proud to be in the set-up and enjoyed good experiences in places such as Argentina and the Czech Republic.

“When I didn’t get picked for and England v France match and knew that my chances of Walker Cup were slim, I decided to turn pro.

“I was then grinding away on the Alps Tour for four years with people saying you can’t be that good if you are four years on the Alps Tour.”

Hallamshire GC’s Matt Fitzpatrick on his way to victory in the Selborne Salver in 2012. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

US Amateur win sealed Walker Cup place

FITZPATRICK enjoyed a terrific amateur career – the highlight being when he won the US Amateur Championship in 2013, just 12 months after being crowned British Boys Champion.

Victory at Boston’s Brookline Country Club – with his brother Alex on the bag – meant the Hallamshire GC member was picked for the GB&I Walker Cup team that lost heavily at Long Island’s National Golf Links of America later that month.

Alex also ended up on the losing side against the USA at Hoylake, in September.

Both brothers took up golf scholarships in America.

But Matt cut short his stay at Chicago’s NorthWestern University – where NCAA champion Luke Donald had spent four years from 1997-2001 – after just one term.

He turned pro after appearing in the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 as the reigning US Amateur Champion.

Matt had also won the Silver Medal as the top amateur at the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield.

Twelve months earlier he had been a member of the England Boys team.

The 25-year-old – currently No. 25 in the world rankings – admitted: “It was great to be a part of the England Golf set-up as an amateur, and I wanted to be able to give a little back in terms of advice.

“I worked with some great coaches – Steve Robinson, Graham Walker and John Jacobs among them – and the structure and focus of the England Golf sessions were great for me.

Fitzpatrick tells England’s best ‘play smart’

Matt Fitzpatrick won the Selborne Salver in 2012. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURE

“I remember my first session at Woodhall Spa when Graham told us all we were to be up for a run at 7am the next morning.

“But I liked that discipline and planning that went into every aspect of our coaching.

“The message I wanted to get across to the squads was that golf isn’t easy.

“And to remember that while you can compete at national level, there are kids in Spain, Sweden and all over the world working just as hard to make the top.”

Fitzpatrick’s “play smart” approach to golf was a theme of his session, while his thoroughness in preparation from practice round technique, physical conditioning – through to on course strategy – was strongly evident.

During a detailed and insightful interactive session, Fitzpatrick fielded plenty of questions.

England Girls’ squad member Rosie Belsham, Cornwall’s Women’s Amateur Champion Emily Toy quizzed the Sheffield star, who won his maiden pro event at Woburn, in the 2015 British Masters.

And another Selborne winner – Sussex’s Charlie Strickland – Fulford’s Charlie Thornton and Jack Brooks, from Cheshire, who was runner-up in last year’s Lytham Trophy, also posed questions.

Matt Wallace at the Hampshire Hog in 2012 – the England Elite squad member turned pro a year later but then spent several years struggling before his career took off in 2018. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

From Elite squad for four years struggling on Alps Tour

DURING his frank Q&A session, Wallace spoke with real honesty about the memory he had of one day sitting on the couch at his parents’ home – and reflecting on where his career was heading at the age of 24.

His friends had good jobs and houses and he was living at his parents “winning 50p on the Alps Tour.”

Having asked himself if he still wanted this sort of life aged 27, Wallace set about changing into a player “who would stop at nothing” to reach the top.

Wallace went on to win six times on the Alps Tour in 2016, including a remarkable five victories in a row.

That earned promotion to the European Challenge Tour – his breakthrough win came in the Portugal Open in May 2017, followed by three European Tour victories in 2018.

His Made in Denmark win in front of European captain Thomas Bjørn was not quite enough to gatecrash the 2018 Ryder Cup.

But it was one hell of a ride from those days of struggling on mini-tours.

Matt, who started as a junior at Batchworth Park, in Rickmansworth, said: “My dad always encouraged me to act like a sponge with information – knowing that at any time you could squeeze out things that you didn’t like or which weren’t appropriate.

“It was great to do this Q&A and I hope some of the things I said were of use to the England players.”

Wallace, who grew up in Pinner, claimed the Peter Benka Trophy at the South East Qualifier at Stoneham GC, in 2010.

He then headed to Jacksonville State University where he played for the Gamecocks – the same Alabama college where Danny Willett had spent two years on a golf scholarship before winning the English Amateur in 2007.

In 2018, he returned to Moor Park, where he was also a member and held a clinic for juniors at the Rickmansworth club’s First Degree Golf Academy.

•Tommy Fleetwood, Chris Wood, Danny Willett, Bronte Law and Meg McLaren are lined up among a host of professionals ready to pass on knowledge to England’s class of 2020, as they continue to learn during a restricted period of lockdown.

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Hertfordshire’s Matt Wallace – Callaway’s newest signing – will use the new Mavrik driver when he tees it up in this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

MATT Wallace is the second top English player to switch equipment at the start of the 2020, moving from Ping to Callaway in time for the first event in the Middle East swing.

The Moor Park member is using a full set of Callaway clubs – including the newly launched Mavrik driver – and is the latest member of the staff professional team at the American equipment giant’s Surrey-based European Tour division.

Matt, who came throught the junior ranks in Hertfordshire, playing at Rickmansworth’s Batchworth Park, before moving across the road to Moor Park, and on to Alabama’s Jacksonville State University – the same US college where Danny Willett spent two years.

Wallace is one of the rising stars of the game. The four-time winner on the European Tour is comfortably inside the world’s top 50 – currently ranked at No. 32, guaranteeing him a place in all four Majors and the four World Golf Championships.

The 29-year-old will kick-off his 2020 campaign at this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, from January 16-19, where he will immediately put the MAVRIK driver and fairway woods straight into competitive play.

The Mavrik driver features Callaway’s new Flash Face SS20 architecture, designed by AI, with a “more expansive area that delivers ultra-fast ball speeds working in conjunction with Callaway’s proven Jailbreak technology.”

Matt Wallace will use a full set of Callaway equipment in 2020

Wallace will also rely on Callaway’s new Jaws MD5 Wedges in 50, 55 and 60 degree lofts. The wedges feature the new Jaws groove and Groove-in-Groove technology, to deliver “excellent spin and control around the greens.”

Matt, who spent a year at college in the States, turned pro in 2012 having won the Peter Benka Trophy for the best individual score at the South East Qualifier, at Stoneham, two years earlier.

The golfer from Pinner has made a rapid rise through the pro ranks, winning on five consecutive Alps Tour starts in 2016 to earn his place on the European Challenge Tour.

After winning the Portugal Open early in 2017 to earn instant promtion to the European Tour then claimed three more titles in little over a year – just missing out on a Ryder Cup place in Thomas Bjorn’s team for Paris in 2018.

Wallace has also made a huge impact on the US PGA Tour, finishing tied third at the USPGA Championship at Bethpage Black, sharing 12th spot at the US Open at Pebble Beach.

He had already shown his liking for playing in the States after coming tied sixth on his debut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bayhill earlier that season.

Looking forward to his week in Abu Dhabi, and the new season, Wallace said: “I’ve been a Callaway fan since I was young, so it’s a thrill and an honour to become a member of the Callaway Tour Staff.

“I can’t wait to start working with Callaway’s tour team to get my new equipment dialed in for 2020.”

Tim Reed, Callaway’s senior vice-president of global sports marketing, said: “Matt’s a fantastic addition to the Callaway staff.

“He’s an excellent ball-striker and putter who knows how to win.

“We can’t wait to see how high he can raise his game with the help of Callaway equipment.”

What Matt is currently testing:
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 9 deg, Rogue Silver 130 70g shaft
Fairway: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 15 deg, Rogue Silver 130 70g shaft
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro, Nippon 120 X flex shafts
Wedges: Callaway MD5 Jaws 60, 55, 50, degrees Nippon 120 X flex shafts
Putter: Odyssey protoype

•Find out more about the new Callaway Mavrik range which goes on sale in the UK at the end of January and early February click here.

•The 2020 season started well for Callaway as Branden Grace claimed the South African Open at Randpark GC, in Johannesburg – his first win since the Nebank Challenge in 2017 – and which saw him complete the South African slam by winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship, the Dimenson Data Pro Am, as well as his national open and Gary Player’s Sun City shootout.

Moor Park’s Matt Wallace is welcomed by the European Tour division of Callawway based at Chessington, in Surrey

The post New Callaway signing Matt Wallace kicks-off 2020 at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship appeared first on Golf North.

Daniel Gaunt, who is attached to Burhill GC, in Surrey, was second on the 2019 Journey to Jordan, eaning starts on the Asian and Challenge Tours as well as the Dubai Desert Classic.

MENA Tour players will be able to earn invites to play on the Alps Tour in 2020 as well as having the opportunity to earn starts on the European and Asian Tours plus the Challenge Tour.

In addition to the invites to the European Tour’s 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic in January, which are handed out to the leading two professionals on the 2019 Journey to Jordan Order of Merit – plus the top amateur – there are more incentives for MENA members in the New Year.

On top of a schedule which features 11 tournaments in five countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, there will be an extra place in the 2021 Omega Dubai Desert Classic for the professional finishing third on the 2020 MENA Order of Merit.

The Dubai event is the oldest European Tour event in the Middle East, dating from the early 1990s, in which time the views of the city skyline from the Emirates Course fairways have changed beyond all recognition.

The Journey to Jordan professional winner will also receive an Asian Tour country exemption card for the 2021 season, a full card on the 2020 Alps Tour and three Challenge Tour invites, as well as the Dubai Desert start.

The leading amateur will also receive an Alps Tour exemption for 2020 and at least one start on the European Challenge Tour.

The second-placed professional on the Journey to Jordan gets three starts on the Asian Tour, a full card on the 2020 Alps Tour and an exemption to the final stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School.

The third and fourth placed professionals on the Arena sponsored MENA Tour also receive full cards on the Alps Tour and a place in the final stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School.

The third-ranked player also gets an Omega Dubai Desert Classic spot and two starts on the Challenge Tour.

The winner of the Ghala Open, which is to be held from February 16-19 at Ghala Golf Club, in Muscat, Oman, will receive a spot at the European Tour’s $1.75 million Oman Open at Al Mouj Golf the following week.

MENA Tour strategic adviser David Spencer said: “One of the biggest objectives for us is to provide our members with pathways to some of the main tours and increase their playing opportunities.

“Our announcement today will definitely excite the players. There are a few more invitations which we will reveal in due course.

“We are thankful to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Asian Tour and our new partners Alps Tour in helping us create these wonderful opportunities for them.”

The MENA Tour was established in the United Arab Emirates in 2011 and has grown over the years to become one of the most exciting development tours in the world.

With a minimum prize fund of $75,000 and Official World Golf Ranking points, it offers excellent growth opportunities for professionals and the top amateurs.

The 2020 season starts with the qualifying school at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, Jordan, from January 20 onwards, when the next generation of MENA Tour players will start their professional careers.

Registration for the qualifying schools are now being accepted online at www.menatour.golf

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After a review involving elite amateurs and other bodies within the amateur and professional game, a new Rules of Amateur Status should be ready by January 2022 says the R&A and USGA. The current prize limit for amateurs is £500 in any one event

THE R&A and the USGA are conducting a review of the Rules of Amateur Status to make them easier to understand and apply.

The comprehensive evaluation is part of the continued joint effort to modernise the Rules of Golf by reducing complexity and ensuring they effectively guide how the game is played today.

Amateur golfers are currently restricted in winning prizes of more than £500 in any one competition, and can only play in professional golf events providing they wave their rights to prize money, before the competition begins.

More and more amateurs are testing the waters by playing in developments tours like the PGA EuroPro, the MENA, Alps Pro Golf and Gecko Tours to gain experience before taking the plunge and turning pro.

As part of a review process that began earlier this year, the governing bodies will seek the perspectives of different groups in the game as an integral component of the review process.

That will include elite amateur golfers, golf event organisers, national and professional golf associations, and other industry partners, including equipment manufacturers.

That will include the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) in the UK and Ireland, and the United States Professional Golfers’ Association, in the USA.

The aim is to provide the golf community with a modernised set of amateur status rules in late 2021, with the goal of an effective date of January 1, 2022.

R&A Rules director Grant Moir said: “We will be looking at the Rules of Amateur Status carefully and considering ways in which we can modernise them and bring them more into line with the way the modern sport is played.

“The code remains a fundamental framework for amateur golf and we will be listening to the views of players, officials and associations to give us a fully rounded view of how we can improve them.”

Thomas Pagel, senior managing director of governance at the USGA, said: “One of golf’s greatest benefits is that it can be played by all ages and played for a lifetime.

“It is our goal to ensure the fundamental concept of what it means to be an amateur golfer is clear and retained to promote fair competition and enjoyment for everyone, while still addressing many issues that seek to protect the game.

“This is a forward-thinking approach and engaging golfers is a key component of doing what’s best for golf.”

Hole-in-one rule to change in 2020

IN a separate move, with effect from January 1, 2020, The R&A and the USGA will introduce one change to Rule 3-2b of the Rules of Amateur Status, which regulates hole-in-one prizes.

The Rules will no longer limit the prize an amateur golfer may win when making a hole-in-one outside a round of golf, including “stand-alone” and “multiple-entry” hole-in-one events.

It is hoped the change will help to promote the game and cater to new audiences as well as eliminate unnecessary restrictions for event organisers, said a spokesman for The R&A.

According to The R&A, the purpose of the Rules of Amateur Status is to maintain the “distinction between amateur and professional golf and to ensure that amateur golf, which is largely self-regulating with regard to the Rules of Golf and handicapping, is free from the pressures that may follow from uncontrolled sponsorship and financial incentives.”

New Rule 3-2b will read as:–

“An amateur golfer may accept a prize in excess of the limit in Rule 3-2a, including a cash prize, for making a hole-in-one during a round of golf on a golf course.
“An amateur golfer may also accept a prize in excess of the limit in Rule 3-2a, including a cash prize, for making a hole-in-one during contests held outside a round of golf, including multiple-entry contests and contests conducted other than on a golf course (e.g., on a driving range, golf simulator, or putting green) provided in all cases that the length of the shot is at least 50 yards.”

•More information about the Rules of Amateur Status can be found by going to www.RandA.org and www.USGA.org

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Italy’s Francesco Laporta leads the Road to Mallorca after taking the first round lead in the Challenge Tour Grand Final with a three-under par 68. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FRANCESCO Laporta began the Challenge Tour Grand Final occupying the second position on the Road to Mallorca rankings… but now the Italian is projected to become Challenge Tour No. 1 by Sunday, after taking the first-round lead.

Laporta carded five birdies against only two bogeys to sign for a three -under par 68, which was one shot better than his nearest rivals on the difficult Club de Golf Alcanada layout.

“It was a tough round today,” said Laporta. “The wind came up this morning, then went down and then it came up again during the last couple of holes.

“I played solid and only missed a couple of putts on the first two holes, but after that the putter worked better.

“I’m pretty happy about my round and we’ll just have to see what happens in the next few days.

“The No. 1 spot is in my mind, for sure. I came here to fight for the first spot and I will fight all week for that.

“It’s a good start and hopefully I have another one tomorrow.”

Laporta’s strong start continues an impressive run of form for the 29-year-old, who recently finished as the low-Italian at the European Tour’s Italian Open, a Rolex Series event, before winning the Hainan Open the following week.

Laporta holds a one-stroke advantage over home-favourite Sebastian Garcia-Rodriguez and Welshman Rhys Enoch, who each carded rounds of 70.

Now the Challenge Tour Grand Final is under way, the projected Road to Mallorca rankings come into focus – with the leading 15 players on the season-long points race earning European Tour cards at the end of the week.

While Garcia-Rodriguez began the tournament positioned 13^th on the order of merit, Enoch teed it up outside of the coveted cut off in 25th.

But the winner of the D+D Real Slovakia Challenge in July, who currently sits in a two-way tie for second place, is now projected to climb inside the magic number – and finish the year in 13^th.

Enoch, who hailed from Cornwall, but now lives in Cardiff, said: “It was very tricky. I don’t think we realised how tricky it was going to be.

“I think the wind was quite calm earlier and I thought the scoring was going to be low.

“It’s just easy to drop shots, really, really easy. I did that really well today – keeping the bogeys off the card – with only one drop,” said a happy Enoch.

“So it was just about patience and missing in the right spots, especially with how sloped the greens are.

“The wind on the front nine was all over the place. I’m really pleased.

“There are plenty of different outcomes, but I’m focused on winning really.

“Second would probably be enough if I’m on my own, but then I’m relying on a lot of other people.

“I’ve just got to try and win because that takes care of it, so that’s my aim,” added Enoch, who became a father when Carter was born in August.

Oliver Farr, who came into the Grand Final holding the 15^th and final European Tour card, overcame a triple bogey and a double bogey to finish his round in a tie for 11^th place on one-over.

That is currently enough for the Welshman – who grew up playing golf at Kidderminster’s Cleobury Golf Club – to hold onto the final graduation spot, having lost his European Tour card in 2015 and 2018.

Farr, who is attached to Hereford’s Burghill GC, said: “There were two bad holes but 16 pretty good ones and looking at the scoring today, to only have two holes where I dropped shots today is pretty good.

“Obviously I dropped a lot of shots on those holes. It was a challenging day on the greens, but I felt like I handled them pretty well, and hopefully we can make amend for these errors tomorrow.

“Playing the practice round it was one of the first weeks where I haven’t been able to feel what a good score was,” said Farr, who played less events this season to spend more time with his family – after becoming a father for the second time in April, and following a bereavement in his family since.

“Sometimes you can sense what a good score is. People were asking me and I didn’t know. I thought the set-up was fair,” added 31-year-old Farr, winner of the Lalla Aicha Challenge Tour, in Morocco, in early October.

“There were some tough pins and that’s probably why the scoring is down, but I’m only a few shots behind and it’s early days yet, so hopefully I can push up.”

Challenge Tour Grand Final debutant Garcia-Rodriguez was happy to be playing on the Balearic island.

Sebastian said: “The golf course is amazing. The greens are very difficult.

“The key for me today was the second shot. My strategy on the tee box was to hit a lot of drivers, which set me up nicely.

“In general I’m so happy. It’s my first time playing in the Challenge Tour Grand Final and this start has made me so happy.

“I don’t feel any additional pressure. It’s the next tournament. It’s the same – the same balls, the same clubs, the same tees,” Garcia-Rodriguez added.

“The conditions are probably the best we’ve had the entire year in terms of difficulty. It’s so hard and it feels similar to the European Tour.

“My game plan has been the same for the entire year. At the start of this year I told myself I would just take it shot-by-shot.

“I played 10 tournaments on the Alps Tour at the start of the year after losing my Challenge Tour status two years ago, and this wasn’t even in my mind in January of this year.

“So for me I’m just so happy to be here.”

The second round of the Challenge Tour Grand Final begins on Friday at 7.30am GMT with Laporta, Garcia-Rodriguez and Enoch set to go at 10.05am.

•For live scoring at Club de Golf Alcanada click here.

The post Race to be Challenge Tour’s No. 1 hots up as Laporta hits the front in the Grand Final appeared first on Golf North.

Italian Lorenzo Scalise is targetting promotion to the European Tour and needs a good run in the final three Challenge Tour tournaments, starting at this week’s Hainan Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

DESPITE the long European Challenge Tour season beginning to take its toll, Lorenzo Scalise is still in the fight for a top-15 spot as the Road to Mallorca visits China for this week’s Hainan Open.

The Italian is currently 33rd on the Road to Mallorca rankings, with the lion’s share of his 46,322 points coming courtesy of a second place finish at the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil.

He returns to Challenge Tour duty this week with the invaluable experience of an appearance at the Italian Open last week, a Rolex Series event, at Rome’s Oligata Golf Club.

Scalise has learned a lot during his maiden season on the circuit and with three events remaining, he is delving into the energy reserves for a shot at a big finish when the Hainan Open gets under way at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club, on Thursday (October 17).

“I started the year early on the Alps Tour and won an event there and then played my way on the Challenge Tour. It’s been a long season,” said Scalise.

“I’m trying to learn how to travel, how to save energy and stuff like that. I feel like I’ve not got much left in the tank, but I’ve got to hold onto it because there are three big events left.

“I don’t really want to set goals for the rest of the year. Obviously getting into that top 15 is the goal you have at the start of the year. But right now I’m just trying to have three good, solid weeks.

“I feel like I’ve not had a really good week in a while, but I’ve been playing good enough,” Scalise added.

“I really feel like it’s around the corner, but I just need to do everything I can to put myself in position to play my best golf.

“If that’s the case, then I’m pretty sure I can get into that top 15,” said Scalise, who lost a play-off for the European Amateur, with Kent’s Alfie Plant, at Walton Heath Golf Club, two years ago.

The University of Tennessee graduate is visiting China for the first time and, on first impressions, the island of Hainan reminds him of a place he once called home.

“It is my first time in China,” Scalise said. “It’s cool – this part of China actually reminds me of the US.

“I know it’s pretty similar to Hawaii in terms of the vegetation at stuff, but I actually really like it.

“I slept well on the plane on the way here, I think that’s the trick. I think the worst part is going back to Europe but I actually feel pretty good.

“I like the course. I’m coming from the Italian Open where the course was a lot tighter so this is a completely different setup this week.

“It’s a bomber’s paradise, to be honest. There isn’t a whole lot of rough.

“There are just a lot of bunkers that you’ve got to carry and take advantage of that – so I think it’s going to be pretty low scoring.

“The fairways are pretty wide, so you don’t have to be that accurate, but if you’re long, then you have shorter irons in and the rough isn’t that bad.

“As long as you hit bombs that are in play, then you’re good.”

Scalise will begin his Hainan Open at 8.30am local time on Thursday, with the first group of Matthew Baldwin, Raphaël de Sousa and He Shaocai getting the tournament under way at 7.10am local time.

The post Scalise targets graduation to European Tour starting with strong show at Hainan Open appeared first on Golf North.

Pasqualle Coffa and Lars Keunan who are taking part in the ground-breaking tournament at Saint-Malo Golf Resort with playes from the LET Access and Alps Tours taking part in France.
Picture by TRISTAN JONES

TWO couples and a pair of sisters are competing against each other as part of the same field in this week’s Saint-Malo Golf Mixed Open – with female and male players compete for the same trophy and prize fund.

The 72-hole tournament at Saint-Malo Golf Resort in Brittany, France, starts today (Thursday) and is the first professional tournament to draw together male and female golfers from two Tours in a single field.

Pasqualle Coffa, from the Netherlands, will take on her fellow rising stars from the Ladies European Tour Access Series, as well as golfers from the Alps Tour – where her boyfriend Lars Keunan is a regular.

Meanwhile, France’s fellow Alps Tour member Thomas Leberre will be playing against his girlfriend, Audre Fausnaugh, from the United States.

For Coffa and Keunan, who both come from Eindhovensche Golf and will be chasing the same trophy, the tournament offers a unique chance to compete in the same event and claim the all-important bragging rights.

“It’s fun because we always play against each other in practise and we are always competitive,” said Coffa, a rookie on the LET in 2019.

“He caddied for me in the last round last week in Belgium and he told me that if I miss the cut here, I will have to caddie for him this weekend, so I’m going to beat him this week, because otherwise, I will be angry. He might hit it longer, but I think my wedges are better than his.”

Keunan, who shares Coffa’s spirit, said that they will be playing for pride, but is also keen for the event to be a success.

“At first we were going to play for five or 10 euros, but then in the end, we thought that we would kill each other,” he said.

“I’m excited about this week but also curious to see how the organisers will make it a fair test for both the men and the women.”

While the competition will be fierce between the Dutch pair, there will also be an unofficial battle for “low-couple.”

Le Berre and Fausnaugh were on the same golf team at the University of Central Florida and both practise together at Chantilly Golf Club.

“It’s the first time we’re competing against each other in the same field, so it’s exciting and I hope Audre does well,” said Le Beurre.

Fausnaugh, who moved from Orlando to France two-and-a-half years ago, added: “We don’t usually compete for anything but I think it’s good practise to play with boys because they are all so good, so I’ll be used to it this week.

Bolstering the field further are Swedish sisters, Emma and Sarah Nilsson, whose parents are caddying for them.

Swedish sisters Emma and Sarah Nilsson are playing this week. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

Four-time LET Access Series winner Emma Nilsson, who won the 2018 Order of Merit, said: “It’s fun to try this new format and I hope to do well.

“At the end of the day, we are all golfers and we do the same job, so I think it will help to promote a family-friendly image for our sport and it’s interesting for people to watch, as well. It’s great to be in Saint-Malo and the course is beautiful.”

The field brings together recent LET Access Series tournament winners Greta Isabella Voelker (Neuchatel Ladies Championship) and Emma Grechi (Belfius Ladies Open), with recent Alps Tour winners Eduardo Lipparelli (Open de Saint Francois Region Guadaloupe), Benjamin Wheeler (Red Sea Little Venice Open), Timon Balti (Gosser Open), Luca Cianchetti (Katameya Dunes Open) and Frederique Lacroix (Ein Bay Open and Alps de Las Castillas).

The latter is a multiple winner looking for his third victory this season in order to advance directly to the Challenge Tour, following in the footsteps of the likes of current European Tour player Matt Wallace, who earned the automatic promotion.

The competition tees off on Thursday morning and after two rounds, there will be a cut to the leading 45 players and ties.

The champion will take home the trophy, a cheque for €7,200 on Sunday, and – perhaps most importantly – a place in golfing history, as the winner of the first professional tournament to draw together male and female golfers from two Tours in a single field.

The post Just a couple of attractions for first mixed tournament featuring LET and Alps stars appeared first on Golf North.

Spain’s Noemi Jimenez Martin who led the 2018 LET Access Series Order of Merit. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

THE LET Access Series (LETAS) will field the strongest schedule in its history as it celebrates its 10^th year in 2019 – including a new Road to Largue with a new tour championship at the season’s conclusion.

The series will feature 20 tournaments in nine countries across Europe, an increase from 13 last year including a first male and female event running concurrently, in conjunction with the Alps Tour, in St Malo, in July.

Total prize money also sees a significant increase to more than €1million, up from €590,000 in 2018.

An exciting development for the 2019 LETAS season will see the top 55 players updated after each event throughout the series in a season-long campaign called the “Road to La Largue.”

The brand-new format sees the newly added La Largue Ladies Championship installed as the season finale, with a prize fund of €80,000.

There are five Ladies European Tour (LET) cards and 15 places to the final stage of the LET Tour School to play for in the tour’s closing event at Golf Club de La Largue.

The leading 55 players on the Order of Merit battling it out for the coveted prizes on the beautiful French course from October 4-6.

Other headline events include the Jabra Ladies Open and the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open. The pair will be dual ranking events with the LET and boast record prize funds of €150,000 and €120,000 respectively.

The Jabra Ladies Open, the European qualifier for The Evian Championship, will again be held at Evian Resort Golf Course in France, on May 23-25, while the newly added Czech event takes place later in the calendar, from August 23-25, at Golf Resort Karlštejn, near Prague.

The LET Access Series season begin in France today, with the Terre Blanche Ladies Open at the stunning Golf de Terre Blanche, near Nice, and ends on April 7, before heading to Switzerland for the VP Bank Ladies Open, to be played once again at the picturesque Gams-Werdenberg Golf Club, from May 3-5.

The series remains in Switzerland for the Neuchatel Ladies Championship, from May 15-17, with the players competing at the Neuchatel Golf & Country Club, set amid the Alps.

The opening events will provide the perfect opportunity for the players to prepare ahead of the Jabra Ladies Open the following week.

The tour then makes its way to the Nordic region for the Viaplay Ladies Finnish Open at Messilä Golf in Lahti, followed a week later by the Skaftö Open in neighbouring Sweden, which boats a €50,000 prize fund.

From here, the LETAS heads south to France for the Montauban Ladies Open – an exciting new event for 2019. Taking place from June 20-22, the players will set about tackling the stunning oak-lined course at the Golf de Montauban l’Estang, with a €40,000 prize fund to play for.

The players then end the month by taking on the Belfius Ladies Open, which will be played at the prestigious Cleydael Golf & Country Club in Aartselaar, Belgium from June 27-29.

July sees further innovation for the LET Access Series with the inclusion of a mixed event, the Saint Malo Golf Mixed Open in France, from July 4-7.

Held in conjunction with the Alps Tour where many of Europe’s rising stars in the male game play, the groundbreaking tournament will feature 72 LETAS and 72 Alps Tour players competing for an equal prize fund of €45,000 in what is one of very few events of this nature in golf.

The series then moves to Spain once again for the Ribeira Sacra Patrimonio de la Humanidad International Ladies Open at the Augas Santas Balneario & Golf Resort (July 11-13), before the players tackle the Santander Golf Tour LETAS Valencia, held at Club de Golf Escorpion, from July 17-19.

The LET Access Series then ventures to the Czech Republic for the Czech Ladies Challenge at Golf Resort Konopiště before revisiting the Anna Nordqvist Västerås Open, held at Sweden’s Västerås Golf Club, from August 8 -10.

Moving on to France, the Bossey Ladies Championship will be played for the third year at Association of Golf & Country Club de Bossey, followed by the Scandic PGA Championship in Sweden. The two events take place either side of the headline €120,000 Tipsport Czech Ladies Open.

The LET Access Series then draws to a close with the returning WPGA International Challenge held again at Essex’s Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa, from September 12-14, before the penultimate tournament the Rügenwalder Mühle Ladies Open, takes place near Bremen in Germany.

LETAS tour director Di Barnard said: “I am delighted to present our strongest schedule to date, with 20 tournaments played from April until October and a total prize fund of just over €1 million euros.

“We launched back in 2010, initially with only three events, but with the belief that it was very important to provide a stepping stone for young players starting out on their professional journey.”

“The tour has grown from strength to strength, which has only been possible with the tremendous support we have received from our host federations, PGA’s, promoters, sponsors and venues.

“Enormous thanks go to everyone who has been involved in our development and continues to help us grow and provide valuable strong playing opportunities for young women professionals and elite amateurs.”

The LET Access Series (LETAS) is the official developmental tour to the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the competitive international circuit is a key part of the organisation’s development pathway.

All female professional golfers and amateurs with a handicap of 2 or better are eligible for membership of LETAS providing they are 18 years of age.

More than 240 professional and 130 elite amateur golfers compete in tournaments during the year, facilitating a smooth transition between the amateur and professional game and providing high-level playing opportunities and experience.

Former LETAS tournament winners who have achieved success on the Ladies European Tour include the 2017 LETAS Order of Merit winner, Meghan MacLaren, who is already a two-time winner on the LET and Sweden’s Jenny Haglund, the 2018 LET Lalla Meryem Cup champion.

The post LET Access Series introduces Road to La Largue appeared first on Golf North.

Guido Migliozzi who was crowned the first winner of the Magical Kenya Open at Karen Country Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

GUIDO Migliozzi held his nerve to claim a maiden European Tour title after carding a closing round of 69 to win the Magical Kenya Open.

The Italian, who became a European Tour member for the first time in November after progressing through Qualifying School, started the day in a tie for the lead with fellow rookie Adri Arnaus.

And the pair exchanged blows throughout an enthralling final day in Nairobi until Migliozzi closed out in style hitting the pin with his approach shot on the 18th in front a large crowd at Kenya’s inaugural European Tour event.

Migliozzi, who claimed three victories in 2017 and 2018 playing on the Alps Tour – where Hertfordshire’s Matt Wallace proved his winning pedigree with six wins in 2016 – was beaming after his win.

The former Italian Amateur Strokeplay and Matchplay champion, who was the first player to sign for One Direction’s Nial Horan’s Modest Golf management group, said: “I like the pressure, it’s like a drug. I love pressure, I love playing with a lot of people looking at me and a lot of cameras.

“Obviously I played with Adri Arnaus and we had a beautiful match together yesterday, it was like match play and today was a great battle.

“Yesterday I went to the left at the 18th with a two iron, today a four iron to be sure to not go left, and I had the perfect distance for an eight iron, it was really nice. Easy two putts to win.

“I enjoyed the last two days very much. The pressure was a lot and I’m happy about how I’m playing under pressure, also with my putting game that I worked a lot on.

“I would like to thank every part of my team,” added the 2016 Portuguese International Amateur Champion.

It was the 22-year-old who would prevail though delivering when it mattered most by hitting the pin with his approach to the 18^th to set up a two-putt par which saw him triumph by one shot.

Finishing one behind Migliozzi was Arnaus and South Africans Louis de Jager and Justin Harding.

Following his Qatar Masters victory last week, Harding was firmly in contention right down to the wire in the Kenyan capital, thanks to a five-under final round of 66.

Harding, who needs to break into the World top 50 to earn a debut in the Masters at Augusta, next month, said: “I think I’m probably still going to have to have a decent result come the Match Play but I’ve at least given myself a decent shot at Augusta.

“I thought I played quite nicely. Didn’t get everything out of the front nine, couple of bad chips on six and seven which were naughty, but gave myself a chance coming down the stretch.

“It was another good week, pretty pleased. I battled, probably from hole one, with club selection and the wind swirling around so to have come out and posted 15-under, I’m pleased.

“I had a good week last week and another one this week so I’m sitting quite nicely first season on the European Tour.”

Having gone back-to-back with wins on the Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour last year, many were thinking he could complete a remarkable treble after making an eagle on the 12th, but ultimately the bogey on 13 ended his dream of another win so soon.

Setting a new course record at Karen Country Club was Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who ended a nine-week stretch away from his native Scotland with a scintillating eight under par round of 63.

MacIntyre, who lost in the 2016 Amateur Championship final to Hampshire’s Scott Gregory, said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I didn’t really expect that after the way I’ve been playing but I just went out with complete freedom and managed to get it round in eight under.

“I just can’t wait to get home and see the family, the two foster kids Dan and Tom, it’s just so relaxing back in Oban, everything about it.

“It just wasn’t feeling natural and today I went out there and made myself feel free and it just worked.

“I’ve got the game to go and shoot these numbers as I showed, it’s just playing with freedom and that’s what I did. That’s the way I’ve got to try and get my mindset for the rest of the year.”

Hampshire rookie Jack Singh-Brar, who finished 12th to move up to 86th place on the Race to Dubai. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Hampshire rookie Jack Singh Brar, who started Sunday with a chance of his maiden European win, but a two-over 73 saw him drop from sixth to 12th leaving the winner of last year’s Cordon Golf Open on the Challenge Tour with a cheque for €17,208, pushing him up to 86th place on the Race to Dubai.

Singh Brar, who played in the same Great Britian and Ireland Walker Cup team as former Hampshire junior team-mates Harry Ellis and Scott Gregory, also signed for Horan’s Modest Group after turning pro after the defeat against the USA at Los Angeles Country Club.

He was one of 15 players to earn a full tour card on the Challenge Tour in 2018.

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