Alex Belt needed a birdie on the 18th hole at Marbella Club Golf Resort to force a play-off in the latest leg of The Gecko Tour. Waiting in the clubhouse was talented young Northern Irishman Dermot McElroy, who had set the pace with a closing six-under and 136 total for the two rounds.
Belt proved more than equal to the task, not only securing a birdie but shooting an eagle to make it two wins in three tournaments on the 2016-17 Gecko Tour.
“I’m playing really well,” he said later. “I’ve been playing at a very high level for some time now, although the results haven’t done it justice. Now it’s finally starting to show in the cards and it’s really satisfying. I couldn’t think of a better way to prepare for the PGA Tour in China.”
McElroy was the sole golfer in second place, while two shots away, joint third, were Manuel Quirós. Jaime Camargo, Gabriel Cañizares and order of merit leader Andreas Andersson, who is the only other player to have won two tournaments this season.
“I would love to win the order of merit,” added Belt, “but it’s going to be difficult because I won’t be playing a lot from now until the end. I would like to stay, but I have to go back to England to sort some things out before going to China in May to play on the PGA Tour in China.”
