Marcos Pastor has won the Gecko Tour. The golfer from Cordoba becomes the winner of the fifth edition of the best winter circuit in Europe. Five years and five Spanish champions. Gabriel Cañizares started the sequence back in 2012 and was followed by Raúl Quirós, Carlos Rodiles and Jordi García del Moral. All national products, all golfers who have played at the highest level on the European Tour. That is the next step that Pastor wants to take and he already knows that his time has come.
The Gecko Tour has not been decided until the last breath. It was necessary to wait for the last round, the grand finale, the Gecko Masters held this week at La Cañada Club de Golf, a course that has once again aroused the unanimous admiration of the golfers. Two players arrived with options, Marcos Pastor and Manuel Quirós. Pastor knew that being ahead of Quirós would ensure the victory and so it has been the last tournament, a full-fledged marking, to the point that the champion finished only one stroke ahead of the challenger. Maximum excitement in a circuit that every year is raising its competitive level and that this year can boast of having had winners like the Swedish Marcus Kinhult, Mario Galiano, Jordi García del Moral or Carlos Rodiles. A lot of level. A lot of competition. An extraordinary mix of new talent with established players who are looking to return to the elite or simply want to stay in competition.
“I am very happy. Winning the Gecko was a goal after how well I started the season. It’s a sign that I’m doing things right and the goal now is to prepare well to make the jump to the European Tour or the Challenge. The next important stop should be the European Tour School at the end of the summer. I want to be very well prepared for that event and I’m going to focus the next few months on that,” said Pastor after collecting his cup as champion and the full Alps Tour card, a prize awarded to the winner of the order of merit of the Gecko.
As for the grand final, the victory went to Marcus Gran. As it could not be otherwise, it has not been decided until the last breath. Very exciting. Vibrant. Gran defeated Carlos Rodiles on the second playoff hole. The Swede made birdie on the 18th of La Cañada while the player from Malaga could only make par. Both had finished the tournament tied at 136 strokes, one less than Gonzalo Gancedo and two less than Alfredo García Heredia, Alfonso Gutiérrez and Sander Aadusaar.
The fifth edition of a Gecko Tour that has once again taken a step forward concludes. The Costa del Sol circuit closes a season that has seen the triumph of players who are called to make a lot of noise on the European Tour in the coming years. The Gecko is reality and quarry, with a special mention to the performances of its female quota, especially Noemí Jiménez, who has not dropped below fourth position in all her appearances on the circuit. All professionals are very grateful for the effort made by the Gecko Tour, a circuit that has been running for five years now, thanks mainly to the drive of the British entrepreneur Rupert Hubbard and his entire team. A priceless effort that has allowed players to enjoy a circuit with twenty annual events at a time when Spain was left without a national circuit.
The Gecko Masters was played over 36 holes in Pro-Am format. Amateurs had the opportunity to play with professionals who are playing hard, living first hand the experience of the great competition.
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