Marcos Pastor and Santiago Tarrio are the leaders in the Alps Costa de Sol after the first day with 68 strokes (-4). The Spaniards have topped the leaderboard at Lauro Golf and are determined to keep the title at home. Just one stroke behind, with -3, are the defending champion Borja Etchart, and Manuel and Javier Ballesteros (Severiano’s nephew and son). Juan Quirós, a senior player from Cadiz, who did not hesitate to accept the invitation to play at home, also defended the fortress and finished with -2.
“It’s a pity that I tripped on the last hole,” he said with his usual smile at the handing out of the cards while he joked that they had to leave him a pair of glasses so he could check and sign the card. This has only just begun, but there are 10 Spaniards under par, including Carlos Rodiles from Malaga (-1). Juan Carlos Osorio is with -2, and Daniel Berna and Eduardo Larrañaga, with -1. Gabriel Cañizares or Alfredo García-Heredia are some of those who have finished under par.
Marcos Pastor and Santiago Tarrio, two young players, dominate the table. Pastor, from Cordoba, who has been living in Malaga for three years, did not hide his joy. He feels at home and things have worked out well for him. “Some time ago I realized that in order to achieve my goals I had to plan my time and the seasons well. You have to play tournaments selectively and realistically. That’s why this summer I have focused on training and arriving in the best possible shape for the European Tour School at the end of September. Today’s result encourages me a lot because I am reaping the fruits of the work I have done,” he says. P
astor also wanted to emphasize the good condition of the field. “The course is spectacular. The organization has worked to present the best Lauro Golf possible. The greens are spectacular and it is a pleasure to play on a course that has been so eagerly prepared for a tournament like this. Now we have to continue in this line of play in the next few days. Do our best and don’t lose our concentration. Because in Lauro you have to be very concentrated. You can’t lose concentration because you’ll pay for it. I made seven birdies and three bogeys today, you can’t relax.
“I’m coming for everything.”
Defending champion Borja Etchart warns: “I see myself with feeling”. “I see myself to do well this week. I have a thorn in my side because I’ve had a very good summer. All the tournaments I’ve played I’ve been up but I have not been able to finish, so I’m coming for everything. I made a very tidy round off the tee and shot to the green. I putted well on the front nine, although I wasn’t so comfortable on the back nine. The truth is that I thought there were going to be lower scores at the top of the leaderboard. You have to be very attentive because it is a course that despite not being long penalizes mistakes. I like that. I don’t like courses with very low rounds. I’m happy for the Spaniards at the top”.
The first rounds will tee off tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. from the tees of holes 1 and 10 and the last ones, those of the afternoon shift, will do the same at 2:54 p.m. from hole 1 and at 3:05 p.m. from hole 10. At the end of the day the cut will be made, which will be passed by the best 40 and tied, who will be the ones to fight for the title on the weekend. The top five classified in the Alps Tour ranking at the end of the season will get the card for the Challenge next season.
Children’s clinic on Saturday
On Saturday at 16.00 hours will be held a clinic for all children who want to come to Lauro Golf. The little ones will be able to enjoy a while of golf. The Alps professionals will give them a lesson, throw balls and try their luck on the putting green. In addition, there will be Bogey Bear, a mascot designed for them. This initiative seeks to bring golf closer to the little ones. It is a way to introduce children to this sport, which brings so many good things. Admission is free and the children, in addition to the classes and having a good time, will receive gifts and prizes.
The Alps Costa del Sol has the support of Turismo Costa del Sol de Málaga, Turismo y Deporte Andalucía, the Real Federación Española de Golf, the Consejo Superior de Deportes and the Real Federación Andaluza de golf. It also has the collaboration of Reale, Solan de Cabras and Kyocera (official printing services). JGolf18 is the tournament promoter.
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