Fredrik From has won the fourth round of the Gecko Tour that has been played this week at The Westin La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Marbella. The Swedish golfer has won under a persistent rain with a total score of 133 strokes in two days. His first victory in the Gecko Tour comes with a history of agony behind him.
From had been flirting with victory for a long time. Last season he already competed in some Gecko events with very good results. He also came close to first place and had three top ten finishes in this year’s Mena Tour. But the straw that broke the camel’s back came two days ago in Marbella, during the third round of the Gecko. From felt that a bogey on the 17th hole had eliminated him from the battle for victory. He had no consolation. The pent-up frustration of what he had experienced in recent times took hold of him. He didn’t want to talk to anyone and just tried to ruminate the disappointment as best he could and try to harness all the anger to win the next tournament. And so he did.
“Relieved.” This is the first word From utters when asked how he feels after winning in La Quinta. And it is not for less. The 27-year-old Nordic has seen that the history of the last tournaments was about to repeat itself today. His game deserved a wider victory. In fact, he reached the 16th hole of the Marbella course with no less than four strokes ahead. At that moment, the pressure played a dirty trick on him again. Bogey on the 16th and double bogey on the 17th. He went out to play the last hole of the tournament with a meager margin of one stroke and in free fall.
The situation could not have been more delicate. However, sport always gives a new opportunity, and much more to a player as tenacious as From. He saved par on the 18th and managed to win with a total of nine under par and a stroke ahead of British Mark Young. “I’m very happy, I can finally breathe easy. I have been close to victory many times in the last few weeks and for one reason or another it just slipped away…. It has not been easy to digest. But at last it has arrived. I played very well from tee to green. I think the longest putt I made all week was three and a half meters, so this gives me confidence for the future”, he explains.
From says he feels very much at home at the Gecko. In fact, he already played last year and has not hesitated to repeat. He is a true globetrotter of golf. A professional through and through. He is not afraid to pack his bags and make a living wherever he can. For this reason, he announces that his next objectives will be to play the Mena Tour, the Sunshine Tour of South Africa and the Qualifying School of the PGA Tour of China. “It is a very well organized circuit and good money is distributed. I’m going to try and if I don’t get the school I can always play the Monday qualifiers,” he says. A golf worker.
However, he will never forget that his victorious history began at the Gecko, in Marbella. “It’s a magnificent circuit and the area is splendid to work and live in. The most important thing is that the people make you feel at ease and that’s wonderful,” he says.
The next Gecko Tour tournament takes place today and tomorrow at El Parador de Málaga, a venue with European Tour pedigree.
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