Tag Archives: Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri

Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour – Ruthless Lucas Vacarisas shines with 64 on home soil at Challenge de España

June 15, 2021 – Lucas Vacarisas will take a shot lead into the second day of the Challenge de España after posting an eight under par round of 64 on home soil at Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri.

The Spaniard finished the day one shot ahead of Ireland’s Conor Purcell who sits in second place on seven under par having carded a round of 65.

The 22-year-old opened with a bogey at the tenth but was able to recover in sensational style to shoot nine under par through the following 17 holes, which included a run of five consecutive birdies.

Vacarisas has turned Andalucía into a happy stomping ground having picked up his maiden victory on the Alps Tour in the Alps de Andalucía at Club Zaudín Golf in Sevilla and he believes his time on the satellite tour provided the perfect platform for him to make the step up to the European Challenge Tour.

“I think it is a good tour to learn how to stay strong because if you do not play well every day on that tour you cannot finish in a strong position, so I learnt a lot during that experience,” he said.

“I worked a lot during the pre-season to prepare for the start of the Challenge Tour because it is different to the Alps Tour. The courses and flag positions are different so it is a new challenge, but I am clearly finding it okay and I am looking forward to the next few days.”

The Alps de Andalucía champion has not enjoyed coming face to face with the par four tenth hole so far during the Spanish Swing but has been working on a new method of putting that has delivered him success.

“I do not like hole ten. Last week I made a triple bogey on it to start my second round,” he said. “I just tried to get hole ten out of the way and then just played my golf. I have been playing good golf for a couple of weeks but my putting has not been on point, but now I feel a little bit better.

“I have changed my putter to an armlock now which I think is working better so I can enjoy my putting now.”

“I think the course is a little bit softer today, the greens are softer than last week. It’s a nice course and if you play well there are definitely good scores out there.

“It is always special to play in at home in Spain but it is shame there are no crowds watching. To play with all the Spanish guys here is always special.”

English duo Jordan Wrisdale and Marco Penge, Australian Daniel Hillier, two-time European Challenge Tour winner JC Ritchie and Irish Challenge champion Daan Huizing share third place on six under par. Last week’s Challenge de Cádiz winner, Kristof Ulenaers, has a share of eighth place with France’s Frederic Lacroix and Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde on five under par.

The second round of the Challenge de España will get under way at 8:00am local time, with Vacarisas being joined by four-time European Tour winner Matteo Manassero and Norwegian Kristian Krogh Johannessen at 2:10pm.

Challenge Tour, Golf Courses and resorts

Challenge Tour – RCG Novo Sancti Petri to host Andalucia Match Play 9 from 11 to 14th of June

March 2, 2020 – One of three Spanish events on the 2020 Road to Mallorca, the Andalucía Match Play 9 has become a popular event amongst European Challenge Tour members and will mark its fourth staging when the action gets under way in June.

The exciting week is comprised of 36 holes of stroke play with the top 64 players making it through to the weekend – where they will compete in a series of nine-hole match play battles for a share of the €200,000 prize fund.

On Saturday the opening knockout rounds will be played on both the front nine and back nine. While Sunday will see the quarter finals, semi-finals and final all contested on the front nine.

European Tour winner Aaron Rai was the first to reign supreme at the event, when he defeated Gavin Moynihan in 2017 at La Cala Resort, before Liam Johnston beat his countryman and roommate for the week Grant Forrest a year later at Valle Romano Golf. Last year saw Eirik Tage Johansen come out on top as he beat Ugo Coussaud to the title for his first Challenge Tour win as Estepona once again witnessed four days of eye-catching golf.

Jaime Salaverri, President of the Professional Committee at the Spanish Golf Federation, said: “The Andalucía Match Play 9 is the only event on the Challenge Tour to be played in this format and it will help the players to prepare for similar events later in their careers.

“The Spanish players have always played well in Match Play and we hope that the fourth edition and the 30th anniversary of the golf course will be celebrated with a Spanish triumph.”

Andalusian Golf Federation President, Pablo Mansilla, said: “Besides having the opportunity to play two different formats in the same event, the Match Play 9 holes will be very good for the speed of the game, and for the spectators to enjoy watching golf filled with drama. There is no doubt that it will be a great golf test among the best players on Challenge Tour.”

Rafael Hernández, Manager at Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, said: “This golf course has hosted some of the best golf events in our country and it is now time to welcome the Challenge Tour players for this innovative format. It will be great for the game, they will enjoy playing the course in its best conditions and the golf course will have the deserved impact.

“This is the 30th anniversary of Destino Turistico Chiclana – a golf benchmark in Europe – and allows us to showcase our golf club which has been growing and getting better over the years, as proved by all the recognitions received, not only for the golf courses but also for our facilities.”