qualification alps tour 2024

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Happy holidays.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season!

We look forward to seeing everyone back on the greens in 2024 for another exciting golf season!

Giovanni Manzoni wins the 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage

Rome, November 17 th  2023  – Italy’s twenty-four-year-old  Giovanni Manzoni  wins the  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Final Stage with a three-day score of 10 under-par. In 2 nd  place with a total score of 8 under-par, English amateur  Mason Essam . In 3 rd place at 6 under-par Ireland’s  Robert Moran (am) . In 4 th place at 5 under-par Scotland’s Craig Ross.   There is a 3-way tie for 5 th at 4 under-par that includes: French amateur Maxime Mathey , Italy’s Adalberto Montini,  and  Luca Memeo (am).

The final round of the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage  began at 8:00 am from the 1 st  and 10 th  hole at  Golf Nazionale  in Northern Rome. The leaders teed off at 10:12 am from the 1 st  tee. After yesterday’s 36 holes cut, 74 players (45 pros and 29 amateurs) were able to qualify for today’s final round, where they competed to earn their  2024 Alps Tour  playing card. It was a beautiful day with clear skies and beautiful sunshine, which allowed the players to take advantage of favorable scoring opportunities.

English amateur  Mason Essam,  who was in the lead since the beginning of the event, concludes the tournament in 2 nd  place with a three-day total of 8 under-par. He is 24 years old and represents  Dartford Golf Club .  Essam  qualified to compete in this week’s event after finishing 6 th  at the Stage 1 Qualifier held at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club . After his round,  Essam  explained that he plans on  “definitely turning professional now, I did what I came here to do, which is nice. However, when you’re in contention, you want to win, so a bit hard feeling for that, but overall, I played well today and just didn’t hole enough putts. Clearly, Giovanni played really well, so can’t complain.”  He added that during this off-season, he will  “keep seeing my new coach, who I just started working with, and trying to make a steady progression and get my head down in February to try to get a win early on.”  Essam  went on to comment that he found:  “The wind was completely the opposite today compared to yesterday. I played much better today compared to yesterday, so I can’t really say whether it was easier or not, but I definitely think so of the harder holes played fairer today, and the easier holes played normal.”

In 3 rd  place at 6 under-par Irish amateur  Robert Moran. In 4 th place at 5 under-par Scotland’s Craig Ross.   There is a 3-way tie for 5 th at 4 under-par that includes: French amateur Maxime Mathey , Italy’s Adalberto Montini,  and  Luca Memeo (am).

The  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage  draws the 2023 season to a close. Now players are able to enjoy their winter break until the new  Alps Tour  season will begin in mid-February 2024 in Egypt in the hopes of another successful golf season with the next #risinggolfstars?.

The  Alps Tour  wishes everyone a great holiday season, and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2024!

Follow along on  www.alpstourgolf.com  or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news (available on App Store for iOS devices and Play Store for Android).

#risinggolfstars #raisinggolfstars

Two Amateurs co-lead after Round 2 at the 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage

A chillier but beautiful sunny day was the backdrop of today’s second round of the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . The 156 players are competing to earn their  2024 Alps Tour Playing Cards  on two different courses:  Golf Nazionale , Par 71, and  Olgiata Golf Club , Par 73. The players switched between the two golf courses compared to yesterday’s round. Round 2 Player Quotes

Italy’s  Luca Cavalli  (am), 18 years old, who was in a tie for 3 rd  place at 4 under-par yesterday, concluded his 2 nd  round of the  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Final Stage  with a two-day total of 7 under-par. Today, he competed at  Golf Nazionale,  where he made 4 birdies and 1 bogey. He is in a share of the lead heading into tomorrow’s final round of the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . Once he concluded his 3-under-par 2 nd  round,  Cavalli  commented:  “I played well again today, however, I can say that I found  Golf Nazionale  to be more tiring both physically and mentally. Overall though, I am very pleased with how both days went everything worked well in my game, and the work I did is paying off.”  As he is competing as an amateur, he’s  “not planning on turning pro right away as I still need to graduate from high school so I will see how I rank and go from there. If I earn playing status this week, I will play as an amateur at first and then, by July or August, decide what is best for me to do.” 

Round 2 Co-Leader at the 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, England’s Mason Essam(am). Photo Credit: Alps Tour Golf / Federico Capretti  

Alongside  Memeo  in the two-way tie for 3 rd  place at 6 under-par Irish amateur  Robert Moran . He played at  Olgiata Golf Club today and shot a 4 under-par with 4 birdies, 2 bogeys, and 1 eagle.

A total of 74 players (45 pros and 29 amateurs) made the cut which was set at +5 (149).

Final Round

The top 65 players and ties gained access into tomorrow’s final round, which will be played at  Golf Nazionale . The tee times will begin again at 8:00 am local time from the 1 st  and 10 th  hole. The final pairing will tee off at 10:12 am local time from the 1 st  hole.

For tomorrow’s final round, it is forecasted to be a sunny day with temperatures that will reach around 17°C and Northwestern winds at approximately 12-25km/h.

At the conclusion of tomorrow’s final round, the top 35 players and ties ranked according to score, will be eligible to receive Category 6 membership for the  2024 Alps Tour Season . The rest of the players who will make the cut, and finish between the 36 th  and 65 th  position will be eligible to receive Category 8 membership for next year’s season. The remaining players who compete in this Final Stage and conclude the tournament between the 66 th  and 156 th  position will be eligible to receive membership in Category 9.

Amateur Mason Essam leads after Round 1 at the 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage.

Rome, November 15 th  2023  – English amateur  Mason Essam  leads with an 8 under-par, 65 at the end of the 1 st  round at the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . Another amateur, Italy’s  Luca Memeo,  is in 2 nd  place at 5 under par. There is an Italian trio in a 3-way tie for 3 rd  place with a Round 1 score of 4 under-par that includes:  Filippo Bergamaschi ,  Adalberto Montini,  and amateur  Luca Cavalli.

An overcast morning with a comfortable temperature in Northern Rome, welcomed the 156 players who began their quest to earn one of the  2024 Alps Tour  playing cards that is up for grabs. For the first two rounds, the players are split between  Golf Nazionale  (Par 71) and  Olgiata Golf Club  (Par 73) and will play one round on each course.

Round 1 Player Quotes

Twenty-four-year-old, English amateur  Mason Essam,  who currently represents  Dartford Golf Club , leads after Round 1 at the  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Final Stage . He shot an opening round at  Olgiata Golf Club  of 8 under-par, 65 today with 1 eagle, 7 birdies, and 1 bogey. He qualified for this week’s  Final Stage of Q-School  after concluding tied for 6 th  place last week at the Stage 1 event held at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club . After he signed for his 8 under-par, he proudly commented,  “I played lovely today, I was able to manage my misses well, and had a good game plan I committed to. My game has been improving recently, and my goal for the day was to stick to my plan and play with freedom and confidence. My expectations for the week are to finish with a full card on the  Alps Tour  for next season, and this has been a great start for sure, I’m grateful for the opportunity.”  He will turn professional  “if I am able to accomplish my goals this week to earn a card.”

Luca Memeo  (am), from Italy, 18 years old, who currently represents  Royal Park I Roveri , finds himself in 2 nd  place after the 1 st  round of the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . He shot a bogey-free first round making 1 eagle and 3 birdies at  Olgiata Golf Club .  After the round,  Memeo  explained how he  “hit nearly every green in regulation and put together a bogey-free round. I was able to hit the majority of the fairways, too, which allowed me the opportunity to go for the pins. I don’t have any real expectations this week, I’m trying to do the best I can in every shot and every round and gain some experience. Today was definitely an ideal start.”  As he is playing as an amateur, he added that he  “plans to turn pro at the end of next year.”

Italy’s  Filippo Bergamaschi,  who represents  Villa Paradiso Golf Club,  is the 1 st  player in the three-way tie for 3 rd  place after his opening round of 4 under-par, 67 at  Golf Nazionale . He began his round with a bogey on his opening hole, the 10 th  of the golf course, and then from there on, he made 5 birdies. When he finished his round, he commented:  “My putting today was exceptional today. I struggled slightly off the tee today, a little more than I expected, but overall, I’m pleased, it puts me in a good position with two rounds left to be played. ” When asked about his preference between the two host golf clubs this week, he added:  “I personally prefer  Golf Nazionale  compared to  Olgiata Golf Club , I like it more. I think it suits my game a bit better, I enjoy it more as I’m able to hit a variety of shots, and I’ve played it more, so have more experience on it.” 

Alongside  Bergamaschi  in the three-way tie for 3 rd  place at 4 under-par, there is:  Adalberto Montini  and amateur  Luca Cavalli.  Both players competed during today’s 1 st  round at  Olgiata Golf Club .

At the conclusion of the 54 holes, the top 35 players and ties ranked according to score, will be eligible to receive Category 6 membership for the  2024 Alps Tour Season . The rest of the players who will make the cut, and finish between the 36 th  and 65 th  position will be eligible to receive Category 8 membership. The remaining players who compete in this Final Stage and conclude the tournament between the 66 th  and 156 th  position will be eligible to receive membership in Category 9.

For tomorrow’s Round 2, players will be alternating golf courses between  Golf Nazionale  and  Olgiata Golf Club . Play will begin again at 8:00 am from the 1 st  and 10 th  hole at each golf course.

After tomorrow’s round, a cut will be made to the top 65 players and ties who will compete in the final round of the tournament that will played at  Golf Nazionale .

Welcome to Rome, host of the 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage!

Rome, November 13 th,  2023  – The final hunt to capture a  2024 Alps Tour  playing category gets underway on Wednesday when the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage  begins. It is a very anticipated week for the competitors as they will battle it out in Northern Rome, Italy, from November 15 th – 17 th  to earn their 2024 Alps Tour card.

A full field of 156 players representing 17 different nations, will be competing at this year’s 54 holes Final Stage. 79 players were already exempt into the field, while the remaining 77 players qualified through the three Stage 1 events that were held last week at  Miglianico G.C. ,  Terre dei Consoli G.C.,  and  G.C. Le Fonti .

The exempt players from the  1 st  stage  and automatically eligible to participate in the  Final Stage  are: all of the players ranked in the  2023 Alps Tour Order of Merit  who weren’t in the field at the  2023 Alps Tour Grand Final presented by AURALIS , all of the past winners of the  Alps Tour Order of Merit , the winners of the past three editions of the  Alps Tour Qualifying School , the leading 10 European Amateur players in the  World Amateur Golf Ranking  as of October 17 th  and players who competed at the  2023 World Amateur Team Championship  and/or the  2023 European Boys/Men Team Championships and/or the  2023 Walker Cup .

For the first two rounds, the 156 competitors will be alternating between  Golf Nazionale  and  Olgiata Golf Club . The final round will be played at  Golf Nazionale .

The format of the tournament is a 54-holes stroke play, 18 holes a day. After 36 holes, a cut will be made to the top 65 players and ties who will compete in the final round.

At the conclusion of the 54 holes, the top 35 players and ties ranked according to score, will be eligible to receive Category 6 membership for the  2024 Alps Tour Season .

The remainder of the players who made the cut, and finished between the 36 th  and 65 th  position will be eligible to receive Category 8 membership for next year’s season. The remaining players who conclude the tournament between the 66 th  and 156 th  position will be eligible for membership in Category 9 for  the 2024 Alps Tour Season .

The most recent winner of the  Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage  tournament is Netherland’s  Lars Van der Vight,  who won the event last year with a three-day score of 11 under-par.

For the most up-to-date entry list,  click here.

The Golf Courses

Olgiata Golf Club  is the first venue that will host this week’s  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . It is home to 27 holes of golf: the West Course and the East Course. This week the players will be competing on the West Course, which is a 6547-meters, par 73 golf course. It was inaugurated in 1961 and designed by British Architect,  C.Kenneth Cotton . The West Course is the older of the two and is an 18-hole course. Prestigious events like the  Italian Open  have been played numerous times on this course. This is the second time that an  Alps Tour  event will be played on the West Course. In 2012, it was completely redesigned by American Architect  Jim Fazio  to adapt it to new requirements. The current course record for the “West Course” is held by  Ian Poulte r and  Angel Cabrera  with a score of 11 under-par (61). Both players achieved the course record during the  2002 Italian Open .

Golf Nazionale , the second venue that is hosting this week’s  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Final Stage , is a 6482 meters par 72 course. It is considered one of the toughest and most challenging golf courses in Italy, as well as being recognized as one of the toughest courses in Europe. It was designed by  George and Jim Fazio,  and  David Mezzacane , and has hosted numerous prestigious events over the years, including the  1991 World Cup  and most recently the  2023 Junior Ryder Cup .  Golf Nazionale  is set in the natural landscape of upper Lazio with dense forests full of ancient oaks. It is a very technical but fun golf course for all types of players.

The  Alps Tour  wishes all of the competing #risinggolfstars a successful week!

The top 28 players from Terre dei Consoli GC are promoted into the 2023 Q-School Finals.

Italy, November 11 th  2023 – At 8:30 am local time this morning, the 1 st  Stage Qualifier held at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club was resumed after it was suspended yesterday at 5:20 pm local time due to darkness. A total of 71 players were competing to earn one of the 28 spots that were up for grabs which would allow them to earn a spot in the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Finals .

The Q-School Finals will take place at  Golf Nazionale  and  Olgiata Golf Club  in Northern Rome from November 15 th -17 th . The best-ranked players at the conclusion of next week’s event can earn playing status for the 2024 season on the  Alps Tour .

Stage 1 Qualifier at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club

Round 1 leader, Scotland’s  John Paterson , alongside Spanish amateur  Jaime Jaume Julve  concluded the  Stage 1 Qualifier played at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club  in a two-way tie for 1 st  place with a two-day total of 6 under-par (138). Only one stroke back, a three-way tie for 3 rd  place with: England’s  Charlie Thornton , France’s  Romain Lanteri,  and Spain’s  Mario Garcia Garoz .

At the conclusion of the final round, the top-ranked 28 players in the overall leaderboard qualified for the  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Finals  that will be played in Northern Rome next week.

As there was a tie for the last available spot and the 3 alternates, a playoff occurred to determine who would qualify. After the playoff, Spain’s  Manuel Ballesteros  earned the last available spot in the  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Finals  field. The three alternates are: France’s  Gregoire Luck,  who is the 1 st  alternate,  Pierre Rabassa  from France is the 4 th  alternate and Netherland’s  Charles Weis  is the 7 th  alternate.

G.C. Le Fonti and Miglianico G.& C.C. promote the top qualifiers into the 2023 Q-School Finals.

Italy, November 10 th,  2023 – A total of 193 players were competing at  Golf Club Le Fonti ,  Miglianico Golf & Country Club, and   Terre dei Consoli Golf Club  to earn access into next week’s  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Finals.   The players concluded their Stage 1 Qualifier today, where the top 21 players from  Miglianico G.&C.C.  and the top 28 players from  G.C. Le Fonti  were promoted into the  2023 Q-School Finals .

The Stage 1 Qualifier held at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club  was suspended at 5:20 pm local time due to darkness. It will resume at 8:30 am local time tomorrow morning when the final spots will be given out. The top 28 players will qualify for the  Q-School Finals .

The players that qualified from the Stage 1 Tournaments gained access to the Final Stage, which will take place at  Golf Nazionale  and  Olgiata Golf Club  in Northern Rome from November 15 th -17 th . The best-ranked players at the conclusion of next week’s event can earn playing status for the 2024 season on the Alps Tour.

Stage 1 Qualifier at  Miglianico Golf & Country Club

Spain’s  Erik Shukhart  shot the lowest score of the Stage 1 Qualifier held at  Miglianico Golf & Country Club . He concluded his qualifier in 1 st  place with a two-day score of 5 under-par, (135). In second place, with a two-day total of 4 under-par, (136), another fellow Spanish player,  Ramon Clavell Vallejo  who was tied for 2 nd  place after yesterday’s first round. In 3 rd  place, English amateur  Robert Holden  with a two-day score of 3 under-par, (137). The 1 st  round leader, England’s  Ian Clark, concluded his qualifier in a 3-way tie for 4 th  place at 2 under-par alongside French amateur  Anguerrand Voisin  and Netherland’s  Thom Hoetmer  (am).

At the end of today’s round, the top 21 players in the final scoreboard earned a spot into next week’s  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . As there was a four-way tie for the 21 st  spot, a playoff occurred on the 10 th  hole between Austria’s  Clemens Gaster , Italian amateurs  Pietro Bonamin  and  Lorenzo Acerbo,  and Dutch amateur  Rick Hessing .

After two playoff holes, Netherland’s  Rick Hessing   (am)  came out on top and qualified with the last available spot.  Clemens Gaster  will be the 3 rd  alternate,  Pietro Bonamin   (am)  will be the 6 th  alternate, and  Lorenzo Acerbo (am)  will be the 9th alternate at next week’s  Alps Tour Q-School Finals .

Stage 1 Qualifier at  Golf Club Le Fonti

French amateur  Antoine Pellissier,  who was tied for 2 nd  place after yesterday’s first round, concludes the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 Qualifier  held at  Golf Club Le Fonti  in 1 st  place with a two-day score of 6 under-par (136). In second place, with a two-day total of 4 under-par (138) Italian amateur  Gabriele Bravin.  English amateur,  Jack Mcphail concludes his qualifier in 3 rd  place, only 1 stroke back with a total score of 3 under-par (139).

After today’s round, the top 28 players in the final leaderboard earned their spot in the field of next week’s  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage . As there was a five-way tie for the 28 th  spot, a playoff occurred between France’s  Baptiste Achard ,  Pierrick Peracino,  and  Thomas Ripert,  and Italy’s  Riccardo Rovatti (am)  and  Andrea Martini .

Italy’s  Andrea Martini  and France’s  Thomas Ripert  earned the last two available spots.  Baptiste Achard  will be the 2nd alternate,  Riccardo Rovatti (am)  will be the 5 th  alternate, and  Pierrick Peracino  will be the 8 th  alternate of next week’s  2023 Alps Tour Q-School Finals .

The hunt for a 2024 playing category has begun. 

Players are competing at  Golf Club Le Fonti ,  Miglianico Golf & Country Club,  and  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club.  All the players will play the Stage 1 qualifier final round tomorrow. At  G.C. Le Fonti,  there are 70 players in the field and 28 spots available, at  Miglianico G.&C.C.,  there are 52 players in the field and 21 spots available to qualify, and at  Terre dei Consoli G.C ., 71 players are competing with 28 spots to be promoted into the  Alps Tour Qualifying School Finals .

After the 1 st  round of the  2023 Stage 1 Qualifier  currently held  at Golf Club Le Fonti , Italian amateur  Lorenzo Casartelli  is in the lead after a 3 under-par, 68. He made 2 bogeys, 1 double bogey and 7 birdies in his opening round. There is a 4-way tie for 2 nd  place, only 1 stroke back at 2 under-par: Italy’s  Gabriele Bravin  (am), France’s  Antoine Pellissier  (am), Monaco’s  Sandro Piaget  and Italian amateur  Filippo Grossi .  In 6 th  place at 1 under-par, Spain’s  Anton Vazquez Muinos .

These are the only 6 players who were under-par at the conclusion of today’s first round. At the end of tomorrow’s round, which will begin at 8 am local time, the top 28 players will earn their spot into next week’s  Alps Tour Q-School Final Stage  field.

England’s  Ian Clark  leads with a 5 under-par, 65 after the first round of the  Stage 1 Qualifier,  which is being played at  Miglianico Golf & Country Club . Spain’s  Ramon Clavell Vallejo  is in a 4-way tie for 2 nd  place with a score of 2 under-par, 68, alongside England’s  Reis Suart  and  Robert Holden (am)  and Spain’s  Agusti Quinquilla . Only 1 stroke back from the four-way tie, there is a 5-way tie at 1 under-par with Netherland’s  Thom Hoetmer  (am),  Erik Shukhart,  and  Ignacio Fons Pelufo  from Spain, Italy’s  Stefano Pitoni,  and French amateur  Anguerrand Voisin .

At the end of tomorrow’s round, the top 21 players will earn a spot in next week’s event. The final round will begin at 8 am local time.

After round 1 of the  2023 Alps Tour Stage 1 Qualifier  played at  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club , Scotland’s  John Paterson leads with a 5 under-par, 67. Only 1 stroke back in 2 nd  place, English amateur  Mason Essam  with a first-round score of 68. In 3 rd  place France’s  Romain Lanteri  who shot a 3 under-par, 69. There is a 3-way tie for 4 th  place only 1 stroke back at 2 under-par with: Spain’s  Mario Garcia Garoz  and  Ruben Pardo Rodriguez  and Ireland’s  Simon Bryan .

Once tomorrow’s final round is concluded, the top 28 players will earn a spot in the field of the  2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School Final Stage,  where they will try and earn their playing status for the 2024 season.

The 2024 Qualifying School Stage 1 tournaments gets underway on Thursday!

November 7 th,  2023-  Like the past three seasons, the 19 th  edition of the  Alps Tour Qualifying School  will unfold in Italy. The  1 st  Stage  events will be played on November 9 th  and 10 th  in three distinct golf clubs:  Golf Club Le Fonti ,  Miglianico Golf & Country Club , and  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club . The  Final Stage  of the  2024 Qualifying School  will take place at  Golf Nazionale  and  Olgiata Golf Club  in Northern Rome from November 15 th -17 th .

This year, nearly 300 applications were submitted to participate in the  2024 Alps Tour Qualifying School.  Applications were open to any male professional golfer who belongs to a recognized PGA or Golf Federation, as well as male amateurs with a handicap not higher than 2.0. In the  2024 Alps Tour Qualifying School  fields, there are 141 amateur players, 47 players under 20 years old, and 183 players under 25. A total of 27 different nations that including: Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Finland, Luxembourg, Lebanon, South Africa, and the United States of America, will be represented throughout the  2024 Qualifying School .

In the  1 st  Stage  events, there will be approximately 198 players competing in the three different venues. The tournaments will be played over 36 holes with no cut, and the top-ranked players will gain access to the  Final Stage  event. The top-ranked players at the end of the Final Stage will earn a full  Alps Tour  card for the 2024 season.

There will be 156 players in the field at the  Final Stage of the 2024 Alps Tour Qualifying School , where 74 players have already been exempt into the field. The exempt players from the  1 st  stage  and automatically eligible to participate in the  Final Stage  are: all of the players ranked in the  2023 Alps Tour Order of Merit  who weren’t in the field at the  2023 Alps Tour Grand Final presented by AURALIS , all of the past winners of the  Alps Tour Order of Merit , the winners of the past three editions of the  Alps Tour Qualifying School , the leading 10 European Amateur players in the  World Amateur Golf Ranking as of October 17 th  and players who competed at the  2023 World Amateur Team Championship  and/or the  2023 European Boys/Men Team Championships  and/or the  2023 Walker Cup .

There will be three golf courses throughout Italy that will host the  First Stages  of our  Qualifying School  this year:  Golf Club Le Fonti ,  Miglianico Golf and Country Club , and  Terre dei Consoli Golf Club .

The first venue that will host the  Stage 1 Qualifying School  event is located in Northern Italy, approximately 30km southeast of Bologna. The tournament will unfold at  Golf Club Le Fonti  in Castel San Pietro Terme. The course is home to 18 holes of golf and will be set as a par 71, 6411 meters. Rolling hills and a typical Emilia-Romagna landscape surround  Golf Club Le Fonti . It has previously hosted  Alps Tour  events,  Ladies European Tour  events, and  Qualifying Schools . The players will face multiple water hazards, making it a tough challenge.

Miglianico Golf and Country Club  is the second course hosting  Stage 1  events this year. It is a 5875-meter par 72 course in the Province of Chieti, about 20km south of Pescara in the Abruzzo Region. It was designed by well-known American golf architect,  Ronald Kirby . The course is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, bunkers, and artificial lakes, making  Miglianico Golf  a pleasant but challenging course to play with strategically placed bunkers and water hazards. It has hosted numerous prestigious events, including the  Abruzzo Alps Open  nine times, the  2021, 2022, and 2023 1st stage of Alps Tour Qualifying School,  and the  2009 Games of the Mediterranean .

Terre dei Consoli Golf Club , designed by  Robert Trent Jones Jr , is the third golf course that will host  Stage 1 Qualifying School . It is one of the most recent golf courses in Italy that opened in 2011, located north of the Eternal City of Rome. The  Terre dei Consoli Championship Course  is a 6885-meter Par 72 course with an out-and-back routing. The course is perfectly integrated into the green valleys that embrace and welcome it. Made-to-fit obstacles raise its spectacular technical characteristics, fascinating all golfers. It has hosted numerous events in the past, including  Alps Tour  as well as  Challenge Tour  tournaments.

The  Alps Tour  wishes the best of luck to all the participants competing at the three different venues, and we are eager to follow the next rising golf stars #risinggolfstars!

Augustin Holé wins the 2023 Alps Tour Grand Final Presented by AURALIS Limitless Lighting

Cavaso del Tomba, October 20 th  2023   – After 1 hole of sudden-death play-off, France’s  Augustin Holé  wins the  2023 Alps Tour Grand Final Presented by AURALIS Limitless Lighting  with a birdie on the 1 st  playoff hole.  Holé,  alongside, Spain’s  Quim Vidal  concluded their final round at  Asolo Golf Club  tied for the lead, therefore, took part in a 2-way sudden-death playoff thanks to their final score of 10 under-par. Tied for 3 rd  place at 9 under-par Italy’s  Elia Dallanegra , Ireland’s  Paul McBride  and France’s  Benjamin Kedochim.

Ireland’s  Ronan Mullarney  wins the  2023 Alps Tour Order of Merit  and secures himself one of the five sought-after  2024 Challenge Tour  cards that were up for grabs. Alongside  Mullarney , Spain’s  Quim Vidal , Netherland’s  Kiet Van der Weele , France’s  Oihan Guillamoundeguy  and England’s  Jack Floydd  earned the remaining 4 cards that will give them access to the  2024 Challenge Tour .

The winner’s trophy that was handed to  Augustin Holé  was designed and created by artist-designer  Roberta Verteramo .

The final round of the  2023 Alps Tour Grand Final Presented by AURALIS Limitless Lighting  began at 9:00 am local time from both the 1 st  and 10 th  hole under overcast skies with some occasional light rain showers at  Asolo Golf Club  in Cavaso del Tomba, Italy.

For this event, we are grateful to have  AURALIS Limitless   Lighting  as the tournament presenting sponsor.  Auralis  is the first integrated industrial hub in the lighting field. A unique, vertical and comprehensive group of excellence that defines a new era in the lighting sector through a strong drive for technological innovation, the pursuit for beauty, and a clear mission aimed at promoting the culture of light as a tool to improve the quality of people’s lives.

The tournament also has numerous sponsors and partners such as:  Ricoh ,  GAS Milano 1984 ,  Battistella Golf ,  Extreme Factory ,  Imball Veneta ,  Golf 2.0 Megastore ,  Twïntee ,  Federazione Italiana Golf ,  Fédération Française de Golf ,  Real Federación Española de Golf  and  Österreichischer Golf-Verband .

Follow the livescoring starting tomorrow morning on  www.alpstourgolf.com  or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app.

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It’s time for the 2023 qualifying school stage 1 tournaments.

October 31 st 2022- In continuation with the past two seasons, the 18 th edition of the Alps Tour Qualifying School will take place in Italy. The 1 st Stage events will be played between November 2 nd and November 4 th in three distinct golf clubs: Acaya Golf Club , Golf Club Le Fonti and Miglianico Golf & Country Club . The Final Stage of the 2023 Q-School will occur at Golf Nazionale and Olgiata Golf Club in Northern Rome from November 9 th to 11 th .

This year more than 300 applications were submitted to take part in the 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School . Applications were open to any male professional player that belong to a recognized PGA or Golf Federation, as well as male amateurs with a handicap below 2.0. An approximate 183 players from 22 different nations, such as the United States, Turkey, Armenia, Germany and South Africa, will compete in the three Stage 1 events.

The 1 st Stage Events will be played over 36 holes with no cut and the top ranked players will gain access to Final Stage tournament. The top ranked players at the end of Final Stage will earn a full Alps Tour card for the 2023 season. There will be 156 players in the field at the Final Stage of 2023 Alps Tour Qualifying School where currently 93 players have already been exempt into the field. The players that are exempt are: Alps Tour members ranked in 2022 Order of Merit that weren’t in the field at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Alps Tour Grand Final , players who participated in the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship as well as players who competed at the 2022 European Boys and Men Team Championships.

The Golf Courses-

November 2 nd -3 rd host, Acaya Golf Resort & Spa is located in the Puglia regions of south Italy. It is a 6,192 meters par 71 course, designed by the famous American studio Hurdzan & Fry . Acaya Golf Club has hosted numerous events in the past including several Alps Tour events. The course is set in a green landscape among ancient olive trees, Mediterranean vegetation and some breath-taking elements, which include a waterfall between hole 11 and 12. Acaya GC is one of the most intriguing golf courses in Italy.

The second golf club that will host the following Stage 1 events between November 3 rd -4 th is located in Northern Italy near Bologna. The event will take place at Golf Club Le Fonti , in Castel San Pietro Terme. The course is home to 18 holes of golf and will be set as a par 71, 6411 meters. Golf Club Le Fonti is surrounded by rolling hills and a typical Emilia-Romagna landscape. It has previously hosted Alps Tour events, Ladies European Tour events and qualifying schools. This is the longest of the three courses that will host Stage 1 events. The players will have to face multiple water hazards making it a tough challenge.

Miglianico Golf and Country Club is the third course hosting Stage 1 events on the same days as GC Le Fonti , November 3 rd -4 th . Miglianico is a 5875 meters par 72 course. It was designed by well-known American golf architect, Ronald Kirby . Miglianico G&CC has hosted for seven years the Abruzzo Alps Tour Open as well as the 2021 1 st stage Alps Tour Qualifying School and the 2009 Games of the Mediterranean. The course is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, bunkers, and artificial lakes making it a pleasant but challenging course.

Eager to follow along during this highly anticipated moment, we’d like to wish all 183 players good luck!

Follow along on www.alpstourgolf.com or the official “Alps Tour Golf” app to keep up on all the latest news and results.

#risinggolfstars #raisinggolfstars

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Alps Tour Media Contact: [email protected]

The 2024 Tour of the Alps raises its values high 

The 47th edition of the Tour of the Alps (#TotA) was unveiled in Milan (April 15-19, 2024): from Neumarkt/Egna to Levico Terme, five stages covering 709.3 km with 13,250 meters of total elevation gain and new climbs to discover. The event, hosted by the territories of the Tirol-Südtirol/Alto Adige-Trentino Euroregion, welcomes Infront as a new strategic partner for marketing, production, and TV distribution

With six editions already under its belt, the Tour of the Alps presented its 2024 route on Tuesday, November 21 , in Milan , as well as the goals that the G.S. Alto Garda aims to achieve in collaboration with the Euregio territories that have been architects and protagonists of this project since its inception: Tirol , Südtirol/Alto Adige , and Trentino . 

From April 15 to 19 , the cross-border event through the Euroregion seeks to reaffirm itself and continue to thrive through the innovative format that earned it its fortunes on the international level.

The five-year agreement signed with Infront – a global leader in sports marketing with a top-level portfolio – is the big-time novelty of the 2024 edition and confirms the rising trend of a project that somehow breaks away from traditional cycling benchmarks. 

Around the race and its established technical depth, the Tour of the Alps increasingly affirmed itself as a universe of values, where the word “ value ” can be interpreted in different ways: technical , economic , promotional , environmental , and social . 

Making the traversed territories - along with the teams and athletes - protagonists of a beautiful race, extremely popular also among TV fans, has been a distinctive trait of the Tour of the Alps from the start, further established over the years by a professional organizational team that also enhances the skills of those who contribute on a purely voluntary basis. 

Similarly, the ever-increasing effort to create animation and involvement of local communities is a call for people to come together and enjoy a special occasion along the caravan, that cherishes the warm welcoming of the host locations: this lends a much broader significance to the sports event. 

In terms of content and themes, the 2024 edition will bring a number of new appointments and initiatives, such as the Bike Experience promoted by Infront to introduce the event to a group of opinion leaders, as well as the collateral activities planned to raise public awareness on general interest topics, culminating on the last day with a social ride by prominent personalities. This, and much more, constitutes the universe of values of the Tour of the Alps. 

The press conference in Milan Bicocca was attended by GS Alto Garda President Giacomo Santini , UEC President Enrico Della Casa , Austrian Cycling Federation President Harald Mayer , Trentino Marketing's CEO Maurizio Rossini , Tirol Werbung's Head of Research and Innovation Dpt Christian Wührer , IDM Südtirol's Chief Financial Officer Andrea Zabini , Gazzetta dello Sport's Vice Director Pier Bergonzi , Infront Italia's Managing Director Alessandro Giacomini and Tour of the Alps' GM Maurizio Evangelista . An overview on the route of the 2024 Tour of the Alps was given by Daniel Oss , former cycling champion Giuseppe Saronni , former Italian TC Davide Cassani and Eurosport commentator Riccardo Magrini .

CHALLENGING ROUTE WITH THE NEW “STRADA DEI BAITI”  The 47th edition – also counting the 40 years of the Giro del Trentino , upon whose roots the new event has founded its success – was received with great interest at the official presentation of the route. A well-designed mix of short, sparkling stages with surprises always around the corner, and constantly offering extraordinary views: after all, respecting and enhancing these territories and their mountains is what has made the Tour of the Alps a product appreciated by teams and spectators worldwide.

Twenty teams will participate, about half of which are expected to be World Teams . Starting in Südtirol/Alto Adige , among the vineyards of the Winestrasse/Strada del Vino , and finishing in Trentino , among the mountains of Valsugana , with two days in Tirol in the lower Inn valley, in Silberregion Karwendel : this is the summary of the 709.3 kilometers and 13,250 meters of total elevation gain of the course, that includes the absolute novelty of the “ Strada dei Baiti ”, a still unexplored (by professional cycling) and very challenging side of the Vetriolo Pass in Valsugana . It will be one of the decisive moments of a stage, the fourth, likely to significantly influence the fate of those aiming for the final victory. 

NEUMARKT/EGNA, KURTINIG/CORTINA, SALURN/SALORNO (AND THEN LEIFERS/LAIVES): SÜDTIROL/ALTO ADIGE TAKES CENTER STAGE  Faithful to the rotation among the three territories, the start of the Tour of the Alps returns to Südtirol/Alto Adige : three years ago, it was Brixen/Bressanone, this time it’s Neumarkt/Egna . After the teams’  presentation on Sunday, April 14 , the charming center nestled along the Weinstrasse/Strada del Vino , elected among Italy’s most beautiful villages, will welcome on Monday, April 15 , the teams and champions at the start of the first 133.3 km stage, arriving in Südtirol/Alto Adige in Kurtinig a Weinstrasse/Cortina sulla Strada del Vino.

After leaving Neumarkt/Egna, the caravan will enter Trentino to tackle the long but regular climb to Andalo . Then, the riders will return to the Weinstrasse/Strada del Vino, heading towards Kurtinig/Cortina, where a circuit to be repeated twice begins, marked by the Penon/Penone climb (4.3 km at 9.4% average gradient). From the second summit, just 17 km remain to the finish: five of technical descent and the last 12 flat towards the finish line.

IN STANS AND SCHWAZ, TIROL HOLDS SURPRISES IN STORE The longest stage is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16 , a 189.1 km effort from Salurn/Salorno , in Südtirol/Alto Adige, to Stans , in Tirol . After a long valley floor section and the climb to the Brenner Pass/Passo del Brennero , the athletes will cross the state border before reaching the Inn Valley. 

The stage will then come alive with the climb to Gnadenwald (4.5 km at 7.6%), the summit of which is less than 15 km from the finish, and a final kilometer all slightly uphill towards Stans. 

An all-Ti rolean stage, the third, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17 , 127 km with start and finish in Schwaz , the main town of the Silberregion Karwendel . The route can be divided into two parts: the first 90 km travel the rolling roads of the Inn Valley, after which the riders will face the Weerberg (3.2 km at 9.9%) and Pillberg (3.2 km at 10.3%) climbs, to be tackled in quick succession, and to be repeated twice. An explosive finale, worthy of an Ardennes classic but set in the heart of the Alps. 

Returning to Südtirol/Alto Adige with a fast transfer after the two Tirolean days, the TotA will set off from Leifers/Laives for the fourth stage on Thursday, April 18 , ending after 141.3 km and just under 4,000 meters of elevation gain in Borgo Valsugana , in Trentino . 

Having conquered the climbs of the San Lugano Pass and the Redebus Pass , a long and flowing descent will lead towards Pergine Valsugana , and then the Compet Pass climb (10.2 km at 8.3%) looms ahead of the athletes. The subsequent fast descent towards Levico Terme is interrupted to tackle an unprecedented side of the Vetriolo Pass (9.4 km at 8.7%), the “ Strada dei Baiti ”. After the KOM, a long descent leads to the valley floor, which the riders will soon leave to start the last challenge of the day, the Colle San Marco . From the top, the menu features 7 km of easy descent and 2 km of flat road towards the finish line set in downtown Borgo Valsugana. 

BETWEEN BORGO AND LEVICO TERME, THE GRAND FINALE HIGHLIGHTS VALSUGANA  The final stage of the Tour of the Alps on Friday, April 19 , entirely in Trentino in Valsugana , with start and finish in Levico Terme , features a reduced distance of 118.6 km but numerous difficulties that can shuffle the deck. 

The initial part is characterized by a first circuit with two passes on the finish line of Levico Terme. Later, having passed Pergine Valsugana , the race enters the Mòcheni valley with a second loop of about 25 km to be repeated twice, featuring the double ascent of Palù del Fersina (12.5 km at 6.2%). 

After the second descent, a few kilometers of flat precede the last climb of the race, the Tenna Pass , followed by a gentle slope that ends about 5 km from the conclusion. Most of these are downhill, but the thrilling last thousand meters uphill in the center of Levico Terme have all the characteristics to offer a worthy finale to the Tour of the Alps. 

MANY PARTNERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT: WITH INFRONT A NEW CYCLE BEGINS  In addition to the territorial bodies, numerous brands have believed in the Tour of the Alps and have confirmed their confidence to continue this successful journey also in 2024: this is the case for prestigious names such as Melinda , Cassa Centrale Banca , Alé , Vittoria , Suzuki , Sportler , and Autostrada del Brennero . 

At the same time, the advent of Infront opens a new strategic cycle, destined to consolidate the relationship with historical partners, as well as opening ways for new companions to join: in the coming weeks, significant news is expected in this regard. 

A strategic partnership, therefore, destined to give additional value to the Italian-Austrian stage race, already recognized as a reality of organizational and communicative excellence by cycling stakeholders and insiders. 

Among the official suppliers, the refined Trentino wines of Val di Cembra and Acqua Eva (which springs from the highest source in Europe) are just the first of many realities called to let their excellences be appreciated among those – protagonists, enthusiasts, and professionals – who are already looking forward to embarking on this new adventure. 

THE PROGRAM: 5 STAGES, 709.3 KM, AND 13,250 METERS OF ELEVATION GAIN  Here is the program of the Tour of the Alps 2024: 709.3 km divided into five stages, with 10 KOM and a total of 13,250 meters of positive elevation gain .

Monday, April 15, 2024 Stage 1: Neumarkt/Egna – Kurtinig an Weinstrasse/Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, 133.3 km  2,060 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ** *

Tuesday, April 16, 2024  Stage 2: Salurn/Salorno - Stans, 189.1 km  2,510 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: **

Wednesday, April 17, 2024  Stage 3: Schwaz - Schwaz, 127 km  2,360 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ***

Thursday, April 18, 2024  Stage 4: Leifers/Laives – Borgo Valsugana, 141.3 km  3,830 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ****

Friday, April 19, 2024  Stage 5: Levico Terme – Levico Terme, 118.6 km  2,490 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: ***

Enrico Della Casa, President of the UEC, Vice President of the UCI

“The Tour of the Alps is a special race that fully embodies the UEC philosophy of uniting people. It is a beautiful project characterized by an always sparkling race. We see TotA as a cycling "laboratory", and event that is not afraid to innovate, combining two territories. This is another reason why I hope that the Tour of the Alps will be included in the World Tour calendar from 2026, when there will be a complete calendar reform. This race has all it takes".

Harald Mayer, President of the Austrian Cycling Federation

“We are proud and happy to be here. The Tour of the Alps is obviously very important for our federation, particularly on the heels of our most successful road season ever. Last year, Austria featured prominently with the Austrian National Team and a top rider like Felix Gall in a World Tour Team: we hope that Tour of the Alps can be the ground where new future champions can be discovered.”

Christian Wūhrer, Head of the Research and Innovation Department at Tirol Werbung

“The Tour of the Alps reflects the spirit of cooperation between three organizations that share a common home. The innovation of the Tour of the Alps was the idea of working together across borders, first in a traditional way, then in increasingly familiar and friendly relationships that paved the way for collaboration in new areas such as data science, data infrastructure and sustainability. TotA is a means of highlighting our country as an active country, ready to welcome any kind of rider, and that is why we have so much interest in hosting the race in the coming years.”

Andrea Zabini, Chief Financial Officer of IDM South Tyrol

“For us, the Tour of the Alps is a valuable opportunity to work on a joint project with other stakeholders with whom we share a vision, and at the same time an excellent showcase for the promotion of the territories. The development of the project over these seven years fills us with great pride. Cycling races are an excellent means of communicating the history and culture of the territories - an aspect that is of great importance to us. In addition, the April date shows that the areas are suitable for cycling tourism that lasts well beyond the summer, from spring to fall.”

Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing

“Euroregional cooperation, of which TotA is a symbol, has grown over time, with an ever-increasing focus on nature and sustainability and an awareness of the need to develop the local economy to keep communities vibrant and dynamic. Sport is a key element, combining passion and sporting values with the pleasure and possibilities offered by cycling and the bicycle, which is now an important driver of tourism in our valleys. In this way, TotA becomes not only a great economic driver, but also an occasion to cover and shed a light on different themes.”

Giacomo Santini, President of the GS Alto Garda

“Our race has two important meanings. The first is the sporting one, because it is an organizational model for innovation and new intuitions that follow the evolution of a profoundly changed cycling. But there’s more to that: the Tour of the Alps has paved the way for an authentic, cross-border experience and shows how similar needs and characteristics can be brought together to transform competition into a dialogue and new opportunities."

Maurizio Evangelista, General Manager Tour of the Alps

“The agreement with Infront is a natural evolution of our path, from a small amateur cycling organization that today moves, acts, and thinks like a professional one. We want to continue to grow, benefiting from the good mood in the sector, but also with the public, who are attracted and enthusiastic about TotA. In this sense, having final circuits makes the stage venues and the local people happy. We really believe in the team we have put together, starting with the technical area that takes care of the course and the safety aspect in detail, which is fundamental for us: we want TotA to be an unforgettable experience for the entire caravan."

Alessandro Giacomini, Managing Director of Infront Italia

"After a three-year process, we have finally managed to start this project with the Tour of the Alps, a great event that we want to continue to develop over the next five years. We will do our best to find new partnerships and build together, just like the protagonists of the event in the territories. What convinced us about this project is the great commitment and reliability of those who are working on it. These are the best conditions to not be satisfied and to keep going. This year, for the first time, we will introduce a Bike Experience at the Tour of the Alps, to which fifty people will be invited to test all aspects of the local experience.”

Pier Bergonzi, Deputy Director of La Gazzetta dello Sport

“For us, it is an honor to stand alongside this race, which is also part of my personal history, as I followed the Giro del Trentino as a reporter in the 1980s. Cycling is the sport of memory and tradition, the history and geography of the Euroregion could be conveyed through the stages and routes of the TotA.”

Beppe Saronni

“As usual, the Tour of the Alps will be a very tough race. It is thanks to the organization that it is a race with a recognizable character, feared and therefore respected by the teams and all cyclists. The Tour of the Alps is a race with a unique soul and a unique character, and everyone recognizes that today".

Davide Cassani

“The Tour of the Alps is a special race that knows how to overcome walls and borders. I really like the fact that three of the five stages include a circuit: it's an opportunity for the public to experience more parts of the race, something that brings people together. The 2024 route is balanced, hilly with short and challenging climbs on three stages, then a big queen stage on day four and a still challenging fifth stage. It's the ideal mix to celebrate a top-class winner, like Geoghegan Hart was last year."

“The Tour of the Alps experience has given me the thrill of pedaling again on the roads I rode as a child. The route of the Giro del Trentino and then the Tour of the Alps has never suited my technical characteristics, but it is an event that I have always experienced with affection and participation. When I discovered the roads of TotA, I was won over by the beauty of these lands, but also by the care and hospitality that characterize the people."

Tour of the Alps: Tobias Foss wins stage 1 as GC contenders emerge

Ineos Grenadiers rider beats Chris Harper and Esteban Chaves

A long sprint by Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) from a late break of four riders netted the former world time trial champion victory in stage 1 of the Tour of the Alps.

Foss beat Chris Harper (Jayco-AIUIa), Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost) and Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R) after a quartet of riders attacked from a lead group of favourites close to the finish in Cortina.

Geraint Thomas finished sixth at three seconds, after being part of the major 11-rider selection. 

The key move of the 133 stage came on the second and final ascent and descent of the second category Penone climb, which saw the break to go clear.

Tentative attacks by Harper and Foss’ teammate Geraint Thomas shook up the leading move in the closing kilometres, but despite several late surges, Foss was the fastest in a drawn-out sprint, taking both the stage and the top spot on GC.

For both Foss and Ineos Grenadiers, taking an early victory at the Tour of the Alps has major resonance. 

It is Foss’ first win in a road race rather than a time trial and the first for the team he only joined last winter. After a slow and disappointing start to the year, the British team have now claimed two wins in as many days following Tom Pidcock’s triumph in the Amstel Gold Race.

It remains to be seen if Foss, not well-known as a climber, can defend his lead in the mountainous five-day race in Italy and Austria. However the presence of Thomas in the front group will certainly ensure the British team will have at least two cards to play in the four days of racing to come.

How it unfolded

Seven riders provided the early entertainment on the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps in the vineyard north of Trento, powering off the front of the peloton even before they had reached the first classified climb of the race, the very long but comparatively gentle cat.3 Andalo. 

Kyrlo Tsarenko (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Asier Etxeberria (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Nicklas Pedersen (TDT-Unibet), Mattia Bais and Andrea Garosio (both Polti Kometa), Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Masaki Yamamoto (JCL-Team UKYO) forged a move that gained a maximum of four minutes, with Pedersen eventually drifting back to the peloton and the remaining six doing their utmost to keep the bunch at bay.

Ineos Grenadiers, fielding one of the strongest teams in the race, did much of the initial work to keep the half-dozen within a reasonable distance. But the six held a three-minute advantage as they climbed the first of the two ascents of the key climb of the day, the category 2 Penone climb.  

The Penone’s 12% lower slopes almost instantly saw Japanese National Champion Yamamoto in trouble, followed by Tsarenko and the gradient clipped almost a minute’s advantage off the breakaway. 

No attacks materialised in the peloton but it was reduced to 50 riders, mostly thanks to Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale stepping on the collective accelerator in the second half of the rolling climb.

Come the summit, only Polti-Kometa teammates Bais and Garosio remained ahead of the break, ably conserving a 2:30 advantage as they dived down the technical, twisting descent and onto the much flatter valley floor below. 

Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale continued to drive behind, though, lining out the peloton and shredding the gap. Largely as a result, even before Bais and Garosio reached the Penone for a second time, their team car had already been told to pull over and wait for the bunch on the side of the road.

In less than a kilometre of the second assault of the Penone, the Polti-Kometa duo were caught, with Decathlon’s Valentin Paret-Peintre forcing the pace for his leader Ben O’Connor, tucked in just behind. 

Closely shadowed by Romain Bardet (Team dsm-fermenich-PostNL), Paret-Peintre’s insistent pressure too a significant toll on the peloton, but most of the main players, including Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) remained in the game in a front group of some 30 riders.

2023 race runner-up Hugh Carthy (EF Education-Easy Post) pushed hard over the summit, with 17 kilometres to go, a move which Bardet and Carthy’s teammate Esteban Chaves were quickest to counter, shattering the front of the race. 

The difficult descent further ensured that the splits remained in place, and a group containing Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Thomas, Harper, Amanuel Ghebreigzhabhier (Lidl-Trek), Bardet and Chaves formed just as the race left the Penone behind for good. 

O’Connor then quickly bridged across, along with Juanpe Lopez (Lidl-Trek), Paret-Peintre, Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) and Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), and the presence of so many top names all but ensured a strong initial collaboration, despite some discussions between Foss and and Lopez and then Thomas and Lopez. 

An attack by Harper with three kilometres failed to work out and risked destroying the fragile collaboration, with Movistar doggedly leading the chase. 

A long surge by Geraint Thomas proved unsuccessful and it was only when Chaves chanced his arm with one kilometre to go that a group of four went clear: O’Connor, Chaves, Harper and Foss got a gap and didn’t look back. 

Chaves went from a long way on the rising finish in Kurtinig but Foss was quick to play his own card, too, and in a sprint that took the four all the way through the twisting, cobbled finishing straight and under the gantries, the Norwegian stayed ahead to win.

Only three seconds separate the four stage leaders from their seven breakaway companions, though, making this early skirmish more a statement of intent than a major battle.

Held entirely in neighbouring Austria, stage 2 from Salorno to Stans could well continue the pattern of an early break and some flurries of GC action late on a category 2 climb, in this case the Gnadenwald, peaking out some 16 kilometres from the finish.

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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews , he has also written for The Independent ,  The Guardian ,  ProCycling , The Express and Reuters .

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Tour of the Alps 2024: Foss wins four-up sprint to take GC lead

Results 1st stage 2024 Tour of the Alps

1. Tobias Foss (nor) 2. Chris Harper (aus) s.t. 3. Esteban Chaves (col) s.t. 4. Ben O’Connor (aus) s.t. 5. Juan Pedro López (spa) + 0.03 6. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t. 7. Antonio Tiberi (ita) s.t. 8. Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (eri) s.t. 9. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t. 10. Valentin Paret-Peintre (fra) s.t.

11. Wout Poels (nld) s.t. – other GC riders + 0.34

GC after stage 1 1. Tobias Foss (nor) 2. Chris Harper (aus) + 0.04 3. Esteban Chaves (col) + 0.06 4. Ben O’Connor (aus) + 0.10 5. Juan Pedro López (spa) + 0.13 6. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t. 7. Antonio Tiberi (ita) s.t. 8. Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (eri) s.t. 9. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t. 10. Valentin Paret-Peintre (fra) s.t.

Race report It takes around 20 kilometres for the breakaway to establish itself. Mattia Bais, Asier Etxeberria, Nicklas Ambi Pedersen, Andra Garosio, Masaki Yamamoto, Simon Pellaud and Kyrylo Tsarenko open up a lead of over 3 minutes at the Andolo climb. The lead group splits in two – with Bais, Pellaud and Garosio at the front -, while Pedersen falls back into the peloton.

The six regroup on descent to widen their lead to 4 minutes. Bais and Garosio head out together on the climb to Penone. They reach the summit 2.20 minutes ahead of the peloton. Bais takes, just as he did in Andolo, most KOM points.

The two are caught in the second run up to Penone before a reduced peloton enters the descent.

Romain Bardet attacks on descent, while Esteban Chaves and Chris Harper follow in his slipstream. Antonio Tiberi, Geraint Thomas and Amanuel Gebreigzabhier close down the gap before five more riders – Tobias Foss, Wout Poels, Ben O’Connor, Juan Pedro López, Valentin Paret-Peintre – make it across on the flat.

Esteban Chaves jumps with 1.2 kilometres left to race. Tobias Foss, Chris Haper and Ben O’Connor follow his move and it comes down to a four-up sprint. Foss powers to victory and also takes the first leader’s jersey.

Another interesting read: route 1st stage 2024 Tour of the Alps.

Tour of the Alps 2024 stage 1: route, profile, more

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LIV Golf's Talor Gooch Will Not Try to Qualify for the U.S. Open

A number of players from the Saudi-backed league will attempt to play their way into the U.S. Open but not LIV's top player from 2023.

• Author: Bob Harig

Several LIV Golf League players will attempt to make the U.S. Open field via final qualifying next month.

Talor Gooch won’t be one of them.

The top player on LIV Golf in 2023 who won three times and captured the season-long points race said during a news conference in Singapore on Thursday that he would not be taking part.

He did not give a reason.

Gooch appeared alongside Smash GC teammates Brooks Koepka, Graeme McDowell and Jason Kokrak, and they were all asked if they would attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, which will conduct 36-hole qualifiers around the country on May 3.

Both McDowell and Kokrak said they would not only attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, but for the British Open as well—which will have final qualifying two weeks prior to the championship.

🏆🇺🇸 World #624 Talor Gooch on if he plans to play in a U.S. Open qualifying event: “I’m not.” Should the USGA give LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch a special exemption? pic.twitter.com/enhnD2SIwh — NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 2, 2024

A total of 35 players from LIV are scheduled to play in final qualifying. Koepka, a two-time major winner and the reigning PGA champion , is exempt.

Gooch simply said: “I’m not.”  And offered no explanation.

The one-time PGA Tour winner has been outspoken about not being included in the major championships.

Last year, he earned his way into the Masters and the British Open having finished in the top 30 in the 2022 PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings. But Gooch was miffed that the U.S. Open changed its rules to state that the same exemption would only go to a player “eligible” for the season-ending Tour Championship. Having gone to LIV Golf, Gooch was not eligible.

Earlier this year, Gooch made headlines when he said: “If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his (career) Grand Slam without some of the best players in the world, there is just going to be an asterisk. It’s just the reality.”

LIV Golf does not receive Official World Golf Ranking points for its events and many of its players have plummeted in the rankings while not earning points. Gooch, who was top 50 in the world around this time last year, has sunk to 624th in the OWGR. He is ranked 41st by Data Golf, which includes LIV tournaments.

He tied for 34th at the Masters last year and then missed the cut at the PGA Championship. He did not attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open and then missed the cut at The Open.

Gooch has no victories so far this year with LIV Golf but does have three top 10s. He is the defending champion of this week’s event in Singapore.

Among the LIV golfers scheduled to compete in final qualifying for the U.S. Open are Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson.

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Charlie Woods will play U.S. Open local qualifier Thursday

Charlie Woods looks to earn a spot at this year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

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Charlie Woods’ road to Pinehurst begins Thursday.

Woods, the son of 82-time TOUR winner Tiger Woods, will compete in an 18-hole U.S. Open local qualifier Thursday at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The younger Woods is slated to tee off at 8:18 a.m. ET Thursday.

The road to the U.S. Open features 109 local qualifying sites across April and May, leading to 13 Final Qualifying sites in late May and early June. Final Qualifying is known as Golf's Longest Day, requiring competitors to navigate 36 holes to earn a tee time at the season’s third major championship.

To be eligible for qualifying, a player must have a Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4 or be a professional.

The elder Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion, but he has yet to win at Pinehurst No. 2. Tiger Woods finished T3 at Pinehurst in 1999, two strokes back of winner Payne Stewart, and he placed solo second at the venerable venue in 2005, two back of Michael Campbell. He didn’t compete at Pinehurst in 2014.

Earlier this spring, Charlie Woods competed in a pre-qualifier for the TOUR’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, his first foray at attempting to qualify for a TOUR-sanctioned event. The younger Woods shot 86 that day but will look to apply learnings in Thursday’s U.S. Open local qualifier.

Tiger and Charlie Woods have paired together in the last four PNC Championships, the two-player team event contested each December that utilizes a scramble format. Team Woods finished runner-up in 2021 but has yet to win the event.

Other notables in the field at Woods' site include Cameron Kuchar (son of Matt), Sunny Kim, Garrett Willis, Reed Greyserman (brother of Max), Austin Lemieux (son of Mario) and Michael Buttacavoli.

PGA Championship 2024: Here's everyone who has qualified for the field at Valhalla (so far)

T here are two weeks until the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship gets underway at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., and the full field for the second men’s major of the year is starting to take shape.

Sixteen past champions are expected to compete in the event. Among them is Brooks Koepka, winner a year ago at Oak Hill when he shot a closing 67 to outpace Viktor Hovland and win the Wanamaker Trophy for the third time in his career. Included as well is Justin Thomas, a winner in 2017 at Quail Hollow and 2022 at Southern Hills who will be playing in his hometown of Louisville.

We also are listing Tiger Woods as “expected” to compete. A four-time PGA winner, including memorably in a playoff over Bob May at Valhalla in 2000, Woods has not officially announced if he will be playing or not. That said, while promoting his new clothing line Sun Day Red this week, he did indicate his hope to compete in the three remaining majors.

Woods did not compete at last year’s PGA after undergoing fusion surgery on his right ankle a month earlier. He has made only two starts in PGA Tour events since the surgery: the Genesis Invitational in February, where he withdrew because of the flu during the second round, and the Masters last month, where he made his record-breaking 24th straight cut at Augusta while finishing 60th. His most recent PGA Championship start was 2022, where he made the cut at Southern Hills but withdrew after the third round.

Much of the qualifying criteria for this year’s PGA Championship officially closes on Monday, when the PGA of America is expected to reveal an official list of participants. Pending that announcement, we’ve put together an unofficial list of all those players who have earned spots based off the 14 qualifying criteria listed in the 2024 PGA Championship media guide.

Come back next week, when we’ll update the list further to have you ready for all the action at Valhalla.

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Brooks Koepka Justin Thomas Phil Mickelson Collin Morikawa Jimmy Walker Jason Day Rory McIlroy Jason Dufner Keegan Bradley Martin Kaymer Y.E. Yang Padraig Harrington Tiger Woods Shaun Micheel Vijay Singh John Daly

Phil Mickelson celebrates with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Patrick Smith

Scottie Scheffler Jon Rahm Hideki Matsuyama Dustin Johnson

Wyndham Clark Matt Fitzpatrick Jon Rahm Bryson DeChambeau Gary Woodland

Brian Harman Cameron Smith Collin Morikawa Shane Lowry Francesco Molinari

Scottie Scheffler Cameron Smith

Keita Nakajima (Japan Golf Tour) Andy Ogletree (Asian Tour) Ryan van Velzen (Sunshine Tour)

Steve Stricker

Brooks Koepka Viktor Hovland Scottie Scheffler Bryson DeChambeau Kurt Kitayama Cameron Davis Sepp Straka Rory McIlroy Justin Rose Patrick Cantlay Cameron Smith Victor Perez Corey Conners Shane Lowry Eric Cole Michael Block Tyrrell Hatton

Ben Polland, Shooting Star of Jackson Hole (Wyo.) Andy Svoboda, Butler National Golf Club, Oak Brook, Ill. Jared Jones, River Oaks Country Club, Houston John Somers, Southern Hills Plantation Club, Trinity, Fla. Jesse Mueller, Grand Canyon U. Golf Course, Phoenix Tyler Collet, John’s Island Club, Vero Beach, Fla. Brad Marek, Corica Park, Berkeley, Calif. Evan Bowser, LaPlaya Golf Club, Naples, Fla. Jeremy Wells, Cypress Lake Golf Club, Estero, Fla. Jeff Kellen, North Shore Country Club, Glenview, Ill. Josh Speight, The Club at Viniterra, Locust Valley, Va. Larkin Gross, Westwood Country Club, Fairfax, Va. Preston Cole, Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte Tracy Phillips, Cedar Ridge Country Club, Tulsa, Okla. Josh Bevell, Profectus Golf, Nashville, Tenn. Matt Dobyns, Meadow Brook Club, Jericho, N.Y. Zac Oakley, Bidermann Golf Club, King of Prussia, Pa. Kyle Mendoza, Hacienda Golf Club, Oceanside, Calif. Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green Golf Club, Ashton, Pa. Wyatt Worthington II, Eastside Golf, Las Vegas

Sam Burns* Patrick Cantlay Wyndham Clark Rickie Fowler Brian Harman Max Homa* Brooks Koepka Colin Morikawa Xander Schauffele* Scottie Scheffler Jordan Spieth* Justin Thomas Ludvig Aberg Matt Fitzpatrick Tommy Fleetwood* Tyrrell Hatton Nicolai Hojgaard* Viktor Hovland Shane Lowry Robert MacIntyre* Rory McIlroy Jon Rahm Justin Rose Sepp Straka

*All are expected to be inside the top 100 on May 6

Emiliano Grillo Viktor Hovland Nick Taylor Wyndham Clark Keegan Bradley Rickie Fowler Sepp Straka Rory McIlroy Vincent Norrman Brian Harman Akshay Bhatia Lee Hodges Lucas Glover Sahith Theegala Luke List Tom Kim Collin Morikawa Erik van Rooyen Camilo Villegas Ludvig Aberg Chris Kirk Grayson Murray Nick Dunlap Matthieu Pavon Hideki Matsuyama Jake Knapp Austin Eckroat Scottie Scheffler Brice Garnett Peter Malnati Stephan Jaeger Billy Horschel

Joaquin Niemann

*More players expected after the May 6 OWGR listing

*Note: The PGA Championship points list is compiled of Official Money earned in PGA Tour events within the defined period in 10 and 14 above and is available on www.pgatour.com .

Olympic Games 2024

What to Follow on Day 1 of the Dushanbe Grand Slam 2024

-48kg: Stangar Aiming to Retain Dushanbe Crown Last year’s podium-topper at -48kg Marusa Stangar (SLO) returns to Dushanbe as the sixth seed, hoping to rediscover the form that won her back-to-back grand prix gold medals in May and June 2023. To reach the final again, she will have to get past the recent European Championship bronze medallist Catarina Costa (POR) and one of the dangerous Mongolian duo Baasankhuu Bavuudorj and Narantsetseg Ganbaatar, seeded third and sixth, respectively. If that wasn’t tricky enough, Stangar faces a potential final with her old nemesis and the top seed Milica Nikolic (SRB).

The seeded players won't have all the fun, however, as there are many potential challengers for the podium places. Arguably the most notable is the Swedish prodigy Tara Babulfath who, at just 18 years of age, is already a grand slam winner having struck gold in Baku earlier this year.

Double grand slam medallist Leyla Aliyeva (AZE) will be looking to go one better than her 5th place finish here last year, while Brazil and Türkiye each have two athletes present who are locked in tight battles for their respective Olympic places. Natasha Ferreira currently leads Amanda Lima in the rankings for Brazil, though neither are in a qualifying position. Meanwhile for Türkiye, Sila Ersin sits within the continental quota, with compatriot Tugde Beder only a few places behind. A good result for either of the trailing athletes could easily turn the tables.

-60kg: All Eyes on Kazakhstan The top two seeds at -60kg are the Kazakh pairing of Nurkanat Serikbayev and Magzhan Shamshadin. The country has a very difficult decision to make at the end of the qualification period with both judoka currently in direct qualification positions and two-time Olympic medallist Yeldos Smetov also in the running, lying just outside the qualifying spots.

Serikbayev currently leads the way but in Dushanbe he is likely to face a tough first contest against the double grand slam medallist Hayato Kondo (JPN) in round 2. Should he pass that test, a potential semi-final awaits with one of the surprise grand slam medallists of recent months Gamzat Zairbekov (AIN) or Matheus Takaki, or even the hosts' Muhammad Quvatov (TJK), who placed fifth here last year.

On the opposite side of the draw, Shamshadin may have to get past home favourite, sixth seed and bronze medallist from last year, Mehrzod Sufiev (TJK), or Portugal Grand Prix 2023 silver medallist Michel Augusto (BRA), who is seeded third. With Shamshadin and Smetov due to compete in their home grand slam in Astana next weekend, it will be vital for Serikbayev to earn a good result in Tajikistan to maintain his lead over both. Will he live up to his billing as the number one seed?

-52kg: Must-Win for Unseeded Kuznetsova The winner at -52kg in Dushanbe in 2023 was Alesia Kuznetsova (AIN), who took gold after an exhausting 29 minutes of contest time over 4 matches. En route, she defeated Sita Kadamboeva (UZB) in the semi-final and Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (AZE) in the final and both fighters join Kuznetsova in the draw once more, seeded third and second, respectively. With the Individual Neutral Athlete currently lagging in 45th place in the Olympic rankings, she will need to make it onto the podium here and in Astana next week to have any hope of qualifying for the Games.

Being unseeded this time, she may have to work even harder to do so. In round 1, she will face Ayumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP), who impressed by taking bronze in her first ever World Judo Tour event at the Antalya Grand Slam back in March. If she makes it to round 2, the number one seed and in-form Mascha Ballhaus (GER) awaits.

Mammadaliyeva and the other seeded athletes Angelica Delgado (USA) and Ana Viktoria Puljiz (CRO) currently occupy the final three direct Olympic qualification positions but there are several athletes in the draw who could overtake them with a favourable result here, including the Republic of Korea's Yerin Jung and Seyun Jang, fifth seed Aleksandra Kaleta (POL) and eighth seed Binta Ndiaye (SUI). With such talent everywhere to be found in the draw, there will be no easy route to a medal. Who will come out on top?

-66kg: Will Dzhebov Do the Double for the Hosts? Obid Dzhebov (TJK) sent the home crowd into a frenzy when he earned himself a gold medal in last year's event at -66kg, one which helped his country ascend to the top of the medal table. He returns to the fold as the fourth seed, aiming for further glory. To make it to the final, he will need to defeat the number one seed and France's selection for the Olympic Games, Walide Khyar (FRA), at the semi-final stage.

The other side of the draw is headed by the second and third seeds, Rio Olympic silver medallist Baul An (KOR) and Elios Manzi (ITA) who took a brilliant bronze medal in an all-Italian affair at the Zagreb European Championships last week. Manzi and compatriot Matteo Piras are neck-and-neck in the race for qualification, so with Piras absent from Dushanbe, and both players registered to compete in Astana next weekend, Manzi will be looking to create a gap between the two with a good result here.

Seeded players aside, the two Individual Neutral athletes Ivan Chernykh and Abrek Naguchev are both capable of causing an upset. Chernykh stunned his opponents at the Tbilisi Grand Slam in March, where he took gold in his first ever WJT event, defeating Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Margvelashvili (GEO) on the way, while Naguchev is already a double world champion, albeit at the cadet and junior levels. One thing's for sure, the -66kg category will be as open as ever.

-57kg: A Tenth Showdown for Klimkait and Cysique? No fewer than six of last year's top eight finishers at the Dushanbe Grand Prix 2023 are back again in 2024 hoping for further success. The gold medallist from last year, Shukurjon Aminova (UZB), is unseeded and faces an uphill battle, taking on fifth seed Enkhrillen Lkhagvatogoo (MGL) in round 1. The two bronze medallists, Veronica Toniolo (ITA) and Qi Cai (CHN) are seeded third and sixth, respectively, so could meet at the quarter-final stage.

The favourites though are unquestionably the top two seeds, Jessica Klimkait (CAN) and Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA). The battle between Klimkait and her teammate Christa Deguchi (CAN) for Olympic qualification is going down to the wire once more, with Deguchi due to compete at the Qaqaqstan Barysy Grand Slam next week and both scheduled to compete at the Abu Dhabi World Championships a fortnight later.

Cysique has already been selected for the Games, so arrives in Dushanbe looking to improve her ranking and move into a seeded position. Since Cysique defeated Klimkait in the semi-final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Klimkait has won all three of their encounters. Can both make it to the final this time? And can Cysique reverse her recent fortunes against the Canadian?

Get the answers to all the questions posed here and more by watching the event live on JudoTV.com . Catch all the action on day 1 from 10:00 local time on Friday 3rd May 2024.

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