Hugo Townsend (-15) has overcome his worst fears and claimed victory at the GAC Rosa Challenge. This is not just any win; the Swede secures his first title on the HotelPlanner Tour.
He started with half the tournament in his pocket, but it was a tough battle. Winning is always difficult, and this Sunday was yet another proof of that. He teed off at the 1st with a five-shot lead, an early birdie on the 2nd increased the gap to six, and another birdie on the 5th consolidated his advantage. It seemed like a pleasant Sunday. Not quite.
The ghost of Cádiz appeared to Townsend. In the Challenge held in May, he had a three-shot lead with four holes to play. He faltered with three bogeys, and Rocco Repetto Taylor claimed his first victory.
For an hour and a half, that ghost haunted Poland. A double bogey and another bogey on consecutive holes, combined with an impressive Tobias Jonsson, brought the contest to a tie. However, Hugo had another outcome in mind.
With a great birdie on the 14th, he regained the solo lead, and Jonsson stumbled on his final hole. He opened up a gap and wouldn’t let it slip away. The former US Amateur 2021 medallist secured the victory. At 26, he can now say he is a champion of the HotelPlanner Tour, takes a giant leap in the Road to Mallorca, and ranks among the top ten of the year.
As for the Spanish contingent, Quim Vidal used Sunday to climb the leaderboard and break into the top ten after a final round of 66. The Catalan thus achieves his fourth top ten of the year.
Borja Virto, on the other hand, started with a chance to secure a good haul in Poland, but a painful three-over-par card saw him finish the tournament in 28th place. Tied with the Navarrese was Rocco Repetto-Taylor. The Andalusian remains among the top twenty of the year.
