Golf Nazionale experienced a movie-worthy climax on the decisive day of the Alps Tour Grand Final. Asier Aguirre (-13), who started the day on the edge of the precipice in the fight for the cards, made a great final push to win the tournament in a nail-biting playoff against a Javier Barcos (-13) who was crowned, nonetheless, as the best player of the year on the circuit.
The reality is that Barcos seemed destined for the victory that slipped away from him just seven days ago when he also finished second. He led with authority with seven holes to go, and many already saw him celebrating. Such is the unpredictability of this sport, he had barely made two bogeys all week and in five holes a double bogey on the 12th and bogeys on the 15th and 17th left him with no room for error. Meanwhile, Aguirre, unstoppable, strung together three birdies in that final stretch, recovering six shots and forcing a playoff thanks to an immaculate card of 66 strokes that ultimately crowned him champion. An epic comeback that he surely won’t forget.
Although the victory slipped away, Barcos is now part of the circuit’s history: he becomes the fourth Spaniard to win the Alps Tour Order of Merit, adding two victories, three second places, and four more top tens in just 16 tournaments. A season to remember, especially considering it was barely his first full year. He succeeds Jordi García del Moral as the last Spaniard to win the Order of Merit. Adri Arnaus and Santi Tarrío also achieved the feat back in 2017 and 2018.
The bitter side of the day was provided by Javi Calles and Álvaro Hernández, who, despite having been almost all season in the positions that grant access to the HotelPlanner Tour, fell short of the dream. Finally, the five players who ascend by order of classification are: Javier Barcos, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, Asier Aguirre, Quentin Debove, and Ronan Mullarney. Two Spaniards on the Alps podium, with the addition of Rocco Repetto‘s mid-season ascent. A great year indeed for the Armada on the shores of the Alps.
