Everything is ready in La Gomera for the show to begin. From 2 to 4 July, the course of Tecina Golf will once again become the great epicentre of international professional golf with the celebration of the sixth edition of the Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera, one of the most established and strategic stops of the Alps Tour, the development circuit where the future stars of European golf are forged
Expectations are high for a tournament that this year features an exceptional field, combining the boldness of young talents seeking to make the jump to the HotelPlanner Tour with the experience of big names from the international circuit. This is the case of Álvaro Quirós (seven-time winner on the DP World Tour and runner-up in last year’s La Gomera edition) and Alejandro Cañizares (with two victories on the European main tour), whose presence adds an undeniable boost of quality, experience and competitive prestige to the event
The La Gomera meeting, which will bring together more than a hundred players from fifteen countries, arrives at a crucial point in the season, so the points at stake will be decisive for the course of the circuit. The significance of the event is demonstrated by the arrival of as many as eleven members of the ‘Top 20’ on the current money list
Notable international attractions include the French Alexandre Vandermoten, who sits third in the ranking, the Irishman Robert Moran (4th) and the Italian Enrico Di Nitto (6th). Alongside them, consistent players such as the Englishman Mason Essam (9th) or the Italian Alessandro Nodari (10th) will seek to seize the lead on Canary Islands soil
The Spanish contingent will once again be one of the largest and most competitive of the week, with several players in privileged positions to fight for the victory. Leading the national ranking are Pablo Alperi, fifth in the Order of Merit, and Mario Galiano, eighth, both in great form. They are joined by Gonzalo Leal (12th) and Víctor García Broto (13th), forming a group with serious chances of keeping the trophy at home, a list completed by names such as Alejandro Rodríguez, Eduard Rousaud and Jorge Maicas
Among the Spanish hopes, local attention will focus on Tenerife native Álvaro Hernández Cabezuela (17th), who arrives highly motivated after finishing third two weeks ago in Almería. “For me it is always a pleasure and a pride to play an Alps Tour tournament at Tecina Golf, because it is the only event we have each year in the Canary Islands. I come from finishing third, just one shot from the play-off at Playa Serena, and it was a good boost. With the good feelings in my game and the extra of playing at home, we hope for a great week”, says the island player
The Canary course, a work of art designed by Donald Steel, will again demand the utmost precision from the players. Its characteristic downhill design —starting from the top and playing towards the clubhouse in a constant descent— and, above all, its exposure to the Atlantic wind will be decisive factors
Hernández Cabezuela himself analyses the strategy that will mark the course of the tournament: “It is a course where very low rounds will be posted unless the wind picks up a lot. Generally, you have to make quite a few under par to be up there. For that we will need the putting to be very sharp and to hole those birdie opportunities that will be there. With good play off the tee and sinking those putts, you can be very high up the leaderboard”
With 19 professional tournaments under its belt between events on the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour) and the Alps Tour, and having seen world figures of the calibre of Brooks Koepka pass along its fairways, Tecina Golf is already ready to crown its new champion
The Fred. Olsen Alps de La Gomera has the support of the Gobierno de Canarias, Promotur Turismo de Canarias, el Cabildo Insular de La Gomera, la Federación Canaria de Golf, el Alps Tour y Kyocera. The promoter and organiser of the tournament is JGolf
