The Alps Tour is back. The 2025 season kicks off right now. This week marks the first of the 18 events that make up the circuit. For the fourth consecutive year, the Alps Tour begins on the banks of the Nile with the celebration of the Ein Bay Open in Sokhna, Egypt.
The ultimate goal for all the golfers involved is clear. To secure one of the five cards that grant access at the end of the year to the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly Challenge Tour) and one of the six spots that provide access to the second stage of the DP World Tour School. All the Spaniards want to be Quim Vidal, the last of ours who secured one of the five coveted cards in 2023.
Since the Alps Tour started in 2001, a total of thirteen Spaniards have managed to ascend through this satellite circuit. The first was Francis Valera in 2005 and the last, the aforementioned Quim Vidal. In between, there have been three Spaniards who have won the circuit: Adri Arnaus (2017), Santi Tarrio (2018), and Víctor García Broto (2020). The winner of the circuit with the most prestige in recent years is the Englishman Matt Wallace, who claimed the order of merit in 2016 and is already a champion on the PGA Tour.
As mentioned, thirteen Spaniards have managed to ascend to the Challenge through the Alps. An unlucky number that was not increased last year, despite four of ours managing to win some of the annual events: Mario Galiano, José Sintes, Alejandro Aguilera, and Albert Boneta, none managed to finish in the top 5 of the annual ranking. However, Albert Boneta later secured the DP World Tour rights through the School. It’s the year to break that number.
Mario Galiano, the best Spaniard of last season, arrives in Egypt with high spirits and a mission at hand: “The goal is clear, I want to reach the Challenge Tour. Last year I came close to achieving it. I’m playing very well, and that gives me a lot of peace of mind.” The Andalusian not only thinks about the ascent but also about doing it as soon as possible: “I know I can win any tournament I play, so without putting too much pressure on myself, I would even like to achieve the ascent as soon as possible, winning three times and ascending directly this year.”
Ambition, desire, and enthusiasm are not lacking for a player who, however, has not received his suitcase. “I arrived three days ago, but they lost my luggage, and it still hasn’t arrived. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for three days,” Mario says amused. The clubs did arrive on time, and he has been able to train with them since he arrived.
On the other hand, we find Nacho Gómez Osuna, who secured the circuit rights through the School: “I’m happy with the preseason I’ve done, and I know the ultimate goal is to win. However, I first want to focus my efforts on a more mental aspect. I want to try to enjoy the golf course a bit more and focus more on the routine. I don’t want to obsess over every shot,” says Juan Ochoa’s pupil, “I want to try not to give it so much importance and not be obsessed with hitting it perfectly straight. I’m not setting any results in my head; first, I want to enjoy a bit,” says the Andalusian.
The very young José Antonio Sintés, just turned 19, lands in Egypt with the mission of repeating the title this season and taking another step in his golfing development. He acknowledges that he arrives in good shape and is going all out.
This first event of the year is held at Sokhna Golf Club, a course that demands a lot of finesse with the short game. It is the most accessible course of the Egyptian tour, and historically, low scores are achieved on a course that doesn’t have many meters, and the difference is made around the green.
The Spanish representation at this tournament’s start is quite substantial. In addition to the mentioned Mario, Nacho, and Jose Sintes, there are another 23 members of the Armada who will try to start the year with a great result: Asier Aguirre, Álvaro Hernández, Rubén Lafuente, Thomas Artigas, Hugo Expósito, Marc Sabria, José Luis Aldarraga, Javier Calles, Víctor García Broto, David Salgado, Jorge Maicas, Juan Salama, Rocco Repetto, Javier Barcos, José Manuel Pardo, Manuel Morugán, Borja Martín, Antón Vázquez, Ignacio Mateo, Manuel Ballesteros, Ignacio Fons, Agustí Quisquilla, and Ruben Pardo.
The Alps Tour will travel through seven different countries until October: Egypt, Tunisia, France, Austria, Spain, Andorra, and Italy. Our country will play a significant role in the circuit’s progress, as three different events will be held in our country, in Almería, La Gomera, and Las Pinaíllas. The circuit will close the year in October with the grand final to be held in Italy at a venue yet to be confirmed.
