Andreas Andersson (-9) is the first winner of the sixth season of the Gecko Tour. The 37 year-old Swedish veteran golfer found himself in the opening tournament of La Cañada with a total of 133 shots in two days. Exhibition. Cards for 66 and 67 shots for the win with none other than a six shot advantage over Juan Quirós and seven over Gabriel Cañizares.
Andersson found the best possible way to overcome the bad taste in his mouth from last week, when he was eliminated in the semifinals of the European Tour Qualifying School. He played at Panorámica and it’s undeniable that he showed up well-prepared, just as he demonstrated in the Gecko, but golf can be deceiving like that when you put it all on the line.
Andersson’s performance was so extraordinary that he only ran into trouble with one enemy along the way this week. It was on the 16th hole of La Cañada, traditionally one of the most complicated holes of the Cadiz course and the only one that was able to find the champion’s weak spot. A triple bogey on Monday and a bogey on Tuesday. Only three mistakes in 36 holes and two were on the same hole. Luckily for the Nordic golfer who lives in Mjolby, attached to the Landeryd course, this was all history thanks to the twelve birdies and eagle he made throughout the two days. “The key lies in the fact that I missed very few shots. My performance was solid and my game with the irons was really good. Obviously, in order to win it’s important to putt well, but above all I’d say the most important factor was the second shots. I played really well and I’m extremely content at having won. It boosts confidence, although logically I would have liked to play better last week at Panorámica”, Andersson said after his victory.
The Gecko seems to be in favor of the Swedish golfers in the opening tournament. Last year, at the Torrequebrada course, the young Marcus Kinhult won, golfer who played in both the Challenge and the European Tour this season. Andersson trusts in following in Kinhult’s footsteps and to compete in the European Tour. He already had the Challenge card in 2008, however, he hasn’t had many more opportunities to put his skills to the test at the highest, elite level. He only played in one tournament in the European Tour and he made the cut.
The fact that a Swedish golfer won in the Gecko is a testament to the international flavor of the Tour which provides golfers with the opportunity to play in high level competitions who don’t have access to do so in their countries. For example, the city of Mjolby, where Andersson lives, had a minimum temperature of six below zero last week.
It’s not the first win of Andersson’s long professional career. He has four first place trophies in the local Swedish tours, although his last win was in 2013. He made his debut back in the winner’s circle as champion of the Gecko Tour, where he’d already demonstrated his capabilities last year. In fact, he finished fourth in the Order of Merit despite the fact that he didn’t take home a win. “I got second various times and third but I was never able to win, so I’m pretty happy. I love the Gecko, it’s perfect for me because it’s impossible to play golf where I live right now. Additionally, to win in the Gecko you have to play really well. It’s evident in the fact that in the top ten there are always Challenge Tour and European Tour players. My idea is to stay here all winter and to play in as many Gecko tournaments as I can”, he explained.
The next event of the Gecko will be the special nocturnal tournament, the Dama de Noche. It will be held next Friday, November 18th. Next week, the second regular tournament will commence on the Marbella Country Club course.
