Alex Belt (-7) made every golfers dream a reality today at the Marbella Club Golf Resort. He went into the last hole of the tournament needing a birdie to tie with the young, talented Northern Irish golfer Dermot McElroy, who was already waiting at the club house with an excellent score of six under par. Belt didn’t make the birdie, but rather came out much better. He played the 18th exactly by the books, and shot an eagle to take home the win.
It’s Belt’s second win in just three tournaments in the Gecko. He arrived to the best winter tournament in Europe in his best moment. “I’m playing really well. I’ve been playing at a very high level for some time now, although the results haven’t done it justice. Now it’s finally starting to show in the cards and it’s really satisfying. I couldn’t think of a better way to prepare for the PGA Tour in China”, he assured just after signing the card.
Belt was the star of one of the most exciting victories of the Gecko this season. His eagle left everyone in shock. Almost impossible to have played the hole better. He hit an outrageous drive to the center of the fairway, an incredible iron to the middle of the green and an amazingly accurate putt seven meters away from the hole. The young McElroy will have to wait for his first win as professional. It definitely won’t be long. “I wouldn’t say it was the best win of my career but it was definitely the most fun”, he assures.
Belt won with a total score of 137 shots in 36 holes. McElroy was the sole golfer in second place, and two shots away, in third place, was Manuel Quirós. Jaime Camargo, Gabriel Cañizares and leader in the order of merit, Andreas Andersson made up the top five. Precisely, the Swedish golfer is the only one, together with Belt, who’s won two tournaments this year in the Gecko.
As far as the order of merit, Belt, 31 years old, has become a serious candidate to win it, although he won’t have it easy, due to the fact that he’s going to play his next tournament at the Paradise Golf Club and won’t be back to the Gecko until the last two tournaments in Calanova and Finca Cortesín. “I would love to win the order of merit, but it’s going to be difficult because I won’t be playing a lot from now until the end. I would like to stay, but I have to go back to England to sort some things out before going to China in May to play in the PGA Tour in China”, Belt remarks.
The next Gecko tournament will be at the Paraíso Golf Club course Monday and Tuesday of next week.
