In the News

[Jeffrey Reed]

Trio of Tours Set to Open 2010 Season in Antioquia, Colombia



Rionegro, Colombia (February 16, 2010) – Arriving from 26 nations and hoping to make the ‘Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia’ the start of a promising 2010 season, the best players from the Canadian Tour the Tour de las Americas, and the European Challenge Tour have made it this week to the striking mountain area of Rionegro, Colombia.



"This is the first opportunity we have had to put our top players up against a field of top players from Europe. Along with the brightest young players from Latin America, this is going to be a very exciting tournament," stated Canadian Tour Commissioner Richard Janes from Medellin. "We have looked forward to this opportunity for several years and it’s just the beginning of things to come."

With a field this competitive, there are plenty of favorites to take the trophy home. On the TLA front there are players such as Argentina’s Julio Zapata, Sebastian Fernandez, Daniel Barbetti and Paulo Pinto, Jamaica’s John Bloomfield, Guatemala’s Pablo Acuña, USA’s Dan Olsen and Colombia’s own Eduardo Herrera and Jesus Amaya.



The European Challenge Tour brings talents such as Spain’s Carlos Del Moral, one of several players who competed on the European Tour last season, and Holland’s Wil Besseling and Argentina’s Alan Wagner, winners of the last two events co-sanctioned by the ECT and the TLA in Colombia in 2008 and 2009.



A member of both the TLA and the Challenge Tour, the man defending the title this week is Peter Gustafsson. The trophy collected here a year ago allowed the Swede to finish first on the 2009 TLA Order of Merit, an honor that has awarded him exemptions for two Nationwide Tour and one PGA Tour events to be played over the three weeks following this event.



The Canadian Tour is bringing top players such as the USA’s Byron Smith, Canada’s Ryan Yip, Brazil’s Lucas Lee, Chile’s Hugo Leon and Argentina’s Mauricio Molina and Rafael Gomez. The last three players mentioned earned a prominent spot on this Tour after their solid performances on the series of events co-sanctioned with the TLA at the end of 2008.



The 156-man field also features the best Colombian players, including the promising Manuel Villegas, whose older brother Camilo is the nation’s brightest star on the PGA TOUR. The Villegas brothers grew up and developed as golfers only a few miles away from here in Medellin, the second largest city of Colombia.



This championship gained international recognition only last year, when it was sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas for the first time ever. The organizers and its supporters, such as Antioquia Governor Luis Alfredo Ramos Botero, aimed for a larger event by increasing the prize purse to US $220,000 – a 65% rise that landed the three Tours here this week.



In operation for more than forty years, the host golf course at the Club Campestre El Rodeo Sede La Macarena has caused a great impression among the visiting players. The 6,792-yard par-72 is a challenging and mature course with several elevation changes and strategically located water hazards. The course is not new to world class golf, as top stars such as Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Sam Torrance and Curtis Strange came to play here back in the seventies and eighties.



Canadian Tour Players Participating:

Hoyt MCGARITY - USA

Johnny BLOOMFIELD - Jamacia

Byron SMITH - USA

Ryan YIP - CAN

Rafael GOMEZ - Argentina

Mauricio MOLINA - Argentina

Lucas LEE - Brazil

Hugo LEON - Chile

Wes HEFFERMAN - CAN

Andres GONZALES - USA

Andy MATTHEWS - USA

Liam KENDREGAN - USA

Mitchell GILLIS - CAN

Andrew PARR - CAN

Mike MEZEI - CAN

Daniel IM - USA

Richard SCOTT - CAN

Ryan C CARTER - USA

JC DEACON - CAN

Garrett FRANK - USA

Derek GILLESPIE - CAN

Ryan THORNBERRY - USA

Jae Woo IM - Korea

Josh HABIG - USA

Brad HEAVEN - Australia

Russell SURBER – USA

Matt JOHNSTON - CAN

[Jeffrey Reed]

Canadian Tour – Round 2 Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia
Colombian Alvarez Shoots 64 to Tie Ojeda for the Lead

Rionegro, Colombia (February 19, 2010) – Colombia’s Oscar Alvarez carded a 7-under par 64 to tie Argentina’s Francisco Ojeda for the lead of the Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia, a season opening event co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas, the European Challenge Tour and the Canadian Tour.

The two TLA members share the lead at 7-under par 135 halfway thru the US $220,000 tournament. Ojeda got himself in position to retain the outright lead after an eagle on No. 8, his 17th hole, but three-putted his final hole for bogey.

The co-leaders are only one stroke ahead of a trio of players sharing the third spot. David Alvarez, a promising talent who emerged from the host Club Campestre El Rodeo Sede La Macarena, carded a 69 earlier in the day to finish among them. The other two are Challenge Tour members Nathan Smith of the U.S., 65, and Marcus Higley of England, 69.

The cut for the top 60 and ties came at 2-over par 144 and it was made by 74 players. Thirty-one of them are at 1-under par or better after 36 holes of play.

“I felt good as well yesterday, but the putts didn’t fall as nicely as they did today. I knew I needed a good round today, because yesterday’s even-par 71 wasn’t good enough to have a chance,” said the 27-year old Alvarez after his solid second day.

The Medellin native started off the tenth and collected six birdies, one eagle and only one bogey to shoot 32 on each nine. The 526-yard par-five No 8 has been extremely friendly to him, as he has carded eagles there on each round played so far.

Ojeda, who carded a 64 of his own to lead after the opening round, struggled to remain at the top. “It was an extremely long day. I started striking the ball poorly right from the beginning. Although I three-putted twice (on holes 3 and 9), I feel my putting was quite good,” commented the 30-year old after a day of four bogeys and two eagles.

Apparently it was a good day if your name was Oscar, as Sweden’s Oscar Floren was the other man, besides the co-leader Alvarez, to fire a 64. In danger of missing the cut after an opening 76, the European came back with eight birdies and one bogey to move into a tie for 15th – way ahead of the 121st spot he held after the first round.

[Jeffrey Reed]

Home Course Advantage for Colombian Vanegas



Rionegro, Colombia (February 20, 2010) – Home sweet home, that’s what the Club Campestre El Rodeo Sede La Macarena has been for Colombian David Vanegas. At 23 and starting only his second season as a pro, the player from the host club grabbed the outright lead this afternoon in the Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia.



Starting the day one behind the co-leaders, Vanegas slipped ahead by carding a hard fought 2-under par 69. His effort took him to 8-under par 205 for the week, one stroke ahead of TLA’s Vince Covello. The U.S. player carded a 69 as well to take the solo second at the US $220,000 event co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas, the European Challenge Tour and the Canadian Tour.



Another stroke further behind the third place is shared by Spain’s Alvaro Velasco, 69, the USA’s Nathan Smith, 71, and Colombia’s Oscar Alvarez, who lost his share of the co-lead by posting a 72. Norway’s Jan-Are Larsen scored a 68 to take the sixth spot, only three off the pace, while defending champion Peter Gustafsson of Sweden was one of two players carding a best-of-the-day 67 that keeps his chance of back-to-back wins still alive. The low Canadian Tour member is Canadian Ryan Yip after a three under round to move into a T 14th.



Starting the day as the other co-leader of the tournament, Argentina’s Francisco Ojeda ended up in a six-way tie for eight. His solid week at La Macarena was spoiled by a disappointing quadruple-bogey 8 on No 15 that cost him a 75.



“I was a little nervous earlier in the day, but that was something I managed to control. I started with bogeys on holes 1 and 6, but then I found the strength to recover and finish well,” said Vanegas, who moved into the lead by collecting five birdies between holes 7 and 15.



Thru fifteen the local favorite was enjoying a three-stroke lead at 9-under for the week, but then he bogeyed the par-five 16. “I was carless on my second shot on 16. I thought it was so easy that I lost my concentration and made a bogey. Then a pared the last two, but I’m o.k. I feel good.”



“I think you have to be lucky to have a tournament of this magnitude at home, on a golf course you know so well. It would be huge for me to win, but I know it’s going to be a tough final round. There are many good players here, separated by only a few strokes,” added Vanegas, searching for his first career win as a professional.



Meanwhile, Vince Covello of the U.S., the first medalist at the TLA Q-School B last week in Florida, is looking for his fourth career win after victories on the Golden Bear and the Gateway Tour. “I’m excited to be in this position. It’s my first time in this kind of stage and I’m looking forward to playing well tomorrow,” said Covello, who claimed the solo second with a birdie on the final hole today.



Starting at 12:05 p.m. local time on Sunday, Vanegas will play along with Covello and Velasco of Spain on the final group. At the end of the day the man finishing at the top will take home a US $35,200 check and playing privileges on the three Tours co-sanctioning to start the 2010 season.



Earlier today Argentina’s Miguel Rodriguez made a hole-in-one, the only so far this week. The Buenos Aires native, a former TLA and Challenge Tour champion, hit an 8-iron for his ace at the 171-yard 17th. He followed with a birdie at the 18th to post a 69 and get to even-par for the week. It was the seventh hole-in-one of his life, his fourth in tournament play.

[Jeffrey Reed]

Colombian David Vanegas Simply Unstoppable



Rionegro, Colombia (February 21, 2010) – Colombia’s David Vanegas provided a dominating final day performance to make the Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia the most memorable event of his career of only fourteen months as a professional.



Leading by one at the start the day, Vanegas never hesitated on his way to a first career victory. He carded a final round 67 to finish the week at 12-under par 272, four strokes ahead of Nathan Smith. The runner-up from the U.S. carded a 69 that featured a great 7-iron for hole-in-one at the 195-yard No 11.



It’s hard to imagine a better setting for a first career win for the new champion, who excelled at the Club Campestre El Rodeo Sede La Macarena, his home course and host of this event, while battling the top players from the Tour de las Americas, the European Challenge Tour and the Canadian Tour. The three Tours co-sanctioned the US $220,000 event to open their 2010 season.



“I can barely contain my tears, this is so emotional! I’m extremely happy to win, but I find it hard to explain how I feel,” said the 23-year old champion, awarded a US $35,200 check and playing privileges on the three Tours that joined efforts and talents this week in Colombia.



With the top 7 players entering the final day within four strokes of the lead, we all expected a wide open race for the title. Vanegas himself anticipated a tough day, but it wasn’t! He was so focused and driven that his lead was never in danger.



After a birdie on the first hole and a bogey on the third, he ran away from the rest of the pack with a brilliant run of birdie-par-birdie-birdie-birdie between the eight and the twelfth. He followed his hot streak with a bogey at the thirteenth and closed with a birdie that made the fans in attendance erupt on the final hole.



“There are many opportunities for me to play internationally after this win and I intend to take full advantage of them. I’m going to enjoy this one and over the following few days I will decide where to play,” added the first Colombian ever to win a co-sanctioned event.



The distant third, six strokes off the pace set by the winner, was taken by U.S. player Vince Covello, 72 today. Another stroke further behind the solo fourth belonged to the defending champion Peter Gustafsson of Sweden, who closed the tournament with a 70.