The Alps Tour remains in France this week for the 14th event of the regular season at the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open. Paul McBride and Robert Moran fly the standard for Ireland at Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club, with Moran eyeing up a Challenge Tour card for ’25. He sits ninth on the Order of Merit with just two tournaments left before the Grand Final in Italy next month.
Like the past two editions, the tournament is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) and the Alps Tour. Therefore, the event field will be split in half between players belonging to both tours, 66 players from each tour. However, the competitors will be competing for two separate prize funds and two separate titles. The event covers 54-holes from the 12th to the 14th with a cut on day two.
Moran is still in search of a maiden victory on his breakout rookie season, but his consistency all year means he is still in contention for promotion at the first time of asking. The 25-year-old Castle GC man has four top-10s under his belt as well as never finishing lower than 48th over the 13 events thus far.
His solo second at the Alps de Andalucia was aided by a fine 64 on his final day to give him his best finish of the season, but he will look to go one better over the final knockings on this year’s Tour. Moran looks to emulate Ronan Mullarney’s exploits of last season and win this event and the OOM, however the top five will be enough to see him graduate to next year’s Challenge Tour.
McBride, meanwhile, lies in 46th in the OOM but comes to Saint Omer having equalled his best finish of the season last week at the inaugural Longway Alps Challenge. His tie for sixth spot matching his finish at the Alps de Roquetas de Mar, his only top tens of the season. He will be hoping for more of the same in France to push his way up the order.
Most of this season’s winners will be competing in the 66 players field this week, including the two-time winners, France’s Théo Boulet and Brandon Kewalramani of the US, as well as last week’s winner, France’s Damien Perrier. The only player in the top ten not taking part is Austria’s Maximilian Steinlechner who currently occupies 10th spot on the rankings.
Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club will play as a 6760-yard, par-71 for the field with a 36-35 split. It is set in the middle of a natural site, with spectacular views of the Valley of the AA. The course has an undulating terrain surrounded by trees that offer various challenges to each player.
A pair of par-threes await on both nines but a tricky 5-4-5 finish to the outward nine one to watch as the action develops over the three days. The 66 players scheduled to play this week represent 13 different nationalities. They will compete for a prize fund of € 40.000 and 45,000 Order of Merit points. The winner of the 2024 Hauts de France—Pas de Calais Golf Open will earn €6,400 and 6,525 Order of Merit points.
The action kicks off on Thursday morning with the opening group heading out at 8.25am while the Irish duo will be a part of the afternoon swing. McBride hits the 10th tee box to begin his week at 12.35 local time while Moran heads out from the same hole a half an hour later at 12.55.
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