Hugh Foley carded a closing five-under 67 to secure his third top-10 finish of his maiden professional campaign at the Alps de Las Castillas at Las Pinaillas, while Ronan Mullarney had to settle for T11.
Foley began the day at -8 after rounds of 71 and 65, and birdied four of his opening nine holes to reach -12 at the turn and give himself a sniff of victory.
Unfortunately, bogeys were going to seem like doubles with the leaders a few strokes ahead, and despite adding four more birdies on the way home, dropped shots on 12 and 17 proved costly but a birdie at the last ultimately saw him push his way into a share of seventh – his highest finish on the Alps Tour since the New Giza Open in Egypt back in March.
Mullarney, having shot a bogey-free eight-under on day two to close to within two of the 36-hole lead, was targeting his first win since his 2023 Alps Order of Merit-winning season.
Eight consecutive pars saw his chances slipping away before he opened his birdie account on the day on the par-5 ninth. His first bogey followed on 10, but three birdies over the next four holes revived his hopes but the grandstand finish he required didn’t materialise and a bogey at the last saw him slip outside the top 10 and finish tied for 11th, with Michael Young settling for a share of 27th after a round of level-par.
Spaniard Antonio Hortal, playing alongside Mullarney and 36-hole leader, Matteo Cristoni in the final group, found the finish the others were craving and birdied the final three holes to run out a one-stroke winner over the trio of Italy’s Filippo Bergamaschi, and a pair of Spaniards in Javier Barcos and amateur Esteban Vazquez Martin.
Leave a comment