Ronan Mullarney came into the Alps Tour Grand Final in fourth place in the Order of Merit with the leading five players securing HotelPlanner Tour cards for 2026, and the Galway man is on course to defend his position after opening with a three-under 69 that leaves him tied for sixth.
Just over 400 points separate Mullarney (21,415.79) in fourth and Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela (21,202.13) in sixth, so every shot is crucial at Golf Nazionale in Rome, and Mullarney, playing in the second-to-last group in round one alongside third-ranked Quentin Debove, found himself at level-par through nine after making two birdies on his first two holes but then carding a double on the fourth.
Further birdies on 10 and 14 moved him back up the leaderboard, but a bogey on 17 dropped him to -1 playing the last. He delivered a grandstand finish, however, making one of only two eagles on the par-5 18th and it thrust him back into the top 10 where he’s one stroke behind fifth-ranked Asier Aguirre Izcue and one ahead of Cabezuela.
Alongside Mullarney is Robert Moran who birdied four of his final five holes to go from +1 to -3, while Hugh Foley had an eventful day where he made five birdies, four bogeys and two doubles to shoot 75 and share 33rd.
Order of Merit leader, Javier Barcos, took first-round-leader honours after a six-under 66 that leaves the Spaniard one clear of France’s Theo Brizard and Italian duo Marco Florioli and Ludovico Addabbo.
“It’s awesome to be in the lead after the opening round and lead the Order of Merit here at the Final,” Barco said. “It makes me want to come out here and show why I’m first overall. I’m very happy with how things went today, and hopefully the next two rounds will go just as well.”
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