Benahavís player wins second title of the season after intense finale

Benahavís player wins second title of the season after intense finale.
Benahavís player wins second title of the season after intense finale.

Manuel Quirós has secured a second win on this season’s The Gecko Tour. The experienced golfer from Benahavís won the 10th event of the 2015-16 season, and second of the year, held at the Guadalhorce Golf Club and Parador Málaga Golf courses. The battle for supremacy in the third and final round today was frenetic, eventually resolved by the player who could best control his nerves when the moment of truth arrived. Quirós sealed victory with a final round 69 and a tournament total of 207.

Benahavís player wins second title of the season after intense finale.
Benahavís player wins second title of the season after intense finale.

The last round was packed with excitement. From the first hole it became a tussle on three fronts, with Quirós, Sweden’s William Nygard and Scott Fernández from Granada the main protagonists. All three held the lead at some stage with six holes remaining, although in the end it was the Málaga player who emerged victorious. “Experience is an advantage and there’s no question it helps,” said the new champion after receiving his trophy, “but it can also be a double-edged sword because at times you find yourself playing against the younger players and you become too eager and anxious to win. Also, I lost a play-off in this same tournament last year and those things can stay in your head.”

The final phase of the tournament was played at a frenzied pace: Quirós and Fernández led through the 13th, Quirós was the sole leader after the 14th, and on the 16th he was caught by Nygard. Both were level on nine-under with two holes to play. Not the best situation for those with a heart condition. At this point Quirós was able to handle the pressure better. It should not been forgotten that the Costa del Sol veteran has fought a thousand battles over the years, with extensive experience on the Challenge Tour and European Tour. He once even competed in sudden-death against British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.

Nygard carded a double-bogey on the 17th, leaving the path clear for his rival, who went on to win with pars on the final two holes. Fernández fell out of contention with bogeys on the 15th, 17th and 18th, and Quirós finally finished two ahead of runner-up Nygard and four clear of Fernández, Niklas Dahlgren and Jamie Dick.

“I think Nygard chose the wrong club on the 17th, and that was the key. In the end, it’s the small details that can decide a tournament. Fortunately, this year I’ve been able to stay calm during a round, from start to finish. I begin calm and I finish calm, and I think that’s important.”

This was Quirós’s second win of the season, after his victory in the tournament held at Finca Cortesín and San Roque Club. Quite an impressive effort, as that means he has won at courses which have hosted several European Tour events, Cortesín, San Roque and the Parador. The win also enabled him to close the gap against order of merit leader Marcos Pastor, although the Córdoba player – who finished sixth this week – is defending his position tooth and nail.

The high level of play on The Gecko Tour is patently clear, as highlighted by the following points: this latest tournament was won by a player who competed against Oosthuizen in a play-off for the Africa Open; in third position was a golfer who has his card to play on this year’s Challenge Tour, Scott Fernández; and missing the cut were players of the calibre of Mario Galiano, who rose to third in the world amateur rankings, and Gabriel Cañizares and Mark Tullo, both with extensive experience on the European Tour. You have to play extremely well on The Gecko Tour to finish high up on the leaderboard. Solid competitive tests at the highest level… with such first-class venues as Guadalhorce and the Parador.  

The next event on The Gecko Tour will be held next week (26 to 28 January) at Río Real GC and Atalaya Country Club.

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