Daniel Young finishes T17 as Matt Wallace 

chalks up sixth win of Alps Tour season

      Matt Wallace with the Alps Tour Grand Final trophy. Picture by Tristan Jones

Englishman Matt Wallace from Moor Park, Hertfordshire completed a sensational Alps Tour season by chalking up his sixth victory in the Grand Final over 72 holes at Miglianico Golf and Country Club, Italy.
Wallace, who wins promotion to the Challenge Tour alongwith the others in top five of the Alps Tour Order of Merit, plus a cheque for 9,750 euros, had rounds of 63, 70, 66 and 68 for a 17-under-par total of 267.
He won by one shot from Frenchman Richard Jouven who scored 67, 66, 69 and 66 for 268. He earned 6,500 euros.
Scot Daniel Young from Perth, slipped down the leaderboard with a one-over-par closing round of 72 to finish T17 on nine-under 275 with rounds of 71, 65, 67 and 72. He earned 1,007 euros, considerably less than he would have received had he been able to maintain his second and third-round scoring standard.

Wallace crushing the Alps Tour opposition all season like nobody before: six victories and, icing on the cake, and the most important, this one: 

“It has been hard because I knew everybody will attack from all guys looking for the Challenge Tour card. And my objective was to win the tournament indeed. This was the most difficult victory of the year,” said Wallace.

Runner-up Richard Jouven smiled too in this sunny evening. It is his best performance in a professional tournament since he turned pro at the beginning of the season.

Some second places strongly look like victories:  
" I tried to do not think that I was fighting against Wallace today. As I didn’t play with him, it was easier. But it is true that the guy intimidates us, he is so good in all aspects of the game. And yes, it’s almost a victory for me,” said the Frenchman. 

In a clubhouse corner this evening, the only sad face is Franck Daux, who said "ciao” to his dream of playing on the Challenge Tour next year, having missed out on the last card by 25 points - a fate made all the more difficult to swallow as he shot -6 today to finish 14^th in the final  tournament. This is a cruel scenario because Daux had been in the top five all the long Alps Tour season.

The one who came to take the fifth spot, on his native soil, was Federico Maccario. The Italian finished fifth, four shots behind Wallace.

 “Today has probably been the longest day of my career. During the first three days it was ok. But today, I feel that the last five or six holes were never ending,” said Maccario

Enrico Di Nitto, Federico Maccario, Tom Shadbolt and Victor Perez will play next season on the Challenge Tour along with Matt Wallace, who, whenever he had the opportunity, was a great ambassador for the Alps Tour. 

The winner this evening, the celebrated and admired, Matt Wallace leaves the Alps Tour with his trophy but his heart is a little heavy: “The Alps Tour will remain in my memory forever. For the friends I met, for the countries I visited. I've played on the European Tour, I've played on the Challenge Tour but I never experienced such an atmosphere as there is among the players on the Alps Tour.”

Matt Wallace is the image of the Champion. His victory today is the image of his season.