Mario Galiano won his second consecutive title on The Gecko Tour, while Englishman Nick Marsh was the leading pro in a gruelling tournament played in extremely windy conditions at La Cañada and Almenara.
Mario II The Great… that’s certainly how we could describe this talented young Andalucian golfer from now on. Mario Galiano, from the nearby El Tesorillo village, won his second Gecko Tour event in a row, triumphing today after an exciting final round played at La Cañada.
Galiano was the only player able to finish under par after three tough and windy days at Almenara Golf Club and La Cañada. He won with a total of 213, two better than Swede Fredrik From and Britain’s Nick Marsh – the pair having to compete in a play-off to determine the winner among the professionals.
Eventually that honour went to Marsh, a 21-year-old Englishman who turned pro four months ago and who clearly enjoys being in Sotogrande: last year he was a member of the England team that won the Nations Cup here. Another young golfer with a promising future… Fourth was Manuel Quirós, four strokes behind the winner. His strong performance enabled him to overtake Marcos Pastor – absent this week – at the head of the Gecko Order of Merit.
Galiano began the final round as the overnight leader, and finished with an even-par 71. He carded three birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey, showing great composure in the concluding stages when the advantage over his nearest rivals was tight. Especially praiseworthy was his reaction after a double-bogey on the 10th. No more errors after that setback, and one birdie. Straight out of the textbook. “It was a really nice tournament,” he said later, “as the conditions were terrifying and it was quite fun. I played pretty well over the first two days, but my putting on the first day was ordinary. I’ve been putting badly for a while now and I decided to change the putter for one I had before. It worked great for me over the next two days. The second day I played well and putted better, but unfortunately they all didn’t go in, even though I did hit them very well.”
The last day was extremely difficult at La Cañada, a public (municipal) course in Guadiaro which always presents players with a major challenge. Only Jamie Dick managed to card under 70, producing the best round of the day (68), while five other players beat par: Estonia’s Sander Aadusaar, Andalucian Manuel Quirós, Finn Fleer from Germany, Briton James Need and Swede Fredrik From.
The new champion admitted it had been tough for him as well. “It was one of those days you want to forget. My swing was terrible, but because it’s my course I was able to save many difficult situations, especially with pars on the 13th and 14th. I’m happy to have won, but it leaves a bittersweet taste because of how poorly I played today.”
Galiano’s victory is just one more demonstration of how The Gecko Tour has become well established as a circuit where Europe’s finest young talents can shine. This week’s winner is, in fact, one of the world’s leading amateurs, having won a bronze medal in last year’s World Championship and winning the European title as a member of the Spanish team. The strength of this contingent of young stars of the future is amply shown by their performances on The Gecko Tour this week. Among the players making the cut were no fewer than five amateurs, all playing in particularly tough conditions – a priceless experience for them.
In fact, the tricky conditions were well reflected in the cut, which came at 12-over – the highest of the whole season so far. Nevertheless, the tournament was highlighted by some great shots and some magical moments, including a hole-in-one by Ryan Fitt on the 13th at La Cañada during the first round.
The next event on The Gecko Tour will be next week, from 16 to 18 February, at Marbella Golf & CC and Santa Clara Golf Marbella.