This week, Lerma Golf, in Burgos, will host the Alps de Las Castillas, a tournament jointly promoted by the Golf Federations of Castilla León and Castilla La Mancha together with the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, which comes at the peak of the Alps Tour.

There will be 144 players participating in the 12th event of the Alps Tour season, which includes 15 tournaments and the Grand Final, so the countdown has already begun and the fight to occupy those top 5 positions that give direct passage to the Challenge Tour is more fiercely contested than ever.

Frenchman Benjamin Kedochim, although he didn't win the trophy, maintained his lead in the rankings, which he secured week after week with six top-10 finishes, including two second-place and two third-place finishes. He is the undisputed leader of the Order of Merit and is unwilling to relinquish it, despite the competition vying to overtake him. For Kedochim, winning the Alps de Las Castillas would end a streak of six consecutive failed attempts at victory, even though he currently holds the number one ranking in the Alps Tour. 

The Alps de Las Castillas could be a crucial week for two players: American Brandon Kewalramani and Frenchman Theo Boulet, 25 and 21 years old respectively; between them they have 4 victories this season, and they know that the Alps de Las Castillas could change their lives: if they win, they would make the leap directly to the Challenge Tour without having to wait until the end of the season, when in the Challenge there are still many tournaments ahead and, therefore, opportunities to move to the DP World Tour, so Lerma Golf could be decisive in their professional careers.

A total of 15 countries from around the world are represented at the 12th edition of the Alps de Las Castillas, which returns to Lerma eight years after the successful 2016 edition. Players from Argentina, the United States, Australia, Egypt, Venezuela, Austria, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and of course, Spain, are already in Lerma practicing on the course today and tomorrow. The inaugural Pro-Am will be played on Wednesday, and the professional competition will run from Thursday to Saturday.

What will players find at the Alps de Las Castillas course at Lerma Golf? One of the best courses in Spain, the work of the brilliant Pepe Gancedo, who, upon first seeing it, said, "The course is already finished, God made it." Built in 1992 on a former hunting estate, it features holm oaks, junipers, and oaks typical of the Castilian landscape, along with eight lakes and two streams that add to the complexity of the challenging yet fair course, where players can enjoy brilliant shots in homage to its creator, Gancedo.

The Alps de las Castillas is sponsored by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation with Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, the Castilla-León Golf Federation, the Castilla-La Mancha Golf Federation, with the support of the Higher Sports Council, Alps Tour, Kyocera, Mahou San Miguel and Solán de Cabras, organized by JGolf.

SOURCE: Tournament Organization