Fürth, Germany - "The pressure was on me right from the start." Alexandre Liu went into the final round of the Richter+Frenzel Open 2022 as the man being hunted. The Frenchman had led from round one - and now had to deal with a corresponding level of expectation. It did not help that he was one over par after eight holes of the final round - the two-stroke lead was suddenly gone. "The start was not good," Liu said. "After eight holes, I was thinking too far ahead. But that's not good on the golf course. That's why I focused on the moment again - on every single shot. That took some of the pressure off me." On the second nine at the Golf Club Fürth, the 21-year-old then followed up with a mature performance thanks to his new mindset.

Liu recorded four birdies on his back nine. In particular, his putting was as good as on the first day, when he laid the foundation for his success with a sensational 64 (-6). "The key was my game on the greens. I didn't three-putt all week. On the first day, my putter was really 'on fire'." Liu, who spoke highly of the conditions at Golf Club Fürth, can be proud of his performance over the three days in Middle Franconia. In a thrilling title fight with Alan de Bondt (Belgium) as well as compatriot Clement Guichard, he kept his nerve - not a matter of course in view of a possible victory premiere.

"I still don't realise how happy I am," said Liu, who had to take a deep breath shortly after his victory. "I have been waiting for this moment for so long. There are no words to describe this." He had not expected this success himself. "Last year I played for the win every now and then. That's why I knew that if I play well, I have a chance to win. But I didn't expect it." Liu describes himself as a late starter who only started playing golf when he was eleven, but then made tremendous progress within the first few years. "I knew right away that I wanted to turn pro. I worked very hard from the beginning."

Leaderboard: All results at a glance

"The conditions here were absolutely perfect. That's why I would like to thank all the participants and sponsors. Everything at this tournament was very well organised," said Liu, who played only his second Pro Golf Tour event this season and moved up 101 places in the Order of Merit.

The new leader in the season ranking is De Bondt, who had won the season opener in Egypt and now finished second in Fürth. The next stop is the ALTEPRO Trophy in the Czech Republic (26-28 August).

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