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Victor & No. 1: Robbie van West

KUHN Maßkonfektion Open 2019

With a two-stroke lead Dutchman Robbie van West has secured himself the trophy of the KUHN Maßkonfektion Open 2019. At the Golfclub Glashofen-Neusaß in Germany the 26-year-old from Eindhoven celebrates his first win of the season with a total 7 under par (68, 69, 72). With this success he also takes first place in the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit. Rank 2 at the tournament in Walldürn-Neusaß was shared by the Germans Hurly Long and Christopher Carstensen, the Finn Sami Välimäki and the Frenchman Romain Vallaeys.


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Walldürn-Neusaß/Germany – It was a dramatic final phase of this 13th tournament of the 2019 Pro Golf Tour season: for two days Romain Vallaeys had led the competition and tamed the extremely demanding par 72 golf course of the GC Glashofen-Neusaß with rounds of 66 and 69 strokes. With a two stroke advantage over Robbie van West the tour rookie teed off for the final round, and he was in true believe he was also leading on this third and final day without a break. Although the gap melted after a birdie of the Dutchman on hole 17 Vallaeys thought to go to the 18th tee box leading by a stroke - and all of a sudden found himself one stroke behind Robbie van West!

What had happened? At hole 15, Vallaey's caddy had breached rule 10.2 when he was in direct extension of the putt line after his player had already taken his stance position. The result: a two stroke penalty and a particularly bitter double bogey for the man from Vallauris; this fact tournament director Simon Bowler had to tell him on the 17th green.

"Suddenly I was not a stroke back but one in the front," said Robbie van West, completely surprised by the new situation as well. "Of course I was very sorry for Romain," said van West, "that was more than unfortunate."

But still he was very happy about this victory which he fixed on his belt just some minutes later playing par on hole 18. Robbie van West had convinced the whole week with a strong iron game, smart tactics and excellent putts. "My long game was not perfect, but I made no big mistakes and played well around the greens," the champion said. In particular the front nine of the par 72 course he had under impressive control, scored a total 11 under par there in the three rounds of the event.

"A tournament victory was my minimum goal this year!"

The tournament victory and the associated 5000 ranking list points make the professional from Eindhoven the new number 1 Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit. "I had set one tournament victory this year as my minimum goal. The fact that I have managed to do so already in the middle of the season improves my starting position in the fight for one of the promotion places for the Challenge Tour ", said Robbie van West with satisfaction. Overall, this was his third tournament success on the Pro Golf Tour. In the 2018 season he had won the Open Madaef in Morocco, in the 2017 season he secured himself the trophy of the Open The Tony Jacklin.

He can further improve this chances for a Challenge Tour promotion spot on the 18th of June: Then the first round of the Czech Classic 2019 is on the calendar of the Pro Golf Tour at the Czech Kaskáda Golf Resort in Brno.