Exciting outcome in the Andalucía Challenge of Cádiz. The Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri witnessed a crowded playoff between six players from which Englishman Sam Hutsby emerged victorious, who had not won on the Challenge Tour since the 2014 Kazastan Open. He and the Frenchman Julien Sale signed birdies on the first playoff hole, the 18th, eliminating at once four rivals: Clément Berardo, Jesper Svensson, Filippo Celli (leader after the 3rd day) and Nicolai Kristensen who did not improve the par.

Pars for both on the second (hole 18) and already on the third (also on 18), the Englishman’s birdie put him on a platter the victory after nine years without winning. Remember that Hutsby has a DP World Tour card, has had a difficult year and, as he himself has said, he needed to return to the Challenge to regain the confidence that the demands of the main tour were taking away from him. Now he is smiling again.

“Right now I’m very excited. 2014 was my last Challenge Tour win. I started in the worst possible way, with a double bogey on hole 1, but I managed to keep my head down and use my experience to recover. When it came to the playoff, I was calm and confident because I have won about 15 playoffs in my career.

I’ve always been very confident in those situations, in fact, last year I won one of six players in the second round of the Qualifying School. I have always said that the level of the Challenge Tour is incredible, as evidenced by the number of players who go on to succeed on the DP World Tour. It’s very easy to fall off the pace in this sport and my season has not gone the way I would have liked it to go so far,” said Hutsby.

Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia, a six-time winner on the Challenge Tour, and South Africa’s J.J. Senekal were tied for seventh at 14 under par. While 2019 Challenge Tour winner Francesco Laporta and Manuel Elvira were ninth one stroke behind. With this win, Hutsby climbs to 21st on the Road to Mallorca, while Frenchman Ugo Coussaud maintains the lead.

Two stumbles at the end, double bogey at the 16th and bogey at the 18th, have relegated Manuel Elvira to the shared 9th position. His first victory in the Challenge Tour is still elusive. It has been a day in which he has been on top until the last stretch. A pity for the member of the Pro Spain RFEG that the triumph escapes from his hands again.

The Cantabrian closes a week that began and ended at par (72 strokes) with two good rounds of 66 and 65 on Friday and Saturday. The first victory on the Challenge Tour will have to wait, although it is getting closer thanks to the experience he is accumulating throughout the season. That victory would bring him much closer to promotion to the DP World Tour. Although the sensations left by the week were not the best.

“It has been a good week, but with a bittersweet taste at the end. I was very calm, I was playing very well, I wasn’t thinking too much about the classification. On the 16th hole I only missed one shot, as happens to all of us, I had not missed any all day. It was at the wrong time and in the wrong place. Now it’s time to recover. Victory is near, the door has not yet fallen, although we will keep knocking. I’m looking forward to it”. The Cantabrian player will play the next two weeks in the Czech Republic and France before taking a well-deserved rest.

Behind Elvira, in 15th place, we find Iván Cantero and Manuel Morugán, both with -10. The Asturian has delivered a final day of minus 4 and 68 strokes with 5 birdies and a bogey, which places him 17th in the Road to Mallorca. For his part, the player from Malaga and Alps Tour card holder, has completed a great last day of five under par and 67 strokes. Cantero shared the match with his countryman Alfredo García Heredia (-7), a little further behind in the table with one under par on the day and 71 strokes relegated to 33rd position.

Pedro Oriol and Alfonso Buendía finished with six under par. Meanwhile, Eduard Rousaud (-2), Pro Spain RFEG member, has signed his highest card of the week of +4 and 76 strokes. Other members of the Pro Spain Team, Javier Sainz and Victor Pastor, finished with +6 and +3 respectively. Marcos Pastor (-1) and Dani Berna (+2).