Frenchman Romain Langasque is proudly heading to next month’s U.S. Open after brilliantly collecting a first Tour victory in muscling his way to a two shot success at the ISPS Handa Open Wales Open at Celtic Manor.
Langasque, 25 and a former British Amateur champion (2015), came from five shots back heading to the last day and win with a stunning bogey-free 65 for an eight-under par total.
The Cadris-born golfer, and located to the north-west of Cannes, is second French winner on Tour this season after Joel Statler won a month ago in Austria and a third since Dundee-based Victor Perez captured last October’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews.
As well, Langasque is the second French golfer to win the stunning-looking Wales Open trophy after Gregory Bourdy became the first in 2013.
Though it was nearly an hour’s wait at the back of the final green for a now mask-wearing Frenchman before he could claim success.
“This is where we all want to be.”
Hear from @Lancaisse after his maiden Tour victory at the #ISPSHANDAWalesOpen. #GolfForGood pic.twitter.com/VRRki0QWyW
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 23, 2020
“I had a good session with my coach at the start of the week, so I was playing really good coming into the event given all the work we had done on my game,” he said.
“It’s one of the first times I really did not feel any pressure as I was playing shot-for-shot and it wasn’t till my wedge shot on the 18th that I felt some pressure as I did not want to be short or also be long.
“Aside from that for most of the day I felt cool and really well on the course while it was also a long wait but it was all worth it coming from five shots back to my first European Tour event.
““Everything in golf can go so quick. I’m really happy, this is where we all want to be. Now I’ll have some good opportunities. I need to focus again, but it’s where I’m looking forward to go. Playing my first U.S. Open this year, the good thing is with no public there’s less pressure on it being my first one. I’m really proud of myself.”
Finland’s Sami Valimaki, and the winner earlier this year of the Oman Open, shot a 69 to grab second place at six-under but only after Swede Sebastian Soderberg, who shared the third day lead with Syme, took a triple-bogey ‘8’ at the last in a 74 to drop to a three-way share of fifth on four-under.
