Club Colombia Masters
Encyclopedia
The Club Colombia Masters was a golf
tournament co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour
and the Tour de las Américas
and was first played in 2007. The event was held at the Country Club de Bogotá, in Bogotá
, Colombia
. The tournament was organized by the Corporacion Internacional de Golf, managed by German Calle Jr. and Jorge Muñoz. This was the first golf tournament ever to be sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour
in Colombia
. In 2010 it was replaced on the schedule by the Copa Antioquia
, held in Medellín
.
from Italy
. Molinari, the 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, had turned professional the year before and was trying to get onto a tour
when he was invited to play in Bogotá. Molinari and Gustavo Mendoza, a local player, entered a sudden-death play-off which was settled on the second extra hole after their fourth round scores left them tied at the top of the leaderboard on five under par (269). For this first professional win Molinari received €
21,690 and the right to play on the European Challenge Tour, the lower tier of the European Tour.
“This is incredible,” Molinari smiled. “It was quite a spectacular week. I’m very happy about this victory, because I worked hard for it during the winter. I’m going to enjoy it.”
“I started very well and my swing felt good all day,” he said. “I struggled a little yesterday, but today it was really good. I didn’t make any mistakes and it feels great to be the winner. Although I had a lead, I just tried to keep playing one shot at a time,” he added. “The guys made some bogeys behind me and that made the gap even bigger but I just kept playing my own game and it all worked out perfectly. It feels awesome."
and the Tour de las Americas
. Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas had a 9 hole demonstration on the Tuesday prior to the tournament where he played with his brother Manuel. Large crowds came to the Country Club de Bogota for Villegas only presentation of the year in his home country.
Teenager Alan Wagner from Argentina clinched his maiden Challenge Tour title on the final day when the lead changed hands several times. Wagner eventually emerged triumphant after a round of 68 to close on 13 under par. The 19 year old received a winner’s cheque for US$24,802 and finished at the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings and one shot in front of his nearest challenger Edoardo Molinari of Italy, the 2007 winner.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
and the Tour de las Américas
Tour de las Americas
The Tour de las Américas is the men's professional golf tour for Latin America.Top level tournament golf in Latin America has had an unstable history. Some of the national open championships in the region are long established, but they did not traditionally form a coherent tour...
and was first played in 2007. The event was held at the Country Club de Bogotá, in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. The tournament was organized by the Corporacion Internacional de Golf, managed by German Calle Jr. and Jorge Muñoz. This was the first golf tournament ever to be sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. In 2010 it was replaced on the schedule by the Copa Antioquia
Copa Antioquia
The Copa Antioquia is an annual golf tournament held in Medellín, Colombia. It was founded in 2009 and forms part of the Latin America based Tour de las Américas....
, held in Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
.
2007
The first tournament was won by Edoardo MolinariEdoardo Molinari
Edoardo Molinari is an Italian professional golfer. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour, 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, 2009 Challenge Tour Rankings leader, winner, with his brother Francesco, of the 2009 World Cup and a member of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team...
from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Molinari, the 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, had turned professional the year before and was trying to get onto a tour
Professional golf tours
Professional golf tours are the means by which otherwise unconnected professional golf tournaments are organised into a regular schedule. There are separate tours for men and women, with each tour being based in a specific geographical region, although some of their tournaments may be held in other...
when he was invited to play in Bogotá. Molinari and Gustavo Mendoza, a local player, entered a sudden-death play-off which was settled on the second extra hole after their fourth round scores left them tied at the top of the leaderboard on five under par (269). For this first professional win Molinari received €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
21,690 and the right to play on the European Challenge Tour, the lower tier of the European Tour.
“This is incredible,” Molinari smiled. “It was quite a spectacular week. I’m very happy about this victory, because I worked hard for it during the winter. I’m going to enjoy it.”
2008
The second Club Colombia Masters was won by Dutchman Wil Besseling in a seven shot victory with a 16 under par total of 268. Besseling picked up the winner’s cheque for €18,303 which moved him from 41st to sixth place on the European Challenge Tour Rankings.“I started very well and my swing felt good all day,” he said. “I struggled a little yesterday, but today it was really good. I didn’t make any mistakes and it feels great to be the winner. Although I had a lead, I just tried to keep playing one shot at a time,” he added. “The guys made some bogeys behind me and that made the gap even bigger but I just kept playing my own game and it all worked out perfectly. It feels awesome."
2009
The 2009 Colombia Masters was the only tournament of the season co-sanctioned by the European Challenge TourChallenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
and the Tour de las Americas
Tour de las Americas
The Tour de las Américas is the men's professional golf tour for Latin America.Top level tournament golf in Latin America has had an unstable history. Some of the national open championships in the region are long established, but they did not traditionally form a coherent tour...
. Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas had a 9 hole demonstration on the Tuesday prior to the tournament where he played with his brother Manuel. Large crowds came to the Country Club de Bogota for Villegas only presentation of the year in his home country.
Teenager Alan Wagner from Argentina clinched his maiden Challenge Tour title on the final day when the lead changed hands several times. Wagner eventually emerged triumphant after a round of 68 to close on 13 under par. The 19 year old received a winner’s cheque for US$24,802 and finished at the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings and one shot in front of his nearest challenger Edoardo Molinari of Italy, the 2007 winner.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 |  Alan WagnerAlan Wagner (golfer) Alan Wagner is an Argentine professional golfer.In 2007 he won the Las Americas Cup Individual in Canada.-Challenge Tour wins:-Tour de las Américas wins:*2008 Peru Open*2009 Club Colombia Masters... |
275 (-13) |
| 2008 |  Wil BesselingWil Besseling Wil Besseling is a Dutch professional golfer.Besseling was born in Utrecht. He won the Dutch Amateur Match Play Championship in 2001, just two years after taking up the sport... |
268 (-16) |
| 2007 |  Edoardo MolinariEdoardo Molinari Edoardo Molinari is an Italian professional golfer. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour, 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, 2009 Challenge Tour Rankings leader, winner, with his brother Francesco, of the 2009 World Cup and a member of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team... |
279 (-5)PO |