Everything is ready at the Biella Le Betulle Golf Club where today, after the cancellation of 2020 caused by the pandemic, the Under 16 International Championship returns. The Reply Italian International, valid for the World Amateur Golf Ranking, has built a solid tradition over the years of revealing new talents and the list of those who have passed from this race to then take off on professional tours (such as Matteo Manassero, Renato Paratore, Haydn Porteous, Thomas Pieters, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Brandon Stone, Paul Dunne, Thomas Detry, Guido Migliozzi, Matthias Schwab and Marcus Kinhult) gets longer year after year. With the first departures set at 7.30 (with the best located in the late morning) 130 players will be present, representing 16 Nations. The game formula has remained unchanged, which involves the dispute of 72 stroke-play holes with a cut after the first two rounds. The top 40 of the ranking, plus any tie, will participate in the final 36 holes that will be played on the final day of Tuesday.
In addition to the individual title, there will also be the Nations’ Trophy (with teams composed of 2/3 players) which will be awarded tomorrow taking into account the best 2 out of 3 scores of each lap. The event is dedicated to Teodoro Soldati, a young promise of blue golf who tragically died in July 2015. Teodoro was very attached to the championships having played them four times, improving his performance year by year until reaching the podium in 2013 (3rd ) and success in 2014.
A pride of the Championship is the “live scoring” system which allows, through an application, real-time updates of the results of the tournament every three holes. To follow the live results of the race of all the participants, all those interested have to do is connect to the website www.golfclubbiella.it. Updates on the event will also be visible on the club’s Facebook page. During the three days of competition, the public will be admitted only if they have a Green pass.
The favorites on the eve appear to be the Czechs Jakub Janda and Timotej Formanek, the Danes Emil Elkjær Petersen and Bertil Johan Lykkeberg, the Swiss Marc Keller, the Slovak Adam Bencik and the Norwegians Oscar Bach and Marvin Lee. In the blue area, spotlights are focused on Marco Florioli, Giovanni Binaghi, Michele Ferrero, Luca Memeo, Mattia Parrini, Luca Cavalli and Giovanni Manassero.