Report
The 5 Stars International Cup in Belek, Turkey lasted three days. The lineup was international, the courses – Gloria Old Course and Gloria New Course – were fantastically prepared, and the results, despite difficult conditions, indicate that a good season is ahead for our juniors.
In the 19-25 age category of the 5 Stars International Cup, Jan Branicki and Kamil Nowak took the lead after the first round – both scored 76 strokes. After the second round, Jan Branicki gained a one-stroke advantage. The final round proved to be crucial. Janek played +1 – his best result in this tournament. Kamil Nowak recorded 75 strokes, securing the victory for Jan Branicki. Third place went to Kamil Sikora.
“I’m much happier with my game than with the results. It’s definitely a big improvement from last year’s 5 Stars International Cup. There’s also a huge difference between the white and yellow tee boxes (which I played from last year). It’s a completely different course. I’m very happy with my game, especially considering it’s the middle of winter. On the first day, I played the best in terms of tactics, technique, and executing the tasks set, but I felt the best during the last round,” summarized Jan Branicki.
In the U18 classification, Matylda Krawczyńska was the undisputed leader among girls. In the first round, she played 3 strokes below par, in the second, an outstanding result – five strokes below par. She sealed the victory in the third round, playing -2. With a total score of 10 strokes below par, she took first place, thus achieving the lowest result of the tournament.
“Old Course is a more challenging field for me because it requires more precision and is slightly longer. Tee shots are more difficult, but if you play tee shots well, it’s definitely easier. Both Old Course and New Course are relatively short. However, you have to be careful on some holes because the greens are undulating,” commented Matylda on her game. “I had better results on the Old Course because even though I didn’t hit some putts, I had more birdie chances. I need to improve my putting. After I return, I’m going to Denmark to see a putting coach who will help me, and then at the end of February, I’m playing in Spain at Copa el Rey.”
Zuzanna Mordaka was second in the U18 girls’ category, defeating Turkish player Mina Yildirim by one stroke, precisely in the final round.
Among boys in the U18 category, Marcin Łukasiuk took the lead from the first day. In the first stage of the competition, he scored 74 strokes, in the second, two strokes more, but before the third round, he had a 28-stroke lead over the next player in the rankings – Omer Ersin Bilgin. The final round solidified Marcin’s victory, who also achieved the lowest score among boys in the overall standings – 234 strokes. Thus, he will be ranked in the WAGR. Third place in this group went to Konrad Górny.
In the U15 category among boys, the competition was more intense. After the first round, both Michał Cygan and Turkish representative Acar Nuh scored 83 strokes. After the second round, the Polish player gained a three-stroke advantage. Michał played four strokes better in the final round, thus securing himself a seven-stroke lead on the highest step of the podium. Acar Nuh was second, and Robin Stelmasiak third.
Among fifteen-year-old girls, Turkish representative Asya Altintas led after the first round with a score of 90 strokes. Behind her with a 4-stroke deficit was Blanca Libera. However, Blanca made up for the losses on the second day. She played 76 strokes and became the leader in the U15 group with an eleven-stroke advantage over the Turkish player. On the third day, Blanca maintained her lead and with a comfortable 18-stroke lead over Asya Altintas, she took the first place. Third place belongs to Özden Egel Mermer.
Karol Gil took the lead after the first round among twelve-year-olds. He had a 5-stroke lead over Theo Oderinde. In the second round, he maintained the lead, but only by four strokes. On the last day, Theo achieved a better result, 77 strokes, but it wasn’t enough. Karol played 81 and became the winner of the U12 group. Theo Oderinde finished second with a one-stroke deficit. Third was Turkish representative Ege Aydin.
Among U12 girls, Idil Avcibasioglu achieved the best result. She surpassed Dora Cinkilic by 7 strokes, and third was Zaynep Egel Mermer.
Children under the age of 10 competed at Gloria Verde, playing 9 holes daily. The best was Akabey Aydin ahead of Defne Guney and Can Kocaman.
The next 5 Stars International Cup tournament will be held in a year. Meanwhile, in the 2024 season, we invite you to compete in the 5 Stars Junior Cup by Adrian Meronk.
