2 days, 2 courses, 36 holes, more than 40 awarded around a prize-giving ceremony to match the event thanks to the support of numerous and prestigious partners… All this concluded on the Terrace of the Lounge of the Hôtel Château de the Begude ****!

Photo: DR

Firstrd edition of the Opio Valbonne Classic once again kept all its promises and offered a high-level competition thanks to the remarkable quality of the courses prepared by Richard Meyrieux's team.

Stroke Play for the first series, Stableford Individuel for the second and third… performances achieved at all levels!

Drive competition, precision… A car offered by Denis Sibony - Entrepreneur d'Assurance MMA in Nice - for the realization of a hole in 1 on hole n ° 18 of the Opio Valbonne Classic (it was from the first part (ended with a "comma"), a BRM watch to win for a hole in 1 on hole n ° 16 of the Grande Bastide ...

Without forgetting the always long awaited draw with the highlight, the stay offered by Parcours et Voyages, golf stay of 5 days and 5 nights in Mauritius at the Hotel Heritage Le Telfair…

This is enough to motivate players to participate in this extraordinary event and to perform!

A rain of records fell ...

More than 160 competitors were present to cross their irons, the largest participation recorded since the creation of this competition in 2004.

Women's record of the amateur course of the Golf de la Grande Bastide from Saturday, until then held by Christine Muracciole with 71, with the very nice 68 of Claire Pitout (4 strokes under the Par)! To end with the women's record of the event still for this young and promising player with a cumulative score of 141 (68 then 73, or 3 strokes under the Par) which atomizes the previous record of Cristina Fregonara and her cumulative score of 158 dating 10 years ...

From the first rays of the sun, the Golf teams surrounded by a few partners welcomed the first participants with the usual and always appreciated departure gifts (snacks, accessories in the colors of the event or partners) ... Departure gifts and cards With scores in hand, the players could head to the practice for their warm-up where a line of pyramids of balls awaited them placed on the grass area.

Marked by an episode of strong heat, this weekend which opened the arrival of summer had pushed the organizers to prepare a little surprise for the players… A “minute” ice cream parlor was preparing some refreshing delicacies at the halfway point of the 2 courses…

A necessary break before leaving on the last holes and performing.

Claire Pitout drew the attention of all observers with regard to the performances mentioned above, by also winning the “Viviane Malgorn” prize, rewarding the best female performance in Net, a special prize named after the late General Director of the establishment, and at the origin of this competition which has become essential.

The winners of the other series did not have to be ashamed of their performances… Fouad Chelh El Guerje dominated the debates in the first series for men thanks to an accumulation of 157 moves (scores of 80 and 77), relaying his first competitors with 7 moves.

Thomas Tromans and Martine Chebat in the second series and Patrick Picot in the third mixed series each won their category.

To congratulate all these performances and to the great pleasure of those rewarded, the organizers of the Opio Valbonne Classic had the chance to count on a distinguished presence, that of Emilie Alonso, professional player and currently 9rd to the Order of Merit of LETAS 2017 (Ladies European Tour Access Series - 2nd European female division), which played its role as a master during the awards ceremony.

An unmissable Riviera event awaiting its next edition on June 23 and 24… So, Cap 2018!