Gaunt falters as amateur wins in France
BY Bruce Young | European Challenge Tour | 2010 Allianz European Strasbourg-Golf de la Wantzenau | Round Four | 06 Sep 2010
French teenager and world number four amateur, Romain Wattle, highlighted that a likely successful professional career awaits him with his victory in the European Challenge Tour’s ALLIANZ Europen de Strasbourg-Golf de la Wantzenau event in France.
A final round of 67 was good enough to see the 19-year-old home by three shots over American Ryan Blaum, third round leader Lorenzo Gagli, Steven Tiley and Alvaro Velasco.
Wattle is in 4th position on the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings having won the Scottish Strokeplay Championship this year and the Junior Orange Bowl Championship in Florida late in 2009.
He seems likely to play for France in this year’s Eisenhower Trophy event in Argentina later this year.
The leading Australian was Tony Carolan who finished 10th while Victorian Daniel Gaunt lost a good chance to secure his European Tour card for 2011 when he slipped to 12th after starting the final round in a share of 3rd position.
Gaunt has however gained one place on the Challenge Tour ranking and now sits in 28th position with the leading twenty earning their way to the European Tour next season.
