Joël Stalter and Félix Mory are excited to be back at GC Adamstal for this week’s Euram Bank Open, a course that holds special importance for both French players.
32-year-old Stalter has many happy memories of GC Adamstal, having triumphed at the venue on multiple occasions.
The Frenchman first tasted victory at the course in the 2011 Austrian Amateur Championship, before returning as a professional at the 2020 Euram Bank Open to secure a maiden DP World Tour title.
“This is a very special place for me,” he said. “I’ve had some great experiences here, with the DP World Tour title in 2020, but also the Austrian Amateur Championship win in 2011 – I can’t believe that was 13 years ago.
“Every time I play on this course I feel a boost in my game. The course is completely unique, unlike any other we play, and it’s so vital to stay in play off the tee to set up a good score.”
Compatriot Mory, who is teeing it up at GC Adamstal for the fifth time, has made the cut at the Euram Bank Open in each of the last four years.
The 29-year-old finished in a tie for eighth place last year and admits the course in Ramsau is one of his favourites on the Challenge Tour schedule.
“I always love coming here,” he said. “I just love the area, it’s so peaceful and beautiful and the course is always in great shape.
“This is one of my favourite weeks of the season. How they host us here is always great, and I also know the course well, so that’s always an advantage.
“There are a few holes where you can set yourself up with chances with a good tee shot, so to win here you have to be pretty good off the tee. You also need to control backspin with your short irons, as the greens are quite soft.”
Mory, who secured a maiden Challenge Tour title at the 2021 Dormy Open, arrives in Austria having recorded seven top 20 finishes in his last eight starts, and hopes his consistency is rewarded as he targets a second Challenge Tour win.
“Every week you get a top ten it is a good week on the Challenge Tour,” he said. “To win you need things to go your way – it’s often a matter of two or three shots.
“At the same time, I come every week trying to win. I’ve won on this tour before, and I’ve been close to winning more than once. I know I have the game and I’ve been feeling good.”
Stalter and Mory are joined in the Euram Bank Open field by several DP World Tour winners, including fellow Frenchmen Alexander Levy, who has five titles on golf’s Global Tour, and two-time winner Julian Quesne, as well as Scot Marc Warren, who’s four DP World Tour titles include the 2020 Austrian Open.
The first round of the Euram Bank Open gets under way on Thursday at 7:30am local time, with Mory teeing off alongside compatriot Martin Couvra and Austrian Niklas Regner at 8:50am, and Stalter teeing off alongside Italian Gregorio De Leo and Englishman Ross McGowan at 2:15pm.
