A man with incredible talent, Romain Langasque finally announced himself on the professional stage with victory at the 2018 Hopps Open de Provence.
The 24 year old has huge pedigree, but after underachieving in his first two years as a Challenge Tour player, Langasque finally seized the day and won on Europe’s top developmental tour in 2018.
He announced his arrival on the Challenge Tour with a runner-up finish in the 2016 season-opener, the Barclays Kenya Open, while playing as an amateur.
The young Frenchman then became the first active Challenge Tour player to tee it up at the Masters Tournament after winning the 2015 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie. He went on to shoot 31 in his final nine holes to tie the record for the lowest back nine score by an amateur in Masters history.
An outstanding maiden Challenge Tour season saw him finish runner-up three times and notch up three further top fives as he ultimately finished ninth in the Rankings.
Langasque relinquished his European Tour playing privileges in 2017 and therefore returned to the Challenge Tour in 2018 where he won his first title as a professional on home soil at the Hopps Open de Provence.
Beginning the final round two shots behind overnight leader Victor Perez, Langasque started on the back foot as he bogeyed the first, but bounced back with successive birdies on four and five to start his surge for the title.
With the lead exchanging hands between Joel Girrbach, Perez and Joel Sjöholm, Langasque joined the leaders after he birdied the driveable par four seventh. A further gain on the ninth saw him take control with nine holes to play, as the home crowd continued to spur their favourite on.
A dropped shot after the turn brought Girrbach into contention as Sjöholm and Perez made errors. However, Langasque was determined to claim his first title on Europe’s top developmental tour as he birdied the par five 14th and parred the following three holes.
Langasque, who was playing a group ahead of the Swiss star, kept his fate in his own hands as he sank a seven-foot birdie putt on the last, meaning Girrbach needed an eagle to win or a birdie to force a play-off, neither of which he could manage.
The Frenchman, although missing out on Challenge Tour graduation after finishing 19thon the Rankings, will play on the European Tour this season after earning his card at Qualifying School.
