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To all honor, the reigning champion will have no other goal this week than to defend his crown. Like last year in La Baule, Terre Blanche arrives with a solid armada, which mixes veterans of the 2020 campaign (Paul Margolis, Carl Bertrand, Camille Bordone, Rodolphe de Heer) and new recruits from the National Performance Center hosted by the Var club (Martin Couvra, Paul Beauvy). “We really want to do this double, which would be historic, book the captain Stephan Pollet. On paper, our team is at least as strong as last year. We already knew Paul Beauvy and Martin Couvra well, their integration went really well. “
The Golf de Campagne will want to shine at home.
The list of clubs wishing to prevent the first double in Gounouilhou since 2007-2008 (by Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche) contains in particular the name of Bussy-Guermantes, titled in 2019 and unfortunate finalist last year. The Seine-et-Marne team arrives with an unchanged framework: the duo Aurelien Sweet – Lucas Abrial, Stanislas Zdebski, Nicolas Haze, and one Christophe de Grancey in great form, winner two weeks ago of the French Open mid-amateurs. At home, the Country Golf Club will also want to shine, he who finished second in the qualifying phase last year, before losing in the quarterfinals.
In the peloton of favorites, let us quote again Saint-Cloud, present at the top of the table year after year, or Biarritz, winner in 2018, and whose younger generation (Joseph Linel, Faustin Labadie-Destenaves) is ready to take over. “Clearly, last year, the goal was to allow them to gain experience, analyzes the Basque captain Nicolas Cano. This year, we hope it will pay off. “ Another team in sight last year: Cannes-Mougins, semi-finalist unhappy against Bussy, and who could count on the reinforcement, in the offseason, of Tom Vaillant, European vice-champion this summer with the French men’s team.
Les outsiders
Quarter finalist last year, Raray will try to take a further step.
Inevitably, each edition of the Gounouilhou has its share of surprises and revelations. As such, several teams have only a few steps to take compared to last year to find themselves at the top of the table. Raray enters this category, having played in a quarter-final in 2020. “It would be good to do at least as well, if not better, entrusts Cyril Miranda, the coach of the Oise club. Everyone dreams of going to the end, but at least we want to do as well. In any case, we are sure of our strengths, and our team is super tight. “
In the same experienced team register, Saint Germain will be able to count on its executives Thomas Perrot, Romain Payet, Cedric Deleplanque, as well as on the resident of the National Golf Performance Center Valentin Luna. Chantilly, co-holder of the record for victories in Gounouilhou (17), will try to make his young generation shine this year.
Very close to knocking down the future champion in the quarter-finals at La Baule, the Medoc golf course will be keen to compete, once again, with the big engines of this Gounouilhou, in the hope of a little more success than 12 months ago. the Lyon Golf Club will also try to climb into the top 8 of the qualification, in the wake of Louis pilod, player of the France Boys team.
The big odds
As a matter of principle and by the nature of the game of golf, any of the 16 teams at the start can make a breakthrough during this Gard week. Accustomed in recent years to play-offs (and moreover accustomed to winning them all), the players of theAmiens, who can count since last year on the help of Charles Larcelet, would not disdain a place in the top 8. Same for the team of Bordeaux-Lake, which presents itself with a workforce in the right continuity of last year.
For his part, Saint-Donat arrives in the Gard with a largely remodeled and rejuvenated team, which will try to take up the torch of the previous generation. In addition, the graduates of 2019 that are The Grange aux Ormes Where palmola, who were able to accumulate a year of experience in Gounouilhou, could make good use of it from Tuesday.
