Italy is hosting the gateway to the 2027 Alps Tour season. The first stage of the 2026 Alps Tour Qualifying School is being played on 4–5 November 2026 at three Italian courses. According to the tour's official first-round report, published on 4 November, the updated field is 152 golfers competing for 79 Final Stage places. These places are not themselves full playing cards; 2027 status will be decided at the later stage.
Three Italian venues, three qualification groups
Golf Club Le Fonti in Castel San Pietro Terme, Emilia-Romagna, has 64 players chasing 33 places. At Conero Golf Club in Sirolo, Marche, 32 entrants are competing for 17 places. Golf Il Cerreto di Miglianico in Miglianico, Abruzzo, hosts 56 players with 29 places available. Together that makes 152 starters and 79 places, matching the official tour's 4 November count.
Each venue plays 36 holes of stroke play, with 18 holes scheduled on each day. Advancement will be settled after the second round on 5 November. A first-round lead is not equivalent to qualifying.
First-round performances
At Conero Golf Club, French amateur Thomas Buisson opened with a bogey-free 63 (−8), three strokes clear of fellow French amateur Ernest Le Doujet. Seven golfers share third place behind them. This was the lowest leading score described in the tour's reports from the three venues.
At Golf Club Le Fonti, Spain's David George Schneider Jerez and Vladimir Orlov shared the opening lead at 68 (−3). At Il Cerreto di Miglianico, three amateurs jointly led at 69 (−1): Spain's Alvaro Huidobro Linero and Guillermo Mestre Mas, and France's Rodolphe Cicala. No one in this list should be described as a confirmed Final Stage qualifier based on these first-round results.
Why the early entry counts differ
The Italian Golf Federation (FIG) announced on 3 November that 154 golfers had entered, including 54 Italians, 37 of them amateurs. The tour's newer report dated 4 November lists 152 competitors actually in the three first-stage fields. We therefore use 152 for the updated total. Neither source explains the change, and the newer report does not independently update the Italian nationality breakdown. It would be misleading to speculate about withdrawals or to present the preliminary national count as a fresh verified starting figure.
The geography matters. The three venues are in Italy, but the early leaders represent several countries. Buisson is a French amateur, and Schneider Jerez represents Spain. Italy's role as host and the nationality of any particular entrant are separate facts.
Next step: 11–13 November near Rome
The Final Stage is scheduled for 11–13 November at Golf Nazionale in Sutri and Terre dei Consoli Golf Club in Monterosi, north of Rome. The finalists will contest 54 holes to determine playing categories for the 2027 Alps Tour. Until those rounds are played, the outcome of the qualifying school remains open.
Sources: Alps Tour official first-round report, 4 November 2026; Federazione Italiana Golf preview, 3 November; Alps Tour qualifying-school preview, 2 November. The article reflects information available after the first round, not final qualification results.
