Alexandre Kaleka believes this week’s M2M Russian Open is the perfect opportunity to kick-start his season as he returns to a course which has given him much success in recent years.
The 27 year old won at Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club on the outskirts of Moscow two years ago, when it was still a Challenge Tour event, the M2M Russian Challenge Cup.
And last year, when the tournament had joined The European Tour International Schedule, he enjoyed another fine week, finishing tied second behind winner Michael Hoey.
“I have a lot of great memories from this place,” said Kaleka. “Last year I played very well and the year before that I won here. It was a big prize fund for a Challenge Tour event and the victory was very important for me to finish in the top ten of the Challenge Tour Rankings.
“I know the course very well. It’s a great course – very fair and quite long with small greens. It probably suits me because it’s long and wide. I’m pretty long off the tee but not always the straightest hitter, so it fits my eye.”
Kaleka has limited playing rights this season after finishing 116th in The 2013 Race to Dubai – missing out on retaining his card by six spots – so he knows it is important to make the most of opportunities like this €1million tournament.
“I didn’t play much last winter and I haven’t had a great season so far,” he said. “I haven’t had many chances to play because of my category, but I feel like every day it’s getting better and this is the perfect week to have a good finish and make a bit of a jump up The Race to Dubai.
“But I’m not really trying to count the points and the money I’ve won. This is the first event of six weeks in a row, so hopefully it can start a bit of momentum. My game feels good and I love this place, so there’s no reason why not.
“This is a good opportunity to do well because it’s a small field and there are a lot of amateurs and lesser known players competing. At the end of the day you still have to play well, but maybe if you shoot ten under it would be a top three finish here, whereas in a stronger field it might only be top 20.
That’s the main difference.”
Several other players will also be hoping to capitalise on previous strong performances on this 7,491-yard, par 72 course, namely Denmark’s JB Hansen and
Englishmen James Morrison and Matthew Nixon, who all finished in the top five last year.
Other notable names in the field include European Tour winners Scott Jamieson of Scotland, Dane Morten Ørum Madsen and Englishman Nick Dougherty. Former world number one tennis player Yvgeny Kafelnikov, who turned his attentions to professional golf three years ago, will also tee it up at Tseleevo.
