Levy aiming for historic hat-trick at China Open
Alex Levy will have a unique hat-trick in sight when he tees off to defend his Volvo China Open title at Beijing’s Topwin Golf & Country Club this week.
Winner of two of the past four editions of the tournament, Levy is returning to China on a hot streak.
On Sunday the 27-year-old Frenchman fired a final-round 2-under 70 to edge overnight leader Alvaro Quiros by a single shot to win the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco, marking his fifth European Tour victory.
Levy beat South Africa’s Dylan Fritelli in a playoff at last year’s Volvo China Open, setting up this week’s return to the same course looking to create a unique bit of history.
No other golfer has won the title twice, never mind three times, so perhaps there is some significance in the 20 million yuan ($3.17 million) tournament being staged in the shadow of the Great Wall at Topwin Golf & Country Club for a third successive year.
“Playing in China obviously agrees with me,” said Levy. “It’s a lucky country for me and not only at the Volvo China Open as I’ve also finished seventh, third and fourth at other tournaments here.
“Winning last year in China was definitely a different feeling from 2014 because your first win is always special.
“After you’ve got that first title, you always feel the same when you are under pressure – and the pressure is much easier to handle if you’ve already won a tournament. You just need to remember the feeling.”
Levy first underlined his love of China’s fairways and greens when shooting a superb course-record 62 en route to a four-shot win over England’s Tommy Fleetwood at the Volvo China Open at Genzon Golf Club in 2014.
That first professional win was the first of Levy’s four European Tour titles to date and firmly established him as one of the new breed of up-and-coming young players on one of the world’s most competitive tours.
Currently No 65 in the world rankings and 24th in The Race to Dubai standings, Levy has enjoyed a solid start to the 2018 season with three top-10 finishes from events staged in the Middle East.
His performances in Dubai (fourth), Oman (tied fourth) and Abu Dhabi (seventh) have given him a boost as he sets his goals for the rest of the year.
“I’ve played well since the start of the season,” Levy said. “I’m happy with the way I’m working, the way I’m swinging and the way I’m playing.
“It’s a good time for me. I think it’s the best I’ve been swinging in my career, so I just enjoy it and try to hit the best shots I can.”
The most obvious target for Levy is a place on Team Europe when the Ryder Cup makes its debut in Paris at Le Golf National in September.
Every French professional will want to be one of the 12 players in the team this year and Levy certainly did himself no harm by shooting a courserecord 63 at Topwin Golf & Country Club while playing alongside European captain Thomas Bjorn just 12 months ago.
“I’d be lying if I said the Ryder Cup isn’t a target for me,” said Levy.
“It would be a dream to play in the Ryder Cup in France and I will be doing all I can to make the team.”
If Levy manages to pick up the Volvo China Open Scandinavian Horizon trophy for an unprecedented third time, he would be well on course for a 2018 Ryder Cup charge.
The Open is a tri-sanctioned event between The European Tour, the Asian Tour and the China Golf Association.