Bigger and better than last years’ event, the tournament had 20 teams of four, a whopping 80 players competing over the weekend keeping the same alternate kicks format as the previous year.
The Tournament
At the start of the group stage, 20 teams were divided into 4 groups. The worst team in each group was then eliminated, leaving us with 16 teams moving forward to the knockout rounds.
The eight teams that had gotten this far, each played 18 holes, and the best four teams battled it out in the Semifinals where the only way to win was by penalty shootout.
By the end of the first day, all qualifying teams had played a challenging 45 holes of FootGolf, and that’s before even reaching the quarter finals.
The final four were Ossasuna taking 4th place after losing to Barcelona in a penalty shootout, and Elche managed to beat Espanyol on the last hole avoiding a penalty shootout to take home the win.
As with the previous year’s tournament, there were penalty dummies placed around the course, as well as sandy bunkers which definitely frustrated some of the players. And with the addition of the back-nine, this year proved to be a challenging competition.
Prizes
Even though there were some very cool prizes in the form of goodie bags, trophies, cash and even a signature La Liga top signed by some of the league’s legends for the winners, we think the experience was much more rewarding for the players.
- 1st – Trophy, signed top by La Liga Legends, goodie bag and RM2500
- 2nd – Trophy, goodie bag and RM1500
- 3rd – Trophy, goodie bag and RM1000
“It was a very tough 2 days for us as we had to play under the hot weather. It was difficult for us to maintain our concentration and play the best footgolf we could. Thank you to all my teammates, family and friends for their support,” said Shahrizan Ah Kuan, captain of the winning Elche.
The tournament was officially over and we hosted a tasty BBQ for some tired and smiling faces alike before the official prize-giving.
“It was a pleasure and an honour for Footgolf Malaysia to be partnering with La Liga again. A global leader in the leisure and entertainment sector. Last years tournament was the first of its kind that FGM had held with much success. Copa La Liga Footgolf is now something we look forward to hosting each year.” Added Jeffrey Cottam, FootGolf Malaysia’s Managing Director.
Keep an eye out for some photos and videos of the tournament to be shared on our socials, and news and updates for other exciting stuff happening in the world of FootGolf Malaysia!
