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European Challenge Tour Live

Challenge Tour Live Blog: John Parry wins the Delhi Challenge 2024 in dramatic style

Delhi Challenge 2024 Live Scores

The Delhi Challenge in the season 2024 is being played in Gurugram, Haryana, India at the Classic Golf & Country Club. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 14th of March and ends at the Sunday, 17th of March 2024.
The Delhi Challenge is part of the Challenge Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $300,000.
The course for the tournament at Classic Golf & Country Club plays at Par 72.

With the Delhi Challenge, the Challenge Tour begins the first of two tournaments in India. After the tournament in Gurugram, the tour moves on to Kolkata before heading to the UAE in April.

Challenge Tour live

The Challenge Tour is a professional golf tournament series that acts as the second tier below the DP World Tour. It serves as a development league and offers aspiring golfers the opportunity to develop their skills at a higher level, gain experience and qualify for the European Tour.

The Challenge Tour is internationally orientated, with tournaments held in various European countries and outside Europe. This offers players a varied experience on different golf courses and in different competitive conditions. The tour attracts golfers from all over the world who are interested in furthering their careers in professional golf.

As with the Korn Ferry Tour, the top players on the Challenge Tour qualify for the higher tour, in this case the European Tour, at the end of each season. This is usually based on the Challenge Tour ranking, with the best players receiving a Tour card. This promotion is a key goal for many players on the Challenge Tour, as it allows access to more prestigious tournaments, higher prize money and greater visibility in the world of golf.

Overall, the Challenge Tour is a crucial step for many golfers who want to make the leap to the highest level of European golf, the European Tour. It offers a mix of challenge and opportunity that is crucial for the career development of golfers.

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Korn Ferry Tour

Korn Ferry Tour: astara Chile Classic 2024 Live Blog – Round 4

astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank 2024 Live Scores

The astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank in the season 2024 is being played in Santiago, Chile at the Prince of Wales Country Club. The tournament starts at Thursday, 7th of March and ends at Sunday, 10th of March 2024.
The astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank is part of the Korn Ferry Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $1,000,000.
The course for the tournament at Prince of Wales Country Club plays at Par 72.

Last stop outside the USA: The Korn Ferry Tour will play one last time in South America as part of the Astara Chile Classic before returning to the USA for the rest of the season.

Korn Ferry Tour live

The Korn Ferry Tour is a professional golf tournament series that serves as a development pathway and stepping stone for golfers who want to make it onto the PGA Tour. The tour provides a platform for professional golfers to gain experience, improve their skills and secure a place on the more prestigious PGA Tour.

Qualification for the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour is based on money ranking or performance in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Each year, the top players on the tour receive PGA Tour cards, which for many golfers is the main goal of their participation. The tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour take place mainly in the United States, but attract players from all over the world. This makes it an international stage for up-and-coming talent.

The name of the tour has changed several times over the years and depends on the respective main sponsor. Since 2019, Korn Ferry, a global management consulting firm, has been the name sponsor. The structure and format of the tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour are very similar to those of the PGA Tour, with four rounds over four days, starting on a Thursday and a cut after the first two rounds.

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Korn Ferry Tour

Korn Ferry Tour: 117 Visa Argentina Open Live Blog: Mason Andersen Wins In Playoff

117 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro 2024 Live Scores

The 117 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro in the season 2024 is being played in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Olivos Golf Club. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 29th of February and ends at the Sunday, 3rd of March 2024.
The 117 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro is part of the Korn Ferry Tour in the season 2024 with a total prize money of $1,000,000.
The course for the tournament at Olivos Golf Club plays at Par 70.

The Korn Ferry Tour is playing in Argentina as part of one of the oldest national Golf Open Championships. The tournament was founded back in 1905 and is celebrating its premiere on the tour this year.

Korn Ferry Tour live

The Korn Ferry Tour is a professional golf tournament series that serves as a development pathway and stepping stone for golfers who want to make it onto the PGA Tour. The tour provides a platform for professional golfers to gain experience, improve their skills and secure a place on the more prestigious PGA Tour.

Qualification for the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour is based on money ranking or performance in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Each year, the top players on the tour receive PGA Tour cards, which for many golfers is the main goal of their participation. The tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour take place mainly in the United States, but attract players from all over the world. This makes it an international stage for up-and-coming talent.

The name of the tour has changed several times over the years and depends on the respective main sponsor. Since 2019, Korn Ferry, a global management consulting firm, has been the name sponsor. The structure and format of the tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour are very similar to those of the PGA Tour, with four rounds over four days, starting on a Thursday and a cut after the first two rounds.

Categories
European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour: NMB Championship 2024 Live Blog – Björn Åkesson wins

NMB Championship 2024 Live Scores

The NMB Championship in the season 2024 is being played in Port Elizabeth, South Africa at the Humewood GC. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 22nd of February and ends at the Sunday, 25th of February 2024.
The NMB Championship is part of the Challenge Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $350,000.
The course for the tournament at Humewood GC plays at Par 72.

The Challenge Tour ends its four-part start to the year in South Africa with the NMB Championship in Port Elizabeth. Two tournaments in India will follow in March before the tour moves on to the UAE in April.

Challenge Tour live

The Challenge Tour is a professional golf tournament series that acts as the second tier below the DP World Tour. It serves as a development league and offers aspiring golfers the opportunity to develop their skills at a higher level, gain experience and qualify for the European Tour.

The Challenge Tour is internationally orientated, with tournaments held in various European countries and outside Europe. This offers players a varied experience on different golf courses and in different competitive conditions. The tour attracts golfers from all over the world who are interested in furthering their careers in professional golf.

As with the Korn Ferry Tour, the top players on the Challenge Tour qualify for the higher tour, in this case the European Tour, at the end of each season. This is usually based on the Tour ranking, with the best players receiving a Tour card. This promotion is a key goal for many players on the Challenge Tour, as it allows access to more prestigious tournaments, higher prize money and greater visibility in the world of golf.

Overall, the Challenge Tour is a crucial step for many golfers who want to make the leap to the highest level of European golf, the European Tour. It offers a mix of challenge and opportunity that is crucial for the career development of golfers.

Categories
Korn Ferry Tour

Lowest round in PGA Tour history: Chilean plays 57

Until recently, the name Cristobal Del Solar may not have rung many bells, but now, it’s etched into golfing history. On Thursday, the Chilean golfer delivered a performance for the ages at the Astara Golf Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. Del Solar crafted an astonishing 13-under-par round of 57 strokes at the Country Club de Bogota-Pacos in Colombia. With this feat, Del Solar became the first player ever to achieve a score of 57 in an event sanctioned by the PGA Tour.

Record round at a PGA Tour event

Del Solar set this record on an unusually short par-70 course spanning 5718 meters at an altitude of approximately 2700 meters. With six birdies and an eagle on the front nine, he set the pace early with a score of 27 strokes, tying the Korn Ferry record for the lowest nine-hole score. Continuing his impressive play on the back nine, the 30-year-old golfer secured three more birdies and another eagle. With four pars to conclude the round, he solidified his place in golfing history.

In a virtual press conference following his remarkable round, Del Solar emphasized the favorable conditions of the course. Leading the field by only four strokes, his longest iron into a green was merely a 6-iron, even on a par-5 hole. “The course was definitely set up to allow for a very low round,” commented Del Solar. “The pins were tucked, but the greens were so soft that I could hit the driver as close to the green as possible. And when you chip well, the ball stays close to the hole.” Despite his exceptional performance, Del Solar acknowledged room for improvement, particularly lamenting missed opportunities on the latter half of the course.

How good was the 57 really?

Prior to Del Solar’s outstanding achievement, only two players had shot a 58 in PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, both in 2016: Stephan Jaeger at the Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae and Jim Furyk at the Travelers Championship. In total, twelve players have scored below 60 in PGA Tour-sanctioned events. Due to the course’s short length and the altitude, there were immediate debates questioning the significance of Del Solar’s round. Some argued that it was only the 27th best of all time, as one Twitter user pointed out.

Del Solar himself has a clear perspective on the matter: “Yes, the course is short, we’re playing at altitude, but you still have to be able to get it done. You still have to go out there and make birdies,” remarked the Chilean golfer, who broke the 60 mark for the first time in his career. “I’ve never broken 60 before,” Del Solar added. “The course I play at home (Dye’s Preserve in Jupiter, Florida) is really tough, and when I play really well there, I’m at seven or eight under, but never close to the 60 mark.” Despite the factors favoring a low score, the 57 stands as an impressive feat, sealed by Del Solar with a casual two-putt on the 18th green.

Categories
European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour: Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open 2024 Live Blog

Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open 2024 Live Scores

The Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in the season 2024 is being played in Cape Town, South Africa at the Royal Cape Golf Club. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 8th of February and ends at the Sunday, 11th of February 2024.
The Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open is part of the Challenge Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $350,000.
The course for the tournament at Royal Cape Golf Club plays at Par 72.

The Challenge Tour plays its second of four tournaments in South Africa in Cape Town to kick off the new year. After the four events in southern Africa, the tour travels on to India in March.

Challenge Tour live

The Challenge Tour is a professional golf tournament series that acts as the second tier below the DP World Tour. It serves as a development league and offers aspiring golfers the opportunity to develop their skills at a higher level, gain experience and qualify for the European Tour.

The Challenge Tour is internationally orientated, with tournaments held in various European countries and outside Europe. This offers players a varied experience on different golf courses and in different competitive conditions. The tour attracts golfers from all over the world who are interested in furthering their careers in professional golf.

As with the Korn Ferry Tour, the top players on the Challenge Tour qualify for the higher tour, in this case the European Tour, at the end of each season. This is usually based on the Challenge Tour ranking, with the best players receiving a Tour card. This promotion is a key goal for many players on the Challenge Tour, as it allows access to more prestigious tournaments, higher prize money and greater visibility in the world of golf.

Overall, the Challenge Tour is a crucial step for many golfers who want to make the leap to the highest level of European golf, the European Tour. It offers a mix of challenge and opportunity that is crucial for the career development of golfers.

Categories
Korn Ferry Tour

Korn Ferry Tour: astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard 2024 Live Blog

astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard 2024 Live Scores

The astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in the season 2024 is being played in Bogotá, Colombia at the Country Club de Bogotá. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 8th of February and ends at the Sunday, 11th of February 2024.
The astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard is part of the Korn Ferry Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $1,000,000.
The course for the tournament at Country Club de Bogotá plays at Par 71.

The Korn Ferry Tour is currently traveling through South America, stopping in Bogotá, Colombia. It then continues on to Argentina and Chile.

Korn Ferry Tour live

The Korn Ferry Tour is a professional golf tournament series that serves as a development pathway and stepping stone for golfers who want to make it onto the PGA Tour. The tour provides a platform for professional golfers to gain experience, improve their skills and secure a place on the more prestigious PGA Tour.

Qualification for the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour is based on money ranking or performance in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Each year, the top players on the tour receive PGA Tour cards, which for many golfers is the main goal of their participation. The tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour take place mainly in the United States, but attract players from all over the world. This makes it an international stage for up-and-coming talent.

The name of the tour has changed several times over the years and depends on the respective main sponsor. Since 2019, Korn Ferry, a global management consulting firm, has been the name sponsor. The structure and format of the tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour are very similar to those of the PGA Tour, with four rounds over four days, starting on a Thursday and a cut after the first two rounds.

Categories
Equipment Satellite Tours

TaylorMade: Look to the Next Generation with New Team TaylorMade Athletes

TaylorMade Golf Company, an industry leader in product innovation and technology, announced today the signings of some of the youngest and hottest prospects on the Challenge Tour to play TaylorMade equipment from 2024. With an average age of 22 they join an already incredibly talented stable of athletes plying their trade on both the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour as part of Team TaylorMade.

Four new players for Team TaylorMade Golf in the 2024 season

Angel Ayora

Angel, who won the first stage of Qualifying School at Donnington Grove Golf Club at the end of September, 2023, joins Team TaylorMade after he secured his Challenge Tour card for 2024. At just 19-years-old from Spain, Angel played both the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and ISPS Handa Australian Open at the beginning of the 2023/2024 DP World Tour season, making the cut on both occasions, finishing 33rd and tied-21st, respectively.

Angel Ayora sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Angel Ayora sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Angel is one the quicker players so getting him dialled in was very important. Tour Representative Sam Day started with a heavier driver shaft which offered him more control with little to no trade-off in club speed. Because of the better strikes and more connected feel with the driver, he was able to gain ball speed and play something that is designed to be more stable. His miss is to the right, so going down in head loft and using the FCT sleeve to change loft and face angle helped fix this problem (9.0 head set two clicks higher playing at 10.5 – the more loft added to a driver will close the face angle and therefore less likely to miss right).
During golf ball testing, the soon-to-be-released 2024 TP5x was testing 3mph quicker with the driver, and when it came to irons, Sam actually moved his iron lofts a full 1 degree weaker to help him get better spin rates and land angles into the greens. Angel constantly works with his coach to increase his peak height, and with the new ball and iron lofts he gained 20 feet with his longer irons helping that stopping distance coming into greens.

Angel Ayora Expected WITB

  • Qi10 LS 9.0 driver
  • Qi10 16.5 3HL fairway
  • P770 3 iron
  • P7MC 4-9 iron
  • MG4 46.SB, 52.SB, 56.TW and 60.TW wedges
  • TP Reserve B13 putter
  • 2024 TP5x golf ball

Martin Couvra

Former French Number One Amateur, Martin Couvra, joins Team TaylorMade after becoming only the seventh player in history to win on the Challenge Tour as an amateur. Following his victory at the Challenge de España in September, 2023, Martin made the decision to turn professional. Martin finished the 2023 season ranked 46th on the Road to Mallorca rankings, solidifying a full Challenge Tour card for 2024 for the 21-year-old.

Martin Couvra sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Martin Couvra sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Martin likes to see a fade with the driver so he likes to see the ball starting left and falling to the right. Tour Representative Mark Thistleton worked with Martin a lot around face angle, and they found that the more Mark opened the face, the more fade Martin produced, reacting to what he saw at address. Couvra settled on a 10.5 head set a little lower playing at 10 degrees with a little open face angle that gives him the look of a fade club at address.
Mark then worked on wedge options to better fill his distances after spotting that Martin previously carried a 52 & 58 degree Hi Toe wedge and left himself a 20-metre gap between PW & 52. Martin ended up in the new MG4 50 & 54 wedges to have his approach play dialled in ahead of the season. They both spent a lot of the session working with the new TP5 ball, which Martin loved right away. Martin is not one of the longer hitters out there and found speed especially in the top end of the bag with the new ball which he was sold on right away.

Martin Couvra Expected WITB

Mark Power

Two-time Walker Cup star and Wake Forest University graduate, Mark Power (23), has put his trust in TaylorMade equipment as he starts the next phase of his career. Prior to heading to the US College system in 2019, Mark was a three-time winner of the Irish Boys Order of Merit (2016, 2017,2018) and two-time winner of the Irish Open Boys Championship (2016, 2017). Mark graduated in 2023 before making his professional debut on the DP World Tour at the Horizon Irish Open last year, finishing tied-33rd. He also made the cut at the ISPS Handa Australian Open this season on the DP World Tour and will ply his main trade on the Challenge Tour this year.

Mark Power sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Mark Power sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Mark likes to play with a draw, and with the new Qi10 LS driver he was able to match the correct amount of launch and spin to make his go-to shot a lot easier and perform better. His drop-off in spin with his previous gamer was penalising his miss shot and therefore performance off the tee.
Again, during ball testing, Mark gained 2mph ball speed switching into the 2024 TP5x golf ball from the 2021 TP5, and this was a massive step forward for him. Tour Representative Sam Day looked at the wedge and putter performance with the new ball to make sure the feel and sound married up with performance, which it did. The soft feel and low spin numbers he gained at the top end of the bag made this a clear winner.

Mark Power Expected WITB

  • Qi10 LS 9.0 driver
  • Qi10 Tour 15.0 fairway
  • P7MC 4-PW
  • MG4 50.SB, 54.SB and 58.LB wedges
  • TP Reserve M47 putter
  • 2024 TP5x golf ball

Maximilian Steinlechner

North Carolina State University scholar, Max Steinlechner (24), from Austria, completes the roster for 2024. Max, a former Austrian Number One Amateur, had a stellar amateur career before heading off to play for the Wolfpack. He won the Austrian International Amateur Championship as a 17-year-old with a score of 11-under par, and won the Austrian Boys Strokeplay Championship for three consecutive years between 2015-2017. Max played the majority of his golf on the Challenge Tour in 2023, where he will look to build on a strong foundation moving into 2024.

Max Steinlechner sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Max Steinlechner sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Max is very much a feel player and likes to focus on feel when testing clubs almost as much as performance. He does not change equipment easily or without validation, but he very quickly fell in love with the Qi10 driver. Tour Representative Mark Thistleton tested a couple of new shaft options, settling on the new Graphite Design VF in a 60 TX, tipped 1.25”, which is a little more than standard. Max has lots of speed and an extremely good ball striker, he offers precise feedback and any small changes Mark made to his equipment were seen instantly in the resulting ball flight.
During pre-season was Max’s first testing session with a TaylorMade Golf Ball. This made up a huge part of the testing procedure, testing the range of TaylorMade golf balls, diligently looking at the numbers and giving his precise feedback on sound and feel. Mark and Max soon concluded that the soon-to-be-released 2024 TP5x ball was the perfect fit for his game. It controlled his spin in the long game and offered great feedback and feel through the rest of the bag.

Maximilian Steinlechner Expected WITB

  • Qi10 LS 9.0 driver
  • Qi10 Tour 15.0 fairway
  • P7MC 4-6 iron
  • P7MB 7-9 iron
  • MG4 46.SB, 50.SB, 54.SB and 58.SB wedges
  • TP Reserve M47 putter
  • 2024 TP5x golf ball

“The golfing world all sees the success stories at the top with the likes of Rory, Tommy and Nelly when they win golf tournaments. But what they don’t see is how much work goes on behind the scenes in Team TaylorMade to find and develop the next generation of top class players. We believe this crop of talented young players from across Europe all have what it takes to compete and succeed on a world stage in the very near future. Each has their own successes as an amateur to be proud of, but more than that, we see a maturity and an attitude in these guys that stands them apart from their peers and because of this they are a great fit for the TaylorMade family. We are excited to continue this journey with them and look forward to seeing the individual success stories from each of them over the coming months and years.”

-Mark Thistleton, Tour Representative, TaylorMade Golf

Text: TaylorMade Golf

Categories
Satellite Tours

Saudi International: Abraham Ancer wins by a safe margin

The unofficial LIV Tour opener at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia comes to an end. Abraham Ancer took an early lead in the field and eventually prevailed by three strokes. In second place is PGA Tour player Cameron Young, followed by Lucas Herbert in third place. Bernd Wiesberger, the only German-speaking player in the field puts a solid tournament behind him and finishes his four rounds in a shared 18th place.

Asian Tour victory: Abraham Ancer celebrates triumph

LIV player Abraham Ancer celebrates an early victory in 2023, beating 70 competitors on the Asian Tour to start his LIV season in top form at the end of February. In his final round, the big point wins were a long time coming, but Ancer collected enough stroke wins in the earlier rounds. After a 64 on the moving day on the par-70 course, he recorded a 68 in the final round to secure the crown.

Bernd Wiesberger in the top 20

Bernd Wiesberger’s tournament finish was a roller coaster ride. The Austrian took an early bogey on the par-3 third. This was followed by two birdies on holes 4 and 5 and thus an intermediate score under par. Shortly before the turn, on the 9th hole, a bogey put another damper on Wiesberger, who went even par on the second nine. After a good start with two birdies on the 10th and 12th hole, Wiesberger played another bogey. His finish was also up and down: with birdie-bogey-bogey-birdie he finished his fourth round at the Saudi International and ended up on T18 with a day score of 1-under-par.

Categories
European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour announces 2023 global schedule

The European Challenge Tour today announced its global 2023 Road to Mallorca schedule, featuring a record overall prize fund and a minimum of 29 tournaments, staged across three continents in 18 different countries.

Players will compete for total prize money of €8,200,000 on the 2023 Road to Mallorca, which will begin with the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in February, the first of four co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour in South Africa.

India returns as a host country for the first time since 2013 with two events in March, the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge followed by The Challenge presented by KGA.

The Challenge Tour also returns to the United Arab Emirates in April for the first time since 2018 with back-to-back events, including the Abu Dhabi Challenge, as part of the European Tour group’s long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation.

The Challenge Tour will head to Spain in May for the Challenge de España, which will kick-start a run of 20 tournaments in 22 weeks and see the Road to Mallorca travel through 15 countries in Europe, including Italy for the Italian Challenge at Golf Nazionale, the venue which will then host the first two days of the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup in September.

The 2023 season will conclude with the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A, at Club de Golf Alcanada from November 2-5, as the top 45 players on the Rankings battle it out for one of the life changing 20 DP World Tour cards.

Those 20 players who benefit from this formal pathway to the DP World Tour will then be eligible for the DP World Tour’s Earnings Assurance Programme, guaranteeing them minimum earnings of $150,000 for the 2024 season if they play in 15 or more events.

The top five graduates will also benefit from the John Jacobs Bursary, similarly designed to provide security and a strong platform for their first season on the European Tour group’s top tier.

Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “Our expansive global schedule gives our members the opportunity to play for a record total prize fund and benefit from our formal pathway to the DP World Tour, as we continue to provide an incredible platform for the next generation of golf’s superstars.

“I would like to thank the integral support of our promoters, national federations, and tournament sponsors, who have helped make this possible. The fact that 20 of our current national federations and promoters have extended their support through to next year is testament to their commitment and the strength of our Tour heading into 2023.

“We are also very grateful for the commitment of Rolex, The R&A, and DP World through their title partnership of the DP World Tour, all of whom have helped us to provide this comprehensive global schedule for some of the brightest talents in world golf.”

In 2022, 25 former Challenge Tour players won on the DP World Tour – including 2021 graduates Ewen Ferguson and Yannik Paul, while five finished inside the top ten on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. Sean Crocker became the 200th former Challenge Tour player to win on the DP World Tour when he secured a wire-to-wire victory at the Hero Open, while the total number of wins by Challenge Tour alumni is now 544.

The full 2023 Road to Mallorca International Schedule can be viewed below or by clicking here.