Sebastian Soderberg of Sweden walks with his caddie on the 16th hole during Day Four of The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters at Real Club Valderrama (Getty Images)
Last week the LPGA took a break, and the LET Tour received all the attention for the ladies tours. On the men’s side, the CJ Cup tournamnet was a pure show that brought Rickie Fowler (USA) back to the upper part of the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy overtook the top American players, on American soil. The participation of the Scandinavian golfers was not the highest of the year so far. However, Sebastian Söderberg(SWE) and Alexander Björk(SWE) brought some glory home. Söderberg finished T2 at the European Tour tournament of Esterlla Damm Andalucia Masters in Valderrama Golf Course, and Björk made an incredible T4. The best golfers from Denmark, Finlad, Norway, and Sweden are now having some rest to give it all next weekend at the PGA, European, LPGA, and Let Tours.
PGA TOUR: The CJ Cup at Summit
The Irish golfer Rory McIlroy won his 20th tour victory at the PGA Tour event. McIlroy made the exemption to a top 5 on the leaderboard strongly taken by the American players. Viktor Hovland made the Top 20, finishing T18 with a total of 18-under par. Hovland started strong with a bogey-free round of 65 (7-under par), but the luck didn’t last and didn’t manage to push more birdies in. Alex Noren (T59) and Rasmus Hojgaard (63rd) managed to make few birdies along their rounds, but could not lower down the amount of bogeys per round, which made it difficult to rise up on the leaderboard. Noren and Hojgaard signed totals of -10 and -9 respectively.
PGA Tour
CJ Cup at Summit
Course
The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money
9.8 Mio US-Dollar (8.4 Mio EUR)
Champion
Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
Scandinvian players
Viktor Hovland (T18), Alex Noren (T59), Rasmus Hojgaard (63rd)
European Tour: Andalucía Masters
The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters was played at the golf course of Real Club Valderrama, which plays at Par 71. To the surprise of the Scandinavian field, Sebastian Soderberg shocked the public coming out of the blue with scores of 70-69-72-70 to finish T2, only 3 shots behind the leader, Matt Fitzpatrick. Also from Sweden, his fellow teammate Alexander Björk made a T4 with a total of 2-under par. Real Club Valderrama was in perfect shape, definitely set up for professional golfers of high calibre. Other players from Denmark such as Thomas Bjorn, Nicolai Hojgaard, and Lucas Bjerregaard did not make the cut this time. Thomas Bjorn was in first line after the last player who moved forward into the last two rounds.
European Tour
Andalucía Masters
Course
Real Club Valderrama (Spain)
Prize Money
3 Million EUR
Champion
Matt Fitzpatrick
Scandinvian players
Sebastian Soderberg (T2), Alexander Björk (T4), Joachim B. Hansen (T15)
Across the Atlantic the Ladies European Tour competed in New York after a week off from playing. Glen Oaks Club hosted the event and had a stellar field assembled. Marianne Skarpnord from Norway, together with the Sollheim Cup star Anna Nordqvist (SWE) finsihed T7 with a total of 5-under par. Krista Bakker (FIN) finished T17. Bakker started with a round of even-par (72), Bakker improved in her second round playing under par (70), but the nerves of the last round did not allow her to climb higher on the leaderboard, as she closed up the Aramco Team Series with a scorecard of 1-over par (73).
EU Ladies Tour
Aramco Team Series
Course
The Glen Oaks Club, New York (USA)
Prize Money
800,000 USD (692,076 EUR)
Champion
Charley Hull (ENG)
Scandinvian players
Anna Nordqvist (T7), Marianne Skarpnord (T7), Krista Bakker (T17)
The SAS Championship was held in Cary, North Carolina at the Prestonwood CC. The SAS Championship is part of the Champions Tour, where the legends play. The sport of golf has not always been popular in the Scandinavia Area (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden). However, it is slowly becoming more of an interest for the younger generations. For that reason, there are not yet many golfers that participate with the legends. However, Robert Karlsson (SWE) is a pioneer on the Scandinavian golf. During his first round, Karlsson signed a scorecard with more birdies than pars on it, but a couple of bogeys limited his result to 6-under par. The following two rounds, the Swedish player finished 4-over par and even-par on the last, for a total of 2-under par (66-76-72).
PGA Tour
CJ Cup at Summit
Course
Prestonwood Country Club Cary, North Carolina (USA)
Last weekend hosted events for all professional tours, and this is an overview on the performance of the golfers from Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. There are not many players from these countries. However, some of their names are getting more and more noticed within the golf world.
European Tour: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Starting of with the European Tour, the Swedish golfer Joakim Lagergren, was close to bring home the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship trophy. He signed four rounds of (67-72-67-66) to finish with a total of 16-under par, for a silver medal only two shots behind the winner, Danny Willett. Lagergren showed a very solid game throughout the entire tournament, being two and six the average of bogeys and birdies per round respectively. Kristoffer Broberg finished strong with a fourth round of 7-under par (65) for a T9, coming close to the end one of his best seasons in the European Tour.
To round out the Swedish crew, Alex Noren came in T12 with a total of 11-under par (70-68-70-69). Noren is currently ranked 59th in the OWGR, and he is one of the players from Sweden with the most number of European Tour wins, a total of 10, only one victory behind Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson. Nicolai HØJGAARD and Jeff Winther, from Denmark also had a good performance that placed them both at T14, finishing with a total score of 10-under par.
Joakim Lagergren of Sweden tees off on the 5th hole during Day Four of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course. (Getty Images)
Challenge Tour: Swiss Challenge
Moving on to the Challenge Tour which consisted of the Swiss Challenge hosted at Golf Saint Apollinaire, Michelbach-Le-Haut, France. Denmark leaves a mark within the Top 10 finishes, bringing the first and second place trophies home. Marcus Helligkilde was proclaimed winner after he signed a total of 25-under par (65-67-62-69). Helligkilde is currently 3rd in the Challenge Tour, and ranked 143rd in the OWGR. All signs point at him playing the Main Tour next season. Only one shot behind at the Swiss Challenge, his fellow national teammate Nicolai Kristensen completed a four-round performance with scores of (65-67-65-67) for a total of 24-under par and a T2. Kristensen improved his Challenge Tour Ranking (CTR) by 28 positions last weekend, although that will not be enough to get the main card just yet. Niklas Nørgaard MØLLER, also from Denmark, made a Top 5 at Golf Saint Apollinaire, shooting a total of 20-under par, and Lauri Ruuska came in T8 for Finland, only one shot behind of 19-under par.
Looking at the LPGA, we can focus on the Swedish professional golfer Anna Nordqvist. She recently came in at T12 at the Shoprite LPGA Classic with a total of 9-under par and rounds of (69-69-66). Nordqvist currently holds 9 Career victories and 75 Career Top 10. Her solid game shows in the Rolex Ranking, where she is placed 16th. Anna felt at home during the Shoprite LPGA Classic and that is how she wanted to transmit it through social media: “No place like home but some weeks on the road are a little better than others… thank you @borgataac and my @mgmresortsintl family for making me, my clubs and my caddy feel “home” this week during @shopritelpga” published Anna on her Instagram account after the tournament.
Few positions below, her fellow Swedish player Madelene Sagstrom, and the professional golfer from Finland, Matilda Castren finished 6-under par for a T27 position.
Ladies European Tour. LET: Estrella Damm Ladies Open
The Estrella Damm Ladies Open took place last weekend 1st-3rd of October 2021, in Club de Golf Terramar, in Spain. Maja Stark from Sweden, took a 2-shot lead and brought the tophy home after three rounds of nonstop improvement (74-69-65) that drove her to be first with a total of 8-under par.
With a difference of four strokes, Krista Bakker (FIN) came in T4 and Linda Wessberg (SWE) T6 with a total of 3-under par. Sweden showed some golf power as Jessica Karlsson also made a Top 10 on the leaderboard with rounds of (71-70-73).
Lastly the PGA tour where the Sanderson Farms Championship was played at the Country Club of Jackson, in Jackson, Mississippi. Henrik Norlander sits on the spotlight as he was the only player from the Skandinavian area to make the cut. Norlander left the standards high with a T4, only 2 shots behind the leader Sam Burns, from the U.S.
Santiago Tarrio Ben from Spain during Day Four of the B-NL Challenge Trophy at The Dutch golf course. (Getty Images)
Good morning, we are here today with Santiago Tarrio and his caddy Noelia, a Spanish golfer from Padron. He has been playing the European Challenge tour since 2016. We are going to get started to get to know you a littler better and what your goals are and how you feel about this upcoming season, you obviously are ranked number one now, showing a solid golf game so we hope to keep it that way for longer.
Welcome to Golf Post, how are you today?
Tarrio: The feeling is good, the results are amazing and it is going better than expected. I am very happy for me and for my team. The main goal was to make it to the main European Tour, and now that is accomplished after all, I am very happy and excited about next year, I cannot wait to be surrounded by all of the other boys from the Tour and try to play my best.
Golf Post: You have accomplished one of the biggest goals that any golfer can dream of, how does that make you feel?
Tarrio: I am very excited. Now, we are playing in some of the European Tour events, and I am looking forward to playing all of them next year, and enjoy those nice courses out there and catching some experience.
Golf Post: We are here today at the golf course that saw you grow up since you first introduced yourself into golf. After five years of jumping from one place to another every other weekend, does this course still feel like home? Do you still practice here or have you found some other field that fits your needs better?
Tarrio: Yeah, I was basically born on this course, I started to play here, this is my course and this city is my home, so when I have one week off, I come here to see my family, friends and have some rest too. Of course, I also play and practice at other courses but I like to spend time at the course that saw me growing up. I love it here.
Golf Post: In 2005, your handicap was 6,5, and now in 2021 you are Top 100 in the OGWR. How does that feel? Did you expect to come that far in your golf career?
Tarrio: Wow, I was only 15 years old in 2005 and I tell you what, I do not remember what my handicap was back then, but it is really nice that you tell me and now for me to think about it. I always try to improve every year. I stopped playing golf entirely for five years when I was 17 though. But I returned 5 years ago, and I started to play the Alps Tour and some minor tours. My goal was to become a professional golfer and play the Challenge Tour and soon the European Tour. Now, five years later, I accomplished my goal, and I am very happy about it, I got it.
My amateur life was short, I only used to play the national championship once a year and some regional tournament. I found this was a disadvantage compared to other players because I think it is necessary to play important tournaments as an amateur to enrich your experience and to work with the best national coaches and trainers. It is something that grows into one’s game. I guess that being able to accomplish my goals without having lived any of that makes me feel more proud of my team and myself.
Golf Post: After all, as you said, you still managed to turn professional and be first ranked in the Challenge Tour right now. You began to play this Tour in 2016, is there an event that is more special for you?
Tarrio: In 2018, I played my first season with full card in the Challenge after I won the Alps Tour. I would say that was the most special moment for me because of the big gap that exists from one to the other. I like to learn from the other guys, and I liked the Alps Tour because most of the players had a lack of sources, so we used to share travel expenses as well as accommodation. That brought me a lot of good moments and it was very special for me to close that stage with a win.
Golf Post: Noelia, you have been his caddy and partner in crime at the golf course ever since Santi started this journey. We have heard that no other caddy reads the greens as good as you do. What was the most special moment for you?
Noelia García: Our first victory together at the Spanish Challenge. Although I also have experience in the PGA Tour, where we started with a triple boggey on the first hole, we made a 7 because we took the wrong meassure, but now we remember it as a funny memory.
Tarrio: She is a really good caddy, I am afraid I will have to fight the best players in the world that try to tempt her with better contracts and want to steal her from me, because she is a very nice caddy.
Golf Post: You are playing insane golf this season, collecting two wins and five Top 5. Once again, you are currently Top 100 in the OGWR. What has been the key to the success?
Tarrio: I think it is the mental game. I make birdies and I look up around me and think “Ok I can do this, I can play this game just like these top golfers here, I can do this.”
Golf Post: What are you most thankful for that guides you to this success?
Tarrio: My team. I have a lot of people around me that supported me through the bad moments and push me through them always. I think that is key and I am very happy with the team I brought together.
Golf Post. Now that your team and you have secured a spot in the main European Tour for the upcoming season, what are your goals? How do you see your future playing out in the European Tour?
Tarrio: My main goal is to maintain and consolidate the spot in the Main Tour during the first year, and then I will try for my first victory of course. I want to go step by step, which has always been the process we followed up until today. Of course my ultimate goal is to play the Masters of Augusta, and to play a Ryder Cup with the European Team. But for now, we need to work hard on every step on the path.
Golf Post: In April 22-25th, you played the Limpopo Championship, in South Africa. Then, you were T72 in the Challenge Tour ranking. Only two months later, in June you were proclaimed winner of the Spanish Challenge and leader of the Challenge Tour. How do you and your team manage the pressure to keep it that way?
Tarrio: We try to go shot by shot and week by week. I felt the pressure when I missed nine cuts in a row, or when I needed a good tournament to get the full card privileges. It was very hard to be able to bear the expenses playing the Alps Tour because of the lack of sponsors, and the low money prizes. So having to play the Alps for one more year also put pressure on me because that would have cut down the chances to continue maybe. Golf is not rocket science, and the effort may not always pay off. But now, we found more sponsors, and also the money prizes are higher. We are seeing the effort show in the scores, and when the game is good, there is no pressure.
Golf Post: About a month ago, the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020 were celebrated. Jon Rahm tested positive and you were up next to play according to the current ranking. However, the Spanish Federation and NOC decided to fly out Jorge Campillo instead. What happened? Do you think it was an unfair decision?
Tarrio: When the inscription lists were closed, I was ranked just one spot behind Adri Arnaus in the World Ranking, so I knew that I had a small chance to go if anything happened that didn’t allow Jon Rahm or Adri Arnaus to go. I was surprised that I did not get the call to aware me that I was first in the substitute list. The week before the Olympic Games, I was playing in Italy when my team and I found out about the positive COVID-19 case of Jon Rahm.
I got in contact with my physiologist and manager, Joaquin to get in contact with the Spanish Federation to see what the next steps were because we believed that we should be the ones to go to Tokyo, but the time to sort things out was limited due to Covid restrictions and requirements previous to the Games. Joaquin called me and explained to me that the Spanish Federation had to send out a provisional list in March that collected all the names of the possible players that could represent the country in case something like this happened to the two players that were chosen in the first place.
The Spanish Federation believed that five names were enough. However, Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera rejected their spots to Tokyo. Therefore, there were only three left in the list: Jon Rahm, Adri Arnau and Jorge Campillo.
This meant that any other Spanish golfer that was out of that list could never have the chance to participate in the Tokyo Games whatsoever, although other players went ahead in the OWGR since March until the last update of the World Ranking previous to the Games, like it happened to me, the same way it could have happened to any other.
In this case, by the time the World Rankings were updated, Jorge Campillo was two spots behind me and one spot behind Otaegui. I think it was a huge negligence. The worst part is that the Federation acted shady and I am hurt that the Federation did not release a public statement informing on the situation to all golfers and fans explaining what is happening and how they are proceeding.
I recognize that I received apologies from the President of the Spanish Federation, who was not aware of the situation and did not know that I was next in the list. Therefore, the party responsible was the president. Actually, the Spanish Olympic Committee put me down on their list, but not the Federation, which was just a shame for me.
Golf Post: The weekend after the Olympic Games you proved a point at the Hero Open with a crazy total of 21-under par, with rounds of 69-66-67-63. You brought you own bronze metal home that weekend, and finished first out of all the Spanish golfers. I am sure that was a tough mental challenge, but you managed to get over successfully. How did you face such a challenge and how did you feel afterwards?
Tarrio: I think the week before was the hardest one playing in the European Tour event and awaiting to see what was going on with the Olympic Games. Then it turned out that I was not flying to Tokyo and quickly had to prepare to play in Scotland. I was physically and mentally tired, but it was very special for my team and I. The results were great, we finished third and I even got asked to sign some autographs, which I am not very used to do so.
Golf Post: Speaking of the Olympic Games, Paris 2024 is coming up soon, only three years away from now, and time flies. Is that one of the goals that you included in the long-term of your golf career?
Tarrio: It was not one of the goals that I was planning on chasing so far for now. I believe that if I ever accomplish such a goal, it will mean a reward to the team for all the hard work that we are putting in, and definitely a huge gift for us. It will be the revenge for Tokyo 2020(1), and we know that it will not be easy, but we will try our best always to get as far as possible.
Golf Post: So far you goal is to get to the European Tour next season and to maintain the card. Maybe bring a couple of victories home for the next couple of years, and who knows if we may see you in Paris as well. What is the part of your game that you are focusing the most on to improve your performance, is there anything specific that you consider a weakness?
Tarrio: I think I need to improve in all parts of golf because I have more golf inside me, I can improve in the physical, mental and technical parts. It is nice for me not to see the top of my golf game at the moment. I would say the physical part is probably the worst part of my game because of the non-stop traveling and training. However, I always try to improve in all parts because I think there is always blanks to fill.
Golf Post: Thank you so much for having us, for this interview. It was really great talking to you. We wish you the best of luck for the upcoming tournaments and for you to accomplish all the goals for the European Tour next season.
Tarrio: My pleasure. I hope to see you more times in the future for more interviews. Thank you so much.
Britishman Ewen Ferguson teeing off at one of the Challenge Tour events from this year 2021 in Esbjerg, Denmark.
Date: Wednesday August 25, 2021
Empordà Golf to host second Spanish Swing of 2021
Press Release
The European Challenge Tour today announced that two events in Spain – the Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava – will take place in consecutive weeks at Empordà Golf, this October.
The Empordà Challenge will be held from October 14-17 while the Challenge Costa Brava will then take place from Tuesday October 19 – Friday October 22. The latter will mark the end of the regular Road to Mallorca season, determining the 45-player field for the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A from November 4-7.
Jamie Hodges, Javier Gervás, and Emilio Cuatrecasas look forward to welcoming these events
Empordà Golf is the former host venue of European Tour and European Tour Qualifying School events, and the two Challenge Tour tournaments will be played on the Links Course, which underwent substantial renovation work during 2020. The back-to-back events replace the Hainan Open and Foshan Open in China which were cancelled earlier this month due to the ongoing effects of the global pandemic.
Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “We are grateful to Empordà Golf and the promoter, JGolf, for their help in bringing these events to fruition.
“It was important for us to provide our members with these replacement tournaments to ensure playing opportunities were maximised at an important time of the season and having enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Javier Gervás and his team, we knew it would be possible to organise a solution with their help.
“Empordà Golf has stood the test of time in terms of hosting professional events and we are all excited to spend two weeks in Spain at such a wonderful venue.”
Javier Gervás, General Manager of JGolf, said: “When the space in the Road to Mallorca Schedule emerged we worked hard to help cover those two crucial weeks in the calendar.
“We knew that Empordà Golf were interested in going a step further in terms of the professional tournaments it has hosted and we therefore proposed hosting the last two Challenge Tour tournaments before the Grand Final.
“They have put in great effort that I am sure will be rewarded. We will now have two decisive tournaments in Spain this season with international coverage that will put Empordà Golf in the spotlight of world golf.”
Emilio Cuatrecasas, President of Empordà Golf Club, said: “The decision to hold the Empordà Challenge confirms the effort being made by all the Costa Brava clubs to improve their facilities and become a world-class sports destination.
“It is also noteworthy that the growing popularity of these international tournaments is driving many young people to practice golf, getting the clubs to feed not only their energy but also an updated vision of this sport that will bring considerable progress in the sporting, social and environmental fields.”
The Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava will be the second Spanish Swing on the 2021 Road to Mallorca, following the Challenge de España and the Challenge de Cádiz, which took place at Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, in June.
The Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava will be supported by the Challenge Tour, Empordà Golf, Girona Provincial Council through the Costa Brava Tourist Board and Kyocera. The promoter and organiser is JGolf.
European Challenge Tour player from Denmark, Nicolai Tinning is set for the 2021 Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge.
Nicolai Tinning is looking to take inspiration from his sporting family as he prepares to tee it up in the Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge this week.
The Dane competed in his first European Challenge Tour event of the 2021 Road to Mallorca International Schedule last week at the Made in Esbjerg Challenge – Presented by FREJA & TotalEnergies, finishing in a respectable tie for tenth place at Esbjerg Golfklubb, which also provides the setting for this week’s event.
Tinning is looking to rekindle the winning tradition that is prominent in his family after his father
His father, Steen Tinning, has two wins apiece on both the European Tour and the Legends Tour, while Tinning Snr’s cousin, Iben Tinning, also had a successful career recording six Ladies European Tour titles.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I’ve been coming here since I was 12, I have quite a big golf family. My dad is the guy to speak to about everything, we have talked a lot about Tour life and how to get around, how to behave and how to play Pro-Ams. Some of it I have learnt from my dad and I’ve talked a lot with my Dad’s cousin Iben who also played a high level of golf and of course my coach Ben.
“I enjoyed last week a lot, there was a lot of people here the first week, it was amazing. I didn’t play that well on Saturday but I played really well on Friday so it was amazing to play here and there can’t be a better place for me to play a tournament.”
The 28-year-old competed in 19 European Challenge Tour events in 2019 with his best result coming at the Swiss Challenge Presented by Swiss Golf in which the Dane recorded a tie for 13th place but has admitted that it is excellent to be back playing after being very busy off the course.
“I’m just trying to enjoy it,” he said. “I played 19 events on the Challenge Tour and then Covid came. There have been a lot of things going on in my personal life, I’m going to be a dad in January, and I got married last year, so it’s just trying to enjoy it and play this amazing course. I just love being here.”
Tinning is joined in the field for the Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge by last week’s Made in Esbjerg – Presented by FREJA & TotalEnergies champion and five-time Challenge Tour winner Ricardo Gouveia, as well as three-time Challenge Tour winner Daan Huizing.
The action in the second event of the Danish Swing gets under way at 7:30am local time on Tuesday August 17, with Tinning teeing it up alongside fellow Dane Nicolai Kristensen and Robin Dawson of Ireland at 9:10am.
Daan Huizing, from the Challenge Tour, looks forward to play again in Denmark at the Made in Esbjerg Challenge 2021.
Daan Huizing is looking forward to back-to-back events in Denmark as he attempts to return to winning ways in the Made in Esbjerg Challenge Presented by FREJA & TotalEnergies.
The Dutchman has competed in 12 tournaments out of 16 on the 2021 European Challenge Tour schedule securing five top 20 finishes. That record includes victory at the Irish Challenge in May after producing a sensational round carding a four under par round of 67, beating Eduard Rousaud in a play-off to secure his third European Challenge Tour title.
Huizing is looking to rekindle that kinds of form in the next event of the Challenge Tour in Denmark this week.
“I think points wise it’s huge,” he said. “I also think for my own progression and development as a player. I think I’ve matured a lot in the last two, three years and showing really good improvement towards the European Tour.”
“Of course you want to win and I thought Ireland was beautiful I loved the place, I loved the whole week, even walking on the last hole or walking in the play-off I said to myself wow, I love it here, how beautiful is this? That was a great state of mind to be in and then you play your best golf and now it’s a challenge to get those ingredients back again and put it all together again so I can win again.”
Huizing said playing back-to-back events can be challenging at times but is looking forward to being back in Denmark after finishing a solid tied 12th place at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge last week.
“All I’ve heard is that it’s really good, so yes I am definitely looking forward to it,” he said. “The courses I have played in Denmark have all been good, the greens have always been very nice, last week in Finland was also top notch.”
“I did it one time in Spain (playing back-to-back events) and I actually thought it was quite challenging because the course gets a little mind numbing, maybe it’s different here because it’s a tougher course and maybe they can do more with the course, but I think for them to have the events in the first place is a really great achievement. I don’t mind it and especially on a great golf course like this I am actually looking forward to it.”
The 30-year-old is currently in ninth position on the Road to Mallorca but is focused on climbing the rankings in order to secure a return to the European Tour.
“I have my goal which is to finish in the top five of the Rankings, then you will have a better category for next year, so week in week out you try and give your best, get results and get more points on the board.”
Huizing is joined in the field for the Made in Esbjerg Challenge by last week’s Vierumäki Finnish Challenge winner Marcus Helligkilde and Italian Challenge and four-time European Challenge Tour winner Ricardo Gouveia.
The action in Denmark gets under way at 7:30am local time, with Huizing teeing it up alongside Denmark’s John Axelsen and Englishman Andrew Wilson at 13:20.
Stuart Manly wins the Challenge Tours Euram Bank Open. (Photo: Getty Images)
Stuart Manley claimed his third Challenge Tour title in dramatic fashion after recording a birdie on the last hole to secure a one-stroke victory at the Euram Bank Open.
The Welshman had three holes to play this morning after the third round was suspended on Saturday night due to thunderstorms and heavy rain and trailed 54-hole leader Matias Honkala by one stroke.
After playing his first nine holes in level par after two birdies and a double bogey, he made his move at the turn after posting four consecutive birdies from the tenth hole. Tied for the lead with Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson on the par three 18th tee, he fired his tee shot to 15 feet and rolled the putt in for an 18 under par total and his third victory on the Challenge Tour.
The 42-year-old, who last won on the Challenge Tour in June 2018 at the Hauts de France Golf Open is delighted to be back in the winners’ circle once again.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “It’s been a tricky year with an injury just before South Africa, I almost thought the season was going to be over and to be here now with the winner’s trophy is amazing.
“I could feel the adrenaline pumping (on the 18th). I chose a six iron, I had 200 yards – a six iron doesn’t quite go 200 yards – but I thought just hit it firm and hit it harder, the adrenaline will take over. It landed right by the pin and went about 15 feet past, so it was a great opportunity. I knocked it in and I’m over the moon.”
Manley who has played at Golfclub Adamstal many times admits that it is suited to his game but says that he had to be patient throughout in order to have the outcome that he did.
“I had to have patience and really good management on my game,” said Manley. “I didn’t hit it amazing, but I hit it pretty solid. I made a lot of putts, my chipping was spot on, everything was pretty good I didn’t hit in trouble all week, so just the patience and short game was really good.
“The golf course is amazing, probably the most scenic golf course I’ve ever played and the condition it was in today after we had all that rain yesterday was amazing, so yeah I really like the golf course.”
“It is tough, physically more than anything, I got off the golf course just before nine o’clock and then you’re trying to find a restaurant to eat and then you need your sleep and your rest but then you have to be back at the golf club for about six this morning..”
Ferguson recorded his fourth top-four finish of the season with his runner-up result, matching his performance at this event in 2019.
In a share of third on 16 under par were South African Oliver Bekker, ranked fifth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, and Honkala.
Hinrich Arkenau of Germany finished fifth on 15 under, with Chase Hanna and Federico Maccario sharing sixth place after rounds of 66.
With his victory, Manley jumps to 20th place on the Road to Mallorca Rankings after his third event of the season. Spain’s Santiago Tarrio still leads on 110,993 points, with Frenchman Julien Brun and German Marcel Siem occupying second and third place, respectively.
The Road to Mallorca continues next week in Italy, with the Italian Challenge at Margara Golf Club, from July 22-25.
Germany’s Hurly Long is determined to secure one of the 20 European Tour cards on offer on the 2021 Road to Mallorca, with the season set to get under way with the Limpopo Championship at Euphoria Golf Club from April 22-25.
This week’s event in South Africa is the first of three co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour to begin the European Challenge Tour’s 2021 campaign, as players battle it out over 26 events across the globe for one of the 20 graduation spots on offer through the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
Long finished eighth on the Rankings in 2021 following a strong maiden campaign which yielded the 26-year-old’s first Challenge Tour victory at the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil, and he now has his sights set on securing graduation this year.
“I had a pretty good season last year on the Challenge Tour, finished eighth and just missed my card,” he said. “I’m more focused on doing what I can do, but at the same time if I play well and to my abilities I will have a good season, and playing on the European Tour next year is the goal.
“My game is good. It’s early in the season, so you’re fiddling around with some things. My putting hasn’t been quite sharp, but the ball-striking is good and I’m looking forward to it.”
The 2019 Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit winner made his Challenge Tour debut in last year’s Limpopo Championship and, despite missing his first three cuts, is excited to be back in South Africa.
“I’m loving it,” he said. “Literally the only thing I was talking to my caddie about in Austria was how I was looking forward to the weather, it was going to be so much nicer.
“Austria was a nice course, but I love it here. It’s special. It’s my second trip to South Africa. I loved it the first around, it’s one of the coolest places on earth.
“I love the nature aspect of this place. That’s one of the cool things about our job, we see so many different places and cultures. It’s still new to me, in a way. It’s special. Golf is very important to me, but enjoying life and seeing the world is all part of the journey. You have to live in the moment.”
Long is joined in this week’s Limpopo Championship field by defending champion JC Ritchie. The South African triumphed at the first two editions of the event in 2019 and 2020 and is bidding for a hat-trick as he tees it up on home soil this week.
World Number 98 and three-time European Tour winner Brandon Stone and World Number 80 Daniel van Tonder, who won his first European Tour event at the Kenya Savannah Classic supported by Absa last month, will also tee it up at Euphoria Golf Club this week.
The Limpopo Championship begins at 6:30am local time on Thursday April 22, with Long teeing off from the tenth alongside Chris Swanepoel and Jordan Wrisdale at 12:50pm.
The Hopps Open de Provence will return to the Road to Mallorca International Schedule in 2021, again taking place at Golf International de Pont Royal, Mallemort, from September 16-19.
The event, won by home favourite Romain Langasque in its maiden edition in 2018, followed by the Netherlands’ Lars van Meijel in 2019, was due to return to the schedule in 2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Seve Ballesteros-designed layout at Golf International de Pont Royal, which is the only course in France designed by the 50-time European Tour winner, opened in 1992 and is widely acclaimed for its slick greens and highland holes which offer stunning views of the Luberon and Alpilles mountain ranges.
The return of the Hopps Open de Provence further enhances French golf’s affiliation with the European Challenge Tour, having held a presence on the schedule for over 30 years and producing a long list of players who have gone on to shine on the European Tour.
Meanwhile, the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open, which was scheduled to take place at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club from June 17-20 and was previously announced as part of last month’s 25 event strong schedule, will now not take place.
The return of the Hopps Open de Provence ensures there remains three French events on the Road to Mallorca in 2021 which underlines the commitment of the Fédération Française de Golf and the European Tour to golf in France following the return of the Open de France to the Race to Dubai, as announced last week.
Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “I am thrilled to now be able to confirm the return of the Hopps Open de Provence to our schedule in 2021.
“The Challenge Tour has a long and storied history of holding events in France and I must thank the Hopps Group, Golf International de Pont Royal and the Fédération Française de Golf for their commitment and help in bringing this tournament to fruition and for their ongoing support of our Tour.”
Jérôme Laurédi, General Manager of Golf International de Pont Royal, said: “Despite difficult health conditions, Golf de Pont Royal is honoured to host the Hopps Open de Provence for the third time.
“Our teams will implement their know-how to ensure all aspects of the event are of the quality expected by Challenge Tour standards and to continue the success of previous editions.”
Julien Nazarian, President of Pro Sports Events, said: “We are proud to again be able to combine the efforts of the Hopps Group and Golf international de Pont Royal to confirm the third edition of the Hopps Open de Provence.
“I would like to thank the European Tour and Fédération Française de Golf for their continued support and we look forward to welcoming the players, public and sponsors to the Seve Ballesteros-designed course this summer.”
Eric Paumier, Co-President of the Hopps Group, said: “The success of Hopps Open de Provence is due to the strong partnership between the promoter, Julien Nazarian, Golf International de Pont Royal and the Hopps Group.
“Every year, we work with passion and energy for the benefit of the Challenge Tour players and the fans, with the goal of organising the most beautiful event as possible.”
This year's Challenge Tour Grand Final is set to take place on Nov 4th-7th at T-Golf and Country Club, Mallorca, Spain.(Image: Getty)
• Challenge Tour returns with 25 tournaments in 15 countries
• Road to Mallorca returns to the Netherlands for the first time since 2009
• New events to take place in the UK and Germany
• Top 20 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings will graduate to the European Tour
The European Challenge Tour today announces the 2021 Road to Mallorca International Schedule, which will comprise 25 tournaments in 15 different countries around the world.
The schedule features a mixture of long-standing and new events in a season which will run from April to November as the next crop of golfing stars compete for one of the 20 cards on offer for the 2022 European Tour season – an increase of five from the 15 spots available at the end of the last full Challenge Tour season in 2019.
New additions to the schedule include a trip to The Dutch, the three-time host venue of the KLM Open on the European Tour, for the B-NL Challenge Trophy as the Challenge Tour returns to the Netherlands for the first time since 2009. New events in the United Kingdom and Germany also make their debuts on the schedule, with all three events taking place consecutively in August and September.
Several long-standing events such as the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open, the Swiss Challenge and the Rolex Trophy will all return to the Schedule in 2021, with the latter celebrating its 30th anniversary at Golf Club de Genève as the top 40 players on the Road to Mallorca Rankings tee it up alongside amateur guests in the Pro-Am format.
The 2021 season will begin with the Limpopo Championship in April, the first of three co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, and end almost seven months later at the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca in November.
All events on the Challenge Tour schedule will be played under the auspices of the European Tour’s health strategy which will continue to evolve in line with Government guidance in the countries where tournaments are played.
Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “I am thrilled to be able to unveil our global schedule for 2021 which sees us return to the number of events we had prior to last season.
“There were 20 wins by former Challenge Tour players on the European Tour in 2020, which shows how important our Tour is in preparing the next generation of stars for the biggest stage and we’re excited to give our current Membership more opportunities to follow in their footsteps.
“We are now at the beginning of the third year of our partnership with the Federación Balear de Golf and we are looking forward to working closely again with them in 2021, culminating in our second trip to T-Golf & Country Club for the Challenge Tour Grand Final.
“I would also like to extend our thanks to those events that have been a part of the Challenge Tour Schedule for many years – we are grateful to them for their continued partnership. Finally, I would like to thank all our promoters and the various national Federations who are so integral to the success of the Challenge Tour; as well as the many tournament sponsors and partners who make our Road to Mallorca International Schedule possible.”
