Category: European Challenge Tour

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European Challenge Tour

Manley triumphs in Austria to secure third Challenge Tour title

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.

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European Challenge Tour

Hurly Long eyes big year as Road to Mallorca begins in Limpopo

Image: Getty

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.

(Text: European Tour Communications)

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European Challenge Tour

Hopps Open de Provence added to Road to Mallorca International Schedule

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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.”

(Text: European Challenge Tour Communications)

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European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour Unveils 2021 International Schedule

This year's Challenge Tour Grand Final is set to take place at T-Golf and Country Club, Mallorca, Spain (Image: Getty)
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.”

(Text: European Challenge Tour Press Release)

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European Challenge Tour Live

South African Swing postponed

Christiaan Bezuidenhout tees-off in Sun City at the South African Open in Dec 2020. (Source: Getty)

The European Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour today jointly confirmed the postponement of the three co-sanctioned tournaments in South Africa.

Following thorough consultation with the medical teams from both Tours, it has been agreed to reschedule the three co-sanctioned events, that were due to take place in February, until later in the year.

The Challenge Tour’s ‘South African Swing’ will now begin in the week of 22-25 April. An announcement will be made shortly regarding this tournament and its venue. This will be followed by the Cape Town Open at Royal Cape Golf Club from 29 April – 2 May, and then the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt Golf Estate from 6-9 May.

Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “The decision to postpone these events follows consultation with all stakeholders and was made with the health and well-being of all players and staff as our absolute priority. 

“I want to express our thanks to the Sunshine Tour, and each of the tournament venues, sponsors and stakeholders for their flexibility and understanding of this situation. We greatly appreciate our partnership with our friends at the Sunshine Tour and look forward to co-sanctioning the three events later this year.”

Thomas Abt, Sunshine Tour Commissioner, said: “In light of the current worldwide increase in COVID-19 cases and after consultation with our own health experts and GolfRSA and its Risk Mitigation Strategy, we believe it is the most responsible course of action to postpone these tournaments.

“The safety of our members as well as our staff is our primary concern. I’d like to thank the Challenge Tour as well as our own Sunshine Tour Board of Directors and sponsors for their guidance, patience and understanding amidst what remains a very fluid situation for world golf.”

Text: European Tour Press Release, 13/01/2021