Tag: live-satellite-tours

Categories
European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour: Huizing looks to get back to winning ways in Denmark

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.

Press Release by the European Tour Communication

Categories
European Tour

Daniel Gavins: “I just can’t really believe it.”

Daniel Gavins wins the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021

August 1, 2021

Daniel Gavins

Northern Ireland

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club
Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned out there how it feels to be a European Tour winner.

DANIEL GAVINS: It just feels amazing. I don’t think it’s going to sink in for a while. Yeah, it’s just a dream come true really.

Q. It was a bit of a roller coaster at the end there. You spent a long time at the range. You were even at the clubhouse watching the TV. What was going through your mind as everything unfolded out on the golf course?

DANIEL GAVINS: To be honest I thought I was going to be a few shots short of winning, so to win, it’s just — I just can’t really believe it. I thought I was going to finish maybe second or third looking at the leaderboard going down the last, but yeah. Must be my week.

Q. As you mentioned, you started the day seven shots off. Did it even enter your mind that you would be sitting here as the winner of the ISPS Honda World Invitational?

DANIEL GAVINS: Not in the slightest, no. Kind of went into today playing each hole as it came and just tried to stay patient out there. A few birdies led to a few more, and yeah, here we go.

Q. You holed some incredible putts out there. Can you talk us through a couple of those putts and a couple moments where you really felt like you had it going on the golf course?

DANIEL GAVINS: Yeah, I mean, the first — it started on the par-3 when I holed a bunker shot for the birdie. It was a pretty tough bunker shot. I managed to hole that. Then the next hole rolled in like a 70-foot putt for birdie, which was a pretty tough hole. And then same on 13 and same on 16, I’ve rolled in 60 feet again on both of those holes, which was a bit of luck in there. But yeah. Unbelievable.

Q. I know you were talking about how you came close to not playing this week. What was the thinking behind that, and how close did you come to not even teeing it up?

DANIEL GAVINS: Yeah, it’s been a pretty long season so far on the Challenge Tour, so I was going to have a week off because there was obviously a week off for the Challenge Tour, and then go for the next kind of nine in a row on the Challenge Tour. But I came because one of my mates was going to caddie for me. So yeah, we just came and really — we treated it like a week to have some fun really. So yeah, that’s what we did. We came and had a little bit of fun, and yeah, here we are.

Q. Given the overwhelming emotions that you’re feeling from a win this week, it’s sometimes difficult to take a 30,000-foot view and put things into perspective, but can you speak about the format, having men and women playing together in this event. You shot 13-under; the winner there ends up shooting 16-under, so it appears like they acquitted themselves quite well.

DANIEL GAVINS: I mean, I think it’s great. I think it moves a lot quicker, so it kind of speeds play up. So I’m all for it. I’ve played it a few times now. We played an event in Australia where it was the same, and that went really well. So yeah, it’s really positive for golf, I think.

THE MODERATOR:

Daniel, thank you very much and congratulations then.

Interview Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
LPGA Tour

Gemma Dryburgh: “I felt like my game has been going in the right direction”

Gemma Dryburgh at Round One of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021 (Photo: Getty Images)

ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL

Q. A round of 66; tell us about your round.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, played very well. Played very solid tee to green. I think I only missed three greens, so I played very well and holed the putts and kind of hit it quite close, as well. Yeah, overall a very good day.

Q. Your lowest round since the 2019 Meijer Classic. Has something clicked recently in your game?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Well, I’ve actually been playing quite well recently, just nothing has kind of clicked. Putts haven’t been dropping. So it’s been quite frustrating to be honest. But I’ve kind of had to stay patient, and I knew a round like this was coming, so it was good to see it come out today.

Q. How about conditions out there at Galgorm because it’s different today to earlier in the week?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I played here on Monday, and it’s very different. It was much firmer. It was much softer out there today. It was still running actually more than we anticipated after all the rain yesterday. But it was still, yeah, very different to Monday’s practice round. Just had to adjust.

Q. Massereene tomorrow; what’s the tactics going into tomorrow and how will you have to adjust tomorrow?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, so Massereene was even bouncier than here, so played there on Tuesday and we obviously had a lot of rain yesterday and a little bit this morning. Yeah, it will be a bit different. I’m not really sure what to expect to be honest, so I just have to kind of play it a little cool the first few holes and see how it’s bouncing and just kind of do the same as today.

Q. You played in the 2014 Curtis Cup with Stephanie Meadow, who obviously won here a couple years ago. You didn’t happen to speak to her about this event, did you?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I didn’t actually but probably should have, got a few tips. But I heard the last time it was here it was really quite soft, which obviously it’s a bit softer now, but on Monday it was playing quite firm, so playing a bit differently I’m sure to a couple years ago.

Gemma comments on what it’s like to be with the guys

Q. How did it feel out there, just being at a tournament with guys? What’s it like?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, it’s very cool. I obviously played the Vic Open a few times, so it’s kind of similar format to that. But it’s really cool actually to see the guys in front of us and behind us. It’s nice to see an innovative event like that.

Q. You shot bogey-free today, which I haven’t seen that on a scorecard yet today.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I haven’t done that in a while actually.

Q. Do you remember the last time?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I don’t. Probably maybe when — Josh mentioned the Meijer, 64 there. I think that was bogey-free, so that might have been the last time.

Q. Can you start us out on 1? You opened up with a nice eagle.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, so that was actually my 10th hole, but yeah, I hit 7-wood in there, just kind of 10 yards on, just a bit left, left center, and rolled nicely to six or seven feet, rolled in for a 3, which was nice.

Q. And then you had five other birdies the rest of the day at 3, 8, 10, 15 and 17. Any one of those in particular that you look back on and that kind of helped the round get going?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I think — well, the first was nice. We had a bit of a delay on the first hole so I kind of had to refocus a little bit on that hole, so it was nice to get the birdie on that one to start off quite well.

Then yeah, just holed a nice few putts on the other ones. Nothing too long, to be honest. Just kind of the putts that haven’t been going in recently. It was nice to see that.

Q. You talked about just some frustration with the game, but you won back-to-back events last year.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah.

Q. When you did that and then you have some frustration, what’s it been like to be competing and to have those ups and downs?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, it’s been — obviously with COVID it’s been a bit — and with my schedule, I’ve not got into every event, so I think I’ve had six starts on the LPGA so far and just kind of have to take opportunities when you can. It’s hard to get kind of a rhythm going almost when you don’t get into every event. That’s been a bit frustrating. Yeah, I felt like my game has been going in the right direction, so I just kind of had to stay patient, so it was nice to see it pay off today.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

Categories
European Tour Satellite Tours

Andy Sullivan: “You’d be surprised that probably a few of the men learned a lot from the ladies.”

Andy Sullivan on the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021

July 28, 2021

Andy Sullivan

Northern Ireland

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club
Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Andy, it’s great to have you at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. First of all, you played the Open Championship a couple of weeks ago, put yourself in the mix in the first couple of days. It wasn’t your best result at the Open, but did it feel like a kind of a week, maybe your best performance at an Open where you really put yourself in the mix at Royal St George’s?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, I think it was one of them where, as I said out there, I didn’t have any expectations going in because I got in last minute and I felt like it was just all right. I almost took it as a normal tournament. It was laid back that week. I played nine holes Tuesday, nine holes Wednesday, so I wouldn’t say I had the best preparation going into it, but I felt really relaxed. I was playing nice golf leading up to it. In a way I felt probably more relaxed than I’ve ever been going into a major. It was quite refreshing, and obviously the first two days was amazing. Obviously with the crowds there and being with Blandy on the first tee, hitting the first tee shot, it’s always good fun.

Yeah, it was an amazing week. Obviously it didn’t pan out quite the way I wanted to at the weekend, probably got at little bit cold, but I felt like I almost come of age a little bit, in like mental-wise I felt like I was really patient, really disciplined when normally I get a little bit frustrated at the weekend and try and chase things down. I really stuck to my game plan, and I think going forward that’s probably massive for me.

Q. You obviously got a good reception down in Sandwich but you’re kind of a fan favorite here on the island of Ireland, as well, and you’ve played well here a couple of times, notably in 2019 at Lahinch but also you played well at Royal County Down a number of years ago, as well. Are you looking forward to playing in front of the Northern Irish crowds this week and hopefully give them something to cheer about?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, definitely. I don’t know, it maybe is my last name, Sullivan, maybe they just take me as one of their own. But I always get a great reception here, and it’s brilliant. I love the fact you come to Ireland or Northern Ireland and the banter they throw at you on the golf course, I love feeding off it. I really enjoy it, always really enjoy it. Like you said, I’ve always seemed to play quite well in Ireland and Northern Ireland so it’s actually nice to come back to places where you feel comfortable and it feels like home. No, it’s good.

Q. I know you’re a big supporter of inclusivity in golf and you do a few things off the golf course in that regard, but are you proud to be part of an event such as this where male and female players are playing for equal prize funds and over the same golf courses and are you enjoying the atmosphere this week with the various tours?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, it’s fun. I did a golf day on Monday with Alice Hewson and obviously she’s fourth in Sweden, and she was just saying how much she learnt from playing with the men, and I said to her, I said, you’d be surprised that probably a few of the men probably learned a lot from the ladies, as well. I think it’s great that we can have these events, and we all get together and we can sort of learn different things off each other because I love it. I think it’s great, and I think it’s the way things should be where we’re playing for equal prize funds and going against each other.

At the end of the day we’re all competitors. We all want to beat each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re disabled, lady, male, we want to win.

Q. I think it was four tournaments in a row culminating with the Open and obviously being up there for the first couple of days at Sandwich, how much does that take out of you and did you have a good week off last week to top off the energy levels?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, I was quite lucky in the sense of sort of managed my time really well, so I wasn’t at the event the whole week, sort of a full seven days. I felt like I managed my time really well at the event knowing I was going to play three on the spin and then going into the Open I felt pretty good going into the Open energy levels wise. I didn’t feel tired at any point. I felt like I managed my time really well.

Had a good week off last week, yeah, enjoyed being back with the kids, back with the missus, seeing a few of my mates and stuff, and picked up the practice sort of the end of the weekend and did a golf day on Monday. No, it was good, and obviously just looking forward to getting this UK swing on the road. Absolutely love playing back in the UK. It’s always a pleasure, and like I said, the crowds and the fans are amazing, so it’s good.

Q. You’re the top ranked player in the men’s tournament this week. Does that bring any extra pressure or is it just internal pressure on yourself to do well?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Again, I’ve got no expectations of myself. I feel like my game is in good shape. I feel like me and Rich have come up with a game plan and we’re just going to stick to that game plan like we did at the Open, and I feel like when we do get the game plan right, it’s going to be our week. I think it’s just a matter of biding our time and we will get it right at one event.

The Open it just didn’t quite pan out for us, but I was really proud of how disciplined I was and how much I stuck to my guns with it and it’ll be the same this week. Like I said, I felt like it was a bit of a coming of age for me at the Open. It’s been a long time where it’s time for me really to take in and not be ultra aggressive and be a bit more patient, be a bit more diligent of what I’m doing, and it really paid off.

Again, that will be probably one of the reasons why I didn’t feel so tired is mentally it takes it out of you when you’ve got so much going on and you’re trying to push. I felt like, yeah, I felt good all week, so it’ll be more of the same this week.

Q. Just what are the sort of goals and ambitions for the rest of the season?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

I haven’t any really. Literally just working towards my stats and trying to improve them, all of them. I don’t know if I can edge in the areas that are not quite up to the standard that I want them to be. That’s going to be give me the best chance of winning. Not really expectations or any goals set in terms of outcome, just trying to work on the process, even though it sounds ultra really boring and not much for you to write about. Unfortunately that’s what I’ve got to stick to, trying to keep myself sane for as long as possible.

Q. You talked about the game plan and stuff, so what do you think the secret to good scoring is this week?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

I walked the other course, I walked it yesterday. I didn’t play it. Seeing how fiery it was on the fairways, greens were still quite soft, though. For me it will just be about getting it in the fairway. I forgot what the other track is called now.

Q. Massereene?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Massereene. I think just getting it in the fairway around there is key. It’s going to give yourself the best chance of getting it right and as soon as you start putting it in the rough you’re bringing in fliers and all sorts. Fairways are going to be key, which might not necessarily be driver everywhere at a tight golf course. That seemed to be what came out of yesterday.

Then you’ll have to ask me that question later because I haven’t actually played this course yet, so we’ll find out later.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Andy. Have a great week.

Interview transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
European Tour Satellite Tours

Olivia Cowan: “Playing alongside the men will push the women’s golf.”

Olivia Cowan on the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021

July 27, 2021

Olivia Cowan

Northern Ireland

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club
Quick Quotes

Q. The pandemic postponed this a year, but we’re finally at Galgorm in the ISPS Honda World Invitational. What is it like to be finally at this tri-sanctioned event?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, it’s great to be back. Obviously I was here two years ago in 2019, and it was a really fun event then. It’s really fun to be back. Obviously it’s great playing with the men here, as well. It’s great to see them practice and just chat, as well, because we don’t see them that often. So yeah, it’s good to be back.

Q. What makes an event like this where you’ve got a men’s group, you’ve got a women’s group, kind of alternating each round, what makes it unique and special when you’re competing?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Well, I played the Vic Open a few times, and it’s basically the same format, so I think it’s just cool to mix. I think it’s great for fans, as well. Obviously you can watch the men and you can watch the women at the same time. I think that’s really good.
I think it’s good for women’s golf, as well, because I think obviously us playing alongside the men, it will push the women’s golf, as well, so I think that’s a great thing, as well.

Q. You’re a Modest Golf ambassador, client. What’s it like to have been working with them and when did you first start working with them?

OLIVIA COWAN:

So I started working with them last year, and it’s been really good, to be fair. I’m really happy with Modest Golf. The team is amazing. They put a lot of work into helping me become the best, and yeah, they’re just all in all really great.

Q. When you looked at signing with them, what was it about the organization that made you feel comfortable or maybe some values that they had that align with yourself?

OLIVIA COWAN:

What I really liked about Modest is that they weren’t just trying to help their players but they were in general trying to do more for golf, more for women’s golf, which I really liked. They obviously tried to always help in some aspect somewhere, obviously putting on these events, and just supporting us really well, like all the players. That’s what I really liked.
And then just talking to them, like they’re all really friendly, and yeah, it was just like a no-brainer really.

Q. Does being a part of the Modest Golf family make this week even more special for you?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, definitely, because it’s basically like playing at home kind of because you’ve just got all the support. Yeah, I definitely feel very comfortable here.

Q. I talked with Angel Yin earlier today and she mentioned the story of how she got in touch with you and how you convinced her to join the team. Can you take us through your side of the story, just kind of how Angel became involved with Modest, as well?

OLIVIA COWAN:

So basically she sent me a message on Instagram — obviously when I announced that I’m now with Modest, she then sent me a message straight away and said, “take me with you.” I then basically said, Yeah, what’s happening with your management, and I basically said you should get in touch with Modest, and she did, and Modest were interested, and that’s how it basically came about, so now we’re sisters, same management.

Q. Have you ever been to Northern Ireland besides two years ago?

OLIVIA COWAN:

I think I’ve played an amateur event here, as well.

Q. Do you remember the amateur event at all?

OLIVIA COWAN:

It might have been like a British Open.

Q. Am?

OLIVIA COWAN:

British Ladies Am.

Q. You won this year on the LET, the inaugural Aramco in London?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah.

Q. Take us through your team and just kind of the excitement of that event and how you found your way to the top of the leaderboard.

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, so I was actually really lucky that I could pick one of my friends, so my strategy this time was just a lot different. I wasn’t going on who was playing well. I was just basically I just wanted to pick a friend and just have a good time out there, and it worked out, so I picked Serena, Serena Schmidt, who’s one of my good friends, and then we just got really lucky with our third pick, as well, Diksha. She’s obviously a great player, and we just got on really well as a team, and I think that’s what really helped us win. We weren’t thinking about the individual event, we were all just trying to help each other win the team event, and it helped out.

Q. Was there an individual aspect to it or just a whole team?

OLIVIA COWAN:

There is an individual event besides the team event, but the team event is the bigger event. Yeah, we were just going out there to have some fun and basically just try and win the team event.

Q. How does an event like that or a win like that help you as the season goes on?

OLIVIA COWAN:

I think it’s helped massively. I think it’s given me some confidence, as well. Obviously I’ve been close on the LET for a few times now over the past five years, and yeah, I think coming down that stretch we needed to obviously score some more birdies, and yeah, I think that’s definitely helped winning that, as well, building up my confidence going forward.

Q. Speaking of confidence, I would imagine you have some having competed in a major championship last week. What was it like to be at Evian, to play in the Evian Championship, and how did that boost the engines for this event?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, obviously it was my first Evian major, so that was really cool. The weather was amazing, so that helped. Definitely made the week good.

Yeah, it was just a really good experience, obviously, to play with the LPGA girls and just basically see how they set it up. Obviously they would set it up very different to how we would play it on the LET, which I think was — it was difficult in some places, but it was a challenge for sure, and it was just really cool to play there.

Press Release by ASAP Sports

Categories
European Tour Satellite Tours

Niall Horan: “We want change.. and having everyone here this week, men, women, disability..that’s what it’s about really..”

Niall Horan at the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational. (Photo: Getty Images)
ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL: Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club

Q. So you’ve got European Tour, LET, LPGA, EDGA. How proud are you to have that and to be part of it?

NIALL HORAN: When you list off the names of governing bodies, we’re doing all right. It’s a nice little the way it sort of turned in the last 18 months from just a Challenge Tour event to now having all of those listed is pretty cool. It’s pretty — it’s an amazing feeling actually, yeah.

Q. You’re very much changing the dynamics. It’s all about inclusivity. You’re very dynamic in that world. What does it mean to be bringing more and more people into the game that you love?

NIALL HORAN: Yeah, I think it’s got obviously a perception of maybe not being the most inclusive sport, but that’s what we want to change, the perception, and having everyone here this week, men, women, disability, we’ve got everything here, and that’s what it’s all about really. If I can move the needle a couple of percent I’ll always try and do it.

Q. I’ve seen you at the Ryder Cups, and I’ve seen you at the Open with the men and they’re booming it. What have you learned from ladies when they play because they’ve got some fine skills, haven’t they. They play a little bit differently but they’ve got great skills.

NIALL HORAN: Oh, yeah. Some of the — I’ve noticed a lot smoother swings on the ladies tour, and obviously the putting is exceptional. They don’t need to bomb it like Bryson every time, but they’ve got the — drive for show and putt for dough, and the girls have got some amazing putters out there.

Q. There’s one little girl that we saw last night that we’re going to meet again. Talk about how special that is.

NIALL HORAN: Yeah, meeting Amy was brilliant. She was just a bundle of joy is the phrase you’d use. The fact that she’s — we’ve flown her over from America, and she seems to be having a great time — I just seen her poking her head out there somewhere a few minutes ago, and I think she’s going to make an appearance on the back nine maybe to play a few holes with us.

But yeah, she’s just superstar, and the whole — when she went viral the first time, it was outside of golf. She kind of broke the barrier of just a golf story. It was a real sporting moment. Hopefully we can make more memories for her this week.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

Categories
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.

Categories
Satellite Tours

Alexander Knappe: “I think I can win on this course”

Alex Knappe is looking forward to playing the Euram Bank Open Tournament at the Challenge Tour

Alexander Knappe is looking to build on the solid foundations he has put in place on the Road to Mallorca as he tees it up in the Euram Bank Open at Golf Club Adamstal this week.

The German has four top 20 finishes to his name in 2021, including a tie for sixth at the Challenge de Cádiz along with a share of eighth place at the Open de Bretagne last month.

Knappe, who won twice on the European Challenge Tour in 2016, is targeting a return to the winner’s circle for the first time in almost five years and believes this week’s venue offers him an opportunity to do so.

“I think I can win on this course,” he said. “I am just preparing well now to give myself the best shot, to maybe this time win a bigger tournament.

“I want to finish inside the top 20 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and to do that, I want to get a win. It’s always nice to get that winning feeling, being the best and then we can take it from there, so that’s my goal, winning a tournament.”

The 32-year-old finished in a tie for third place at Golf Club Adamstal in 2020 when the Euram Bank Open was dual-ranked by the European Tour, however he is conscious of the varying obstacles he must overcome due to the courses features and also the ever-changing weather.

“It is always nice to come back to a place where I did well, and especially this place,” he said. “It’s one of my favourite places due to the scenery. Being in the mountains, it’s really calm being with nature, so I love it here, It’s great.

Knappe comments on the weather

“I looked for the forecast and it was saying it is going to be really rainy over the weekend, so maybe it’s going to play really soft, so we always have to adjust but that’s what is special about this place.

“Every day is like a new day here. In the morning it’s cold, the ball is not travelling that far and, in the afternoon, it’s flying further, because we’re high up so it’s really special.”

Joining Knappe in Ramsau this week is Road to Mallorca Number One Santiago Tarrio, who has twice tasted victory on the 2021 Road to Mallorca, along with highly ranked Scotsman Craig Howie, who occupies fifth place on the Rankings following his victory at the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf earlier this year.

The action gets under way at 7:30am local time, with Knappe teeing it up alongside American pairing Chase Hanna and Paul Peterson at 8:10am.

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications