The Challenge Tour lands this week in Odense for the ninth event of the year. The Danish Golf Challenge will mark the crowning of the first third of the season of the second division of the European circuit.
Odense is the third largest city in the Scandinavian country, behind Copenhagen and Aarhus. A minimalist city with a lot of brick and fairy-tale constructions, precisely inspired by one of the greatest representatives of children’s literature: Hans Christian Andersen was born there exactly 99 years ago. “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina”, “The Princess and the Pea”, are just some of the most famous stories of the renowned Danish writer.
The fable this week unfolds at Odense Eventyr Golf, where 156 players continue with the goal of working on their rights to play next season on the DP World Tour. Well, there is one player who could already have his own happy ending and get his passport this very week for the top continental category. Plus, he plays at home. It is none other than the ranking leader, Rasmus Neergard Pettersen. Two weeks ago he came close to his third victory of the season and direct access, but what better story than to achieve it at home.
The young Scandinavian has not been a professional for even twelve months and already has a 99% guarantee of his presence next season on the DP World Tour. He has only played 18 tournaments in these eleven months and has two victories and five top ten on the circuit.
The land of Andersen and don’t forget that a year ago one of the most beautiful pages of golf literature was written in this tournament when Matteo Manassero stopped being the ugly duckling and found victory in the Challenge ten years later. This week the Italian swan has qualified for a Major almost eight years later. Reality often surpasses fiction.
How good it feels to debut in category 1!. Joel Moscatel arrives in Denmark after experiencing a spectacular fantasy in Seville just two weeks ago, crowning his first victory on the Challenge Tour. Practically a fairy tale. Therefore, the Catalan arrives at the Danish Golf Challenge with the illusion of debuting the category of circuit winner and as the third best player of the year.
There is a lot of work ahead but the great goal of the DP World Tour is close and it is advisable not to relax and continue adding from the beginning: “Having a week off to recharge my batteries and assimilate everything that happened in Seville has been very good for me. I am very eager to play again”, Moscatel acknowledges in statements to TenGolf.
Once the bottle of victories has been uncorked, there are ten other Spaniards who seek to emulate Joel and write their own story with a happy ending and with a last page on Sunday afternoon lifting the tournament champions cup: Lucas Vacarisas, Víctor Pastor, Ángel Ayora, Borja Virto, Javi Sainz, Ángel Ayora, Pep Anglés, Alejandro Aguilera, Jorge Maicas and Ruben Lafuente Montesa. The last five of the cast have received an invitation from the tournament and will seek to hit a big shot that makes them climb many positions in the table. It should be remembered that along with Joel, Víctor Pastor (29th), and Ángel Ayora (36th) would currently be classified to the final of the Road to Mallorca.
In the story of “The Princess and the Pea” the crown prince is looking for his ideal princess who can recognise that there is a pea buried among twenty mattresses. Sometimes, the key to victory is buried under a mass of difficulties and intricacies in golf itself and hopefully one of the eleven Spaniards can find the key and recognise the pea among the mattresses. Many players would give up many things as if they were the “little mermaid” in order to achieve a coveted victory.
However, it seems that “The Snow Queen” will not make an appearance and that good weather will prevail this week in Odense. It is likely that some raindrops will make an appearance tomorrow, but everything points to the need to fly as low as the beautiful swan of the “ugly duckling” to win in the land of children’s stories.
Let the golf story begin, we will tell you the beginning, middle and end, and who gets to eat the partridges on Sunday afternoon.
