John Parry (-18) has won the Italian Challenge Open and has taken the same route that just three weeks ago led Rasmus Neergard Petersen to the DP World Tour. Third victory of the season and immediate promotion to the first division. The Englishman, who already won in India in March and in Brittany in June, is now entitled to a good stroll through the Madrid of the Austrias. He will have to decide whether to play in the capital of Spain or if he prefers to rest, but he can already boast of being an absolute member of the DP World Tour.
It is not usual for two players from the Challenge Tour to ascend to the European Circuit through three victories in a single season. In fact, this is the third time this has happened in history. It first happened in 2011 with Sam Little and Benjamin Hebert and was repeated in 2014 with Hebert himself and Moritz Lampert. What has never happened is that three different golfers ascend in the same year through this route. Let’s remember that there are two more players who already have two victories this year: Joel Moscatel and Joakim Lagergren. We will see if history is not made this year with a hat trick.
Parry’s victory has been a fabulous exercise in composure and coolness. He started his round well, with three birdies in the first six holes. Somehow, he marked territory before his closest rivals, Connor Purcell and Oliver Lindell, who did not have their best day with rounds of 70 and 71 strokes, respectively. The threats to Parry came from a little further back, especially in the figure of the South African Justin Walters (-17), another veteran seasoned in a thousand and one battles. He started sensationally, with five birdies in seven holes, and tightened the knot of the leader’s tie. One more birdie at 16 put him just one stroke behind.
Far from getting nervous, Parry’s response was British phlegm. He dedicated himself to making pars. One after another. In fact, he linked twelve in a row to win by one margin. Who said fear. Surely the procession was inside. In any case, he held on, remained the leader all day and ended up winning a tournament that returns him to the DP World Tour a year later. He ascended from the Challenge to the European Circuit in 2022, after finishing 17th in the Road to Mallorca, and has done it again in 2024 by the fast track. Parry’s next goal is to be consistent in the first division and keep the card. He is 37 years old and already won a European Tour tournament, the Vivendi Cup, in 2010.
Ángel Ayora is now mathematically a DP World Tour player
Another one who has finished today the objective he had in hand in recent times is Ángel Ayora (-15). The golfer from Marbella has finished with an excellent card of 65 strokes, the best of the week, with seven birdies and a solitary bogey, and has finished in fourth position alone. This allows him to move up to the sixth place in the Road to Mallorca and virtually certifies his DP World Tour card for next year. He had it very well underway and with this result in Italy it could be said that it is now mathematical. With the tranquility of duty fulfilled, Ayora is not going to stand still, now he will look for three victories to ascend earlier and better to the European Circuit, or finish first in the order of merit. The leader now is John Parry, who has just surpassed Neergard-Petersen, but neither of them is going to play much in the Challenge from now until the end of the course.
Great touch from Ayora to stay in contention 🤝#ItalianChallengeOpen pic.twitter.com/CFsIZSADxK
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) September 22, 2024
As for the rest of the Spaniards, Quim Vidal (-9) has signed a good result of 69 strokes this Sunday to move up positions in the classification and add some points that are always valuable. He has gained a place in the Road to Mallorca, placing himself in 41st position, closer to 20th and currently in the Mallorca Final. A good Sunday for the Catalan.
The rest has not been to throw rockets. Joel Moscatel (-9) has lost ground with a round of 72 strokes, again with mistakes that have cost him very dearly, although he remains in fifth place in the Road to Mallorca. Víctor Pastor (-6), Lucas Vacarisas (-6) and Borja Virto (-6) have tied for 27th place, with cards today of 74, 72 and 73 strokes, respectively. Finally, Javier Sainz (-5) has made 69 strokes to finish and bad day for Álvaro Quirós (-1), 76 strokes.
