– This Thursday marks the beginning of a new era for the Challenge Tour under the name HotelPlanner Tour. For the first time in history, the second division of the DP World Tour will be sponsored. More money for its players. Rejoice. The prize fund for this very tournament has increased by about 25,000 euros compared to last year.
– The tournament that kicks off the circuit for the second consecutive year is the SDC Open, in South Africa, in Limpopo, at Zebula Golf Estates. It is the fourth edition of the tournament, and in the previous three, only once did a South African player win. This is unusual. Low percentage.
– Last year, the best Spaniard was Ángel Ayora. He played the tournament with an invitation and finished in twelfth place. He was at the top all week. A year earlier, the best Spaniard was Manuel Elvira. He finished tenth. It is the highest ranking of a Spaniard at Zebula Golf. Both Elvira and Ayora moved up to the DP World Tour after being the best Spaniards in the SDC Open. We could well call it the Limpopo omens. An extra incentive for the Armada this week. Obviously, it lacks scientific rigor, but here everything counts when it comes to finishing in the top 20 by the end of the year and thus gaining promotion to the European Tour.
– Seven Spaniards are competing from tomorrow in the SDC Open, relying, among other things, on that Limpopo omen. They are Adri Arnaus, Quim Vidal, Víctor Pastor, Borja Virto, Sebas García Rodríguez, Albert Boneta, and Lucas Vacarisas. Honours for Arnaus from the HotelPlanner Tour. The man from Moià will be responsible for hitting the first shot of the circuit season at 5:30 in the morning, Spanish peninsular time. The Spanish representation is broad and diverse, players eager to return quickly to the European Tour, others with long careers in the Challenge, and newcomers like Boneta. All with the same goal: top 20 of the Race to Mallorca.
– Watch out for the interesting French armada. They have nine players in South Africa, and more than half, a total of five, are under 24 years old. New and thriving blood. A consequence of all the good work done by the French Federation in recent years, as well as in the Alps Tour.
– The weather does not seem to be a factor this week in Zebula. Wind is expected, but not very strong, and there might be some rain, although isolated and not too heavy. A calm week is expected.
– Among the players in the SDC Open, some old acquaintances from the European Tour stand out, such as Adri Arnaus, Renato Paratore, Tom Lewis, Lee Slattery, or David Law. Another notable name will be the young Frank Kennedy, 19 years old, already a winner of a Challenge tournament last year.
– Speaking of nationalities. Of course, South Africa dominates. Almost half of the players are locals. In fact, there is only one match on Thursday and Friday without a South African player: Follett Smith, Gros, and Van Meijel.
– Pay close attention to the American route as well. The SDC Open has eight American golfers, and none are invited; they all play because they have a category, most through the School. Only twice in history have there been more Americans in the first event of the Challenge Tour year, in 2010 and 2004, when the circuit started in Colombia and Panama, with 17 and 19 Americans, respectively. The difference is that none of them were Challenge members then. So it is also a historic season for the number of Americans with a HotelPlanner Tour card. We’ll see how many finish in the top 20.
– Similarly, players from Albania and Armenia, Ilirian Zalli and Jean Bekirian, will make their debut with a circuit card. Zalli is only 22 years old, will play with Arnaus for the first two days, and comes from making history in the Vancouver Tour, a mini circuit in Canada from which other great golfers like Adam Hadwin, Adam Svensson, or Nick Taylor emerged, now succeeding in the PGA Tour.
– One last fact. Since the Challenge Tour was first held in 1989, a Spanish golfer has never won the first tournament of the season. Perhaps it’s time to change history…
