The European Challenge Tour will continue to grow the game of golf across the globe with two new tournaments in 2017 – including the return of a match play competition for the first time in 18 years.
One of two new events in an exciting 2017 programme, the Match Play 9, will feature a 36 hole stroke play tournament in Spain followed by a series of nine-hole match play battles during the weekend.
Europe’s top developmental tour will also join forces with the European Tour in May for the Open de Portugal at Morgado Golf Resort, giving the Challenge Tour’s finest the chance to compete against the game’s elite in a dual-ranking event.
The 2017 Road to Oman will comprise of 26 tournaments in 20 different countries, with all players chasing a spot in the top 15 of the Road to Oman Rankings and graduation to the European Tour.
All competitors will once again be targeting a place at the season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, where last year Bernd Ritthammer topped the 46-man field to claim his third victory of the season and finish 2016 in 126th place in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Alain de Soultrait, Challenge Tour Director, said: “Following the addition of several new events, we have a great schedule in front of us and can look forward to another gripping season.
“In keeping with our motto of ‘where heroes are made’ the Challenge Tour continues to bring through the brightest young talents in the game, while also growing our sport across the world.
“In just ten months Jordan Smith has gone from being a Challenge Tour rookie, to topping the Road to Oman Rankings, to playing alongside four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy and challenging for a European Tour title, and is now one of the top 100 players in the world.
“He is proving to be one of our many success stories, reinforcing the view that the Challenge Tour is the best breeding ground for young players, and helps mould them into future stars.
“We must extend special thanks to our partners, promoters, sponsors and the national federations. Without their continued support there would simply be no Challenge Tour, so we must thank them for helping us build, maintain and grow our tour.
“Finally, we wish all our Members the best of luck and hope our fans enjoy what is set to be another fantastic season.”
The 2017 Road to Oman will start with the Barclays Kenya Open – the Challenge Tour’s 25th visit to Nairobi for the second-oldest event on its schedule – before returning to Antalya for the Turkish Airlines Challenge in April.
The first Open de Portugal for seven years starts a mouth-watering May, with Morgado Golf and Country Club hosting the competition for the first time. All attention then turns to Spain, where the new match play format makes its Challenge Tour debut.
The sixth staging of the D+D REAL Czech Challenge closes the month, before the European summer arrives in June and the Challenge Tour visits Switzerland, Belgium, France and Denmark – where Royal Oak Golf Club will play host for the first time.
After the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts starts a busy July, the inaugural Prague Golf Challenge will become the second Czech tournament of the year, before trips to Italy, France and Sweden.
The start of August sees the second Vierumäki Finnish Challenge, the fifth staging of the NI Open and the 29th edition of the Rolex Trophy – the Challenge Tour’s oldest event.
The third French event of the season, the Cordon Golf Open, kicks off September, before the Road to Oman reaches England for the Bridgestone Challenge.
Mount Wolseley will play host to the Volopa Irish Challenge for a third time, the lucrative Kazakhstan Open returns to Nurtau Golf Club the following week, leaving the Challenge de España to close out September.
October includes a fortnight in China with the return of the Hainan Open and Foshan Open, before an equally exciting two weeks in the Middle East in Ras Al Khaimah and Oman finishes the season in November.
The full schedule is available on the Challenge Tour website here.
