Why Challenge Tour is one of my favourite circuits in golf
The Challenge Tour is one of my favourite circuits in golf and it stems from the days when the Scottish Challenge, held under the Scottish Hydro banner at the time, was staged at Macdonald Spey Valley in Aviemore.
Through Edinburgh-based Bounce Sport, the event’s promoter back then, a group of Scottish golf writers were invited each year to cover the tournament and it was always a fabulous week.
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Hide AdFor starters, we were enjoying some time in a beautiful part of our great wee country, even though the weather at the end of June was often pretty awful, as the likes of Kevin Feeney, the tournament director at the time and faced with lots of headaches through Mother Nature not playing ball, knows all too well.
Our group always included the same faces, the likes of Jock MacVicar, Jim Black, Dougie Lowe, Steve Scott, Nick Rodger, Dave Edwards and Dave Galloway and, through either a pro-am dinner or our annual visit to an Indian restaurant in Aviemore, we all got to know so many good people from either the Challenge Tour or Scottish Hydro.
The same goes for Ruaridh Macdonald (the man who started his career by launching the Macdonald Aviemore Resort), who’d be there early in the week before returning at the weekend and, through a combination of things - I will admit we had the occasional refreshment - it was one of those special weeks on the golf calendar.
Another reason I will always have a strong affection for the circuit is that, mainly through the Scottish Challenge, I first came across certain players who used it as a stepping stone to become global stars.
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Hide AdThe main one, of course, is Brooks Koepka and I just wish we could still see a bit more of the engaging young man we interviewed in our press portacabin after his title triumph in 2013 compared to now.
The American had already won twice on the circuit before arriving in the Scottish Highlands and it was the first time I’d heard fellow players and caddies raving so much about someone, which was vindicated as he duly secured automatic promotion to the DP World Tour.
To think he’s gone on to win five majors is pretty remarkable and, in fairness to him, he will always admit that playing on the Challenge Tour and visiting so many different countries definitely helped him develop into one of the world’s top players.
I will also never forget a young Italian arriving in Aviemore for his Challenge Tour debut in 2010 and wondering what the heck he was doing there, especially as it was a cold week, and that, of course, was Matteo Manassero while, albeit at the end of his playing career, seeing Nick Dougherty playing there as well and handling himself so well is another everlasting memory.
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Hide AdAfter it fell off the schedule for a short spell, it’s been great to see the Scottish Challenge restored to the calendar in recent years, with Paul Lawrie, through his Five Star Sports Agency, now doing an equally-good job in delivering a top-class tournament.
With Farmfoods as the title sponsor and The R&A supporting it, the event has been held at Newmachar for the last three years, with Englishman Sam Bairstow, last year’s winner, currently sitting in the top 40 in this year’s Race to Dubai and set to tee up in the two new Play-Off events in the UAE over the next couple of weeks.
The Challenge Tour is one of the game’s best breeding grounds and, for the fourth year in a row, I have to admit I am excited to be heading to Mallorca this week to cover the circuit’s Grand Final, another event supported by The R&A, and being held once again at Club de Golf Alcanada in Port d'Alcúdia.
The top 20 players in the Road to Mallorca Rankings on Sunday night will secure DP World Tour cards, with Euan Walker (24th) and Daniel Young (27th) flying the Saltire on this occasion and, for the third year in a row, the action will be live on Sky Sports and rightly so.
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Hide Ad“The Challenge Tour Grand Final is one of my favourite events of the year because the standard of golf is excellent, and you’re absolutely guaranteed entertainment, drama and brilliant storylines,” said Kit Alexander, who will again be part of the commentary team. “Lives will change this week as players’ dreams of making it to (or back to) the DP World Tour come true – and it’s awesome to see and share that all playing out in real time.”
Three years ago, when it was held at T Golf & Country Club near Palma, Craig Howie had to break off our chat about him securing a main tour card at the end of a long season due to being overcome with emotion and there will be others in exactly the same position this weekend.
The standard on the Challenge Tour just gets better and better and you just need to ask someone like Ewen Ferguson, who graduated at the same time as Howie and has quickly become a three-time DP World Tour winner, to appreciate exactly what players gain from essentially learning their trade because, let’s face it, professional golf is a different game altogether than the amateur one.
“I think getting a card through the Challenge Tour best prepares you for life on tour,” said the BMW International Open champion. “The standard is so high and you have to learn to shoot low, be on the road, live out a suitcase and get into good routines.
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Hide Ad“Getting off the Challenge Tour is very difficult and the first couple years I had there I missed out and was super sad at the time. Looking back, though, it was a bit of a blessing in disguise as when I actually got my card I really savoured it and felt more than ready.”
I’m ready to meet some new Challenge Tour friends this week and, at the same time, raise a glass to some old ones.
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