Challenge Tour
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023 Challenge Tour
SportGolf
Founded1986
FounderPGA European Tour
Inaugural season1989
DirectorAlain de Soultrait
CountriesBased in Europe[lower-alpha 1]
Most titlesTournament wins:
England Iain Pyman (8)
Related
competitions		European Tour
Official websitehttp://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/

The Challenge Tour is the second-tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and similarly with the main European Tour and the European Senior Tour, some of the events are played outside Europe.

History

The tour was introduced in 1986, when the national tours of Sweden, France and Italy became open to foreign players, and was initially called the Satellite Tour. The Order of Merit was introduced in 1989, with the top five players on it winning membership of the European Tour for the following season. The following year the tour was renamed the Challenge Tour, a name already used in 1989. Up to 1993 the Challenge Tour rankings were based on each player's best several results, but since 1994 it has been a straightforward money list, with all results counting.

Players who are successful on the Challenge Tour qualify for membership of the European Tour the following year. Twenty players earn direct promotion to the European Tour. Players finishing 21–45 may also gain qualification for occasional low-prize-money European Tour events, but can improve their status through European Tour Qualifying School. Players who win three Challenge Tour events in a season are fast-tracked onto the main tour immediately and are fully exempt the following season, similar to that of the US-based Korn Ferry Tour.

World ranking points

Official World Golf Ranking points are awarded for high finishes in Challenge Tour events. Formerly, most events awarded 12 points to the winner, with European Tour dual-ranking events awarding 18 points. The Challenge Tour Grand Final gave 17 points to the winner.

In 2014, a number of events received slightly higher points totals, with three events earning a minimum of 13 points and the Challenge Tour Grand Final winner receiving 17 points, up from 16.[1]

Satellite tours

One competitive level down from the Challenge Tour are four third-level developmental tours, the Alps Tour, the Pro Golf Tour, the PGA EuroPro Tour (ceased in 2022) and the Nordic Golf League, each of which is based in a different part of Europe. These circuits are known as the satellite tours. Each season the top five players (not otherwise exempt) from the Order of Merit of each of these tours earn status on the Challenge Tour for the following season. The Challenge Tour also offers status to players competing in the European Tour Qualifying School.

In December 2022, it was announced that the Clutch Pro Tour and the Tartan Pro Tour would become official feeder tours to the Challenge Tour; in place of the now defunct PGA EuroPro Tour. The Tartan Pro Tour would offer Challenge Tour status to the leading player on the Order of Merit, whereas the Clutch Pro Tour would offer Challenge Tour status to the top two players on the Order of Merit.[2][3]

Schedules

Originally, the Challenge Tour events were held in Western Europe. In 1991, the five Safari Circuit events in Africa were added. Only the Kenya Open (until 2018) remained a regular event on the tour for more than a few years, although the Zambia Open returned to the tour between 2001 and 2004 as the first Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned event. In 2020, the tour re-entered into South Africa, again co-sanctioning events with the Sunshine Tour.[4] Another African tournament, the Moroccan Golf Classic, was held from 2002 to 2010. The Challenge Tour featured tournaments co-sanctioned with the Tour de las Américas in Latin America from 2003 to 2011.

In 2011, the tour added its first events in Asia, the Gujarat Kensville Challenge in India and the Kazakhstan Open. In 2023, the tour re-expanded their schedule into India, playing two events co-sanctioned alongside the Professional Golf Tour of India.[5] This came after the European Tour had entered into a partnership with the PGTI.[6]

Rankings winners

YearWinnerPoints
2023England Marco Penge1,285
2022England Nathan Kimsey208,918
2021Denmark Marcus Helligkilde222,628
2020Czech Republic Ondřej Lieser116,345
2019Italy Francesco Laporta210,122
2018Denmark Joachim B. Hansen192,320
2017Finland Tapio Pulkkanen210,799
2016England Jordan Smith239,985
YearWinnerPrize money (€)
2015Portugal Ricardo Gouveia251,952
2014England Andrew Johnston190,856
2013Italy Andrea Pavan147,811
2012Norway Espen Kofstad131,099
2011England Tommy Fleetwood148,913
2010Spain Álvaro Velasco134,297
2009Italy Edoardo Molinari242,980
2008England David Horsey144,118
2007France Mike Lorenzo-Vera128,927
2006Wales Mark Pilkington119,152
2005Scotland Marc Warren103,577
2004England Lee Slattery95,980
2003Sweden Johan Edfors94,509
2002England Lee S. James121,531
2001England Mark Foster97,737
2000Sweden Henrik Stenson108,710
1999Spain Carl Suneson69,641
YearWinnerPrize money (£)
1998England Warren Bennett81,053
1997Italy Michele Reale51,679
1996England Ian Garbutt37,661
1995Denmark Thomas Bjørn46,471
1994Northern Ireland Raymond Burns43,583
1993Sweden Klas Eriksson48,365
1992Wales Paul Affleck39,768
1991England David R. Jones35,533
1990Italy Giuseppe Calì28,383
1989England Neal Briggs9,464

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Schedules have also included events in Asia, Africa, South America and North America.

References

  1. ↑ "OWGR Board Announces Adjustments To Ranking System". Official World Golf Ranking. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2023. The European Challenge Tour is introducing a "final series" of events this year and the Board agreed that the minimum ranking points for these events would be increased.
  2. ↑ "Farmfoods Tartan Pro Tour to become Official Feeder Tour to the Challenge Tour". European Tour. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Clutch Pro Tour to become Official Feeder Tour to the Challenge Tour". European Tour. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  4. ↑ Bentum-Williams, Kojo (23 January 2020). "Limpopo Championship receives European Challenge Tour approval". Voyages Afriq. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "Challenge Tour unveils 2023 schedule with record-breaking prize fund and 29 events". Golf Business News. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2023. India returns as a host country for the first time since 2013 with two events in March, the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge followed by The Challenge presented by KGA.
  6. ↑ "Professional Golf Tour of India partners with DP World Tour, PGA Tour". European Tour. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
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