Swede Jens Dantorp returns to the scene of his best result in his first year on the European Challenge Tour as he heads to the Norwegian Challenge this week, a tournament his close friend Kristoffer Broberg claimed 12 months ago.
The 24 year old from Malmo carded consecutive rounds of 67 at the weekend at Byneset Golf Club last year en route to a tied sixth place finish before watching his then-room-mate Broberg hole a monster putt to beat Spain’s Alvaro Velasco in a play-off and capture his second win in as many weeks.
Dantorp has been Mr Consistent on the Challenge Tour since arriving on the scene after a magnificent season on the satellite Nordic Golf League in 2011, when he topped the Order of Merit with record earnings, missing just six cuts in 25 appearances.
He has been unable, however, to turn that solid base into title-winning form just yet, but after three top tens in that time he is confident that once he hits a streak, he could emulate his compatriot Broberg.
“Obviously Kristoffer only really started (on the Challenge Tour) this time last year so hopefully I can produce some of that kind of magic,” he said.
“It’s all about confidence so if I can get up into the driving seat like he did and keep it at that level, I think I can trust my game more and that’s what it’s all about. When it’s not happening for you it’s difficult to trust it.
“In the Nordic Golf League, I felt like my game was good enough to be up near the top even when I was a bit off. On the Challenge Tour it feels like I don’t believe it’s good enough, but I should. I just need that one week where it all comes together and hopefully that will be this week.”
While the Norwegian Challenge moves south to Olso’s Losby Golf Club, the home course of the 2012 Challenge Tour Number One Espen Kofstad, for this year’s edition, Dantorp is still hoping that memories of last year will drive him on to success.
“I remember last year I wasn’t driving well and it was pretty heavy rough, so I was pretty scared off the tee, hitting three woods and irons,” he said. “The course wasn’t long anyway, so I got away with it and I was hitting my irons unbelievably all week.
“It was a strange week in that sense, but there was nothing I could do to catch Broberg, he and Velasco were playing so well. It was my best week of the year but I feel like my game is a lot better now than this time last year. It just hasn’t showed in my results yet but hopefully that will come now.
“This year I will get into all the tournaments even later in the year so that certainly helps. If I can get a few top five finishes in places like Kazakhstan maybe I will get inside the top 15 and that’s the main goal, but I have some work to do.”
Kofstad will make a guest appearance for the week at his home club as he returns from The European Tour for the first time since his glorious victory at the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Italy last year.
He joins a strong field for the second tournament of the ‘Nordic Swing’ ,including eight of the winners on the Challenge Tour so far this year.
They include the winner of this event in 2011, Andrea Pavan, who won the Bad Griesbach Challenge Tour by Hartl Resort last month, and Frenchman François Calmels, who continues his search for a third victory of the year which would earn him automatic promotion to The European Tour.
Stuart Manley, winner of last week’s Finnish Challenge, will also play as he hopes to repeat Broberg’s Nordic double of 2012.
