The European Challenge Tour today announced that two events in Spain - the Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava - will take place in consecutive weeks at Empordà Golf, this October.
The Empordà Challenge will be held from October 14-17 while the Challenge Costa Brava will then take place from Tuesday October 19 – Friday October 22. The latter will mark the end of the regular Road to Mallorca season, determining the 45-player field for the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A from November 4-7.
Empordà Golf is the former host venue of European Tour and European Tour Qualifying School events, and the two Challenge Tour tournaments will be played on the Links Course, which underwent substantial renovation work during 2020. The back-to-back events replace the Hainan Open and Foshan Open in China which were cancelled earlier this month due to the ongoing effects of the global pandemic.
Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “We are grateful to Empordà Golf and the promoter, JGolf, for their help in bringing these events to fruition.
“It was important for us to provide our members with these replacement tournaments to ensure playing opportunities were maximised at an important time of the season and having enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Javier Gervás and his team, we knew it would be possible to organise a solution with their help.
“Empordà Golf has stood the test of time in terms of hosting professional events and we are all excited to spend two weeks in Spain at such a wonderful venue.”
Javier Gervás, General Manager of JGolf, said: “When the space in the Road to Mallorca Schedule emerged we worked hard to help cover those two crucial weeks in the calendar.
“We knew that Empordà Golf were interested in going a step further in terms of the professional tournaments it has hosted and we therefore proposed hosting the last two Challenge Tour tournaments before the Grand Final.
“They have put in great effort that I am sure will be rewarded. We will now have two decisive tournaments in Spain this season with international coverage that will put Empordà Golf in the spotlight of world golf.”
Emilio Cuatrecasas, President of Empordà Golf Club, said: "The decision to hold the Empordà Challenge confirms the effort being made by all the Costa Brava clubs to improve their facilities and become a world-class sports destination.
“It is also noteworthy that the growing popularity of these international tournaments is driving many young people to practice golf, getting the clubs to feed not only their energy but also an updated vision of this sport that will bring considerable progress in the sporting, social and environmental fields.”
The Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava will be the second Spanish Swing on the 2021 Road to Mallorca, following the Challenge de España and the Challenge de Cádiz, which took place at Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, in June.
The Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava will be supported by the Challenge Tour, Empordà Golf, Girona Provincial Council through the Costa Brava Tourist Board, Real Federación Española de Golf and Kyocera. The promoter and organiser is JGolf.
