The European Challenge Tour returns to Italy for the seventh consecutive edition of the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil and here are five things you need to know about the tournament…
Golf Club Castelconturbia
Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Golf Club Castelconturbia opened in 1984 and is located approximately one hour’s drive north of Milan. The course is made up of three nines – Blue, Red and Yellow – with the players this week taking to the Blue and Yellow courses. Although this is the first time the club will play host to a Challenge Tour event, Golf Club Castelconturbia has previously been the host venue for the Italian Open. The Agrate Conturbia club provided the setting for Craig Parry’s triumph in 1991 and Patrik Sjöland’s 1998 victory.
Italian heatwave
Last year’s Italian Challenge Open, at Terre Dei Consoli Golf Club, took place in the middle of an Italian heatwave where temperatures topped 40°C.
Debut professional win for Jordan
Matthew Jordan sealed his debut Challenge Tour win at last year’s edition, beating Lorenzo Scalise in a play-off, and by doing so claiming his first professional title. The 24-year-old joined the paid ranks in September 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the up-and-coming stars on the Challenge Tour, recording four top ten results before lifting the trophy in Italy. He went on to finish the ninth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and earned graduation to the European Tour.
Simply superb Swedes
Prior to Jordan’s victory last year, Swedish players had won the last three editions of the Italian Challenge; Sebastian Soderberg in 2018, Joel Sjöholm in 2017, and Johan Edfors in 2016. There is another strong contingent of Swedes set to tee it up this week, will we see a continuation of their successful history in the event?
Maiden winners
Four of the last six Italian Challenge winners won their maiden Challenge Tour title at the event; Ricardo Gouveia in 2014, Matteo Delpodio in 2015, Sjöholm in 2017 and Jordan last year.
Gouveia beat Florian Fritsch in a play-off to seal his debut title – his first of three Challenge Tour wins – as he graduated a year later, topping the Challenge Tour Rankings with a record points total of 251,592.
Italy’s Delpodio was cheered on by the home supporters as he sealed his maiden victory by three strokes in 2015. Sjöholm clinched his inaugural Challenge Tour title in the Sardinian sun with a stunning 24 under par total and Jordan triumphed in the blistering Italian heat last year with that play-off victory over Scalise.
