With one of the biggest prize funds of the season available at The Foshan Open, this is a huge week for every player in the field and the last two winners – Nacho Elvira and Jason Palmer – have earned European Tour graduation as a result of their successes. We earmark four players who we think may follow in their footsteps this week…
Ricardo Gouveia
The Portuguese star has been lighting up the Challenge Tour season this year with his incredible consistency – one win, three runner-up finishes, six further top tens and just a single missed cut in 16 appearances are testament to that – so he is an obvious choice for even an each way bet this week.
Despite his remarkable form, he still lies in second place in the Road to Oman Rankings behind Frenchman Sebastian Gros, and if there is one thing this promising 24 year old is not lacking, it is a fierce competitive spirit.
Add to that his 12th place finish here at Foshan Golf Club last year (he shared the lead after round one after opening with a 65), and you have all the ingredients for a big title push this week as he searched for a second win of the campaign.
Gary Boyd
We tipped the sweet-striking Englishman this time two weeks ago at the Volopa Irish Challenge and, sure enough, he came agonisingly close to earning a place in the play-off – eventually won by his compatriot Tom Murray.
Arguably the Challenge Tour’s in-form player, that third place finish in Ireland closely followed a runner-up finish in the EMC Challenge Open which virtually guaranteed his place on The European Tour next year.
He has spoken, however, of a deep desire to finish this season with at least one victory under his belt and, with just two events to go, the 29 year old will surely be fired up this week to capitalise on this purple patch.
Jens Fahrbring
After back to back third third finishes at the Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour and then the 72° OPEN D'ITALIA presented by DAMIAN on The European Tour at the end of September, the Swede’s form has tailed off somewhat this month.
But no better place to get back on track than at a tournament at which he carded four rounds of 70 or under to earn a share of third place, his best finish of the 2014 campaign.
The 31 year old enjoys the lay-out at Foshan Golf Club – also illustrated by his top 20 finish in the inaugural edition of this event in 2013 – and he certainly has a winning touch so expect him to there or thereabouts come Sunday afternoon.
Brandon Stone
The promising young South African suffered a disappointing final round two weeks ago at the Volopa Irish Challenge, having entered Sunday right in the chase for a maiden title and that will surely give him added determination this week in China.
Not that he needs it – Stone currently sits in 14th place in the Road to Oman Rankings and, with such a lucrative prize fund on offer this week, there are bound to be significant moves afoot at the end of this week.
The 22 year old had a top five finish in the penultimate event of the 2013 Challenge Tour season, in Oman, and he will be desperate to get another big result this week and secure a path to the big time next year.
