Road to Mallorca Rankings leader Manuel Elvira is hoping he can end his wait for an elusive first European Challenge Tour title at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A.
The Spaniard, who arrives on home soil already assured of his promotion to the DP World Tour, has registered three second place finishes and seven other top tens in 24 starts this season.
After moving to the top of the season-long rankings summit following the Hainan Open, Elvira is now looking to capitalise on his consistency and land a breakthrough title at Club de Golf Alcanada.
“The main goal was to finish in the top 20 this year and secure my DP World Tour card,” he said.
“I’m still looking for that first win and obviously, if a win came this week, it would have been the perfect season. Maybe this week is the time.”
The 27-year-old has recorded more top tens than any other player through 2023 to put himself in pole position to finish atop the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
However, any of the top eight on the Rankings will be crowned Challenge Tour Number One should they win at Club de Golf Alcanada regardless of the finishing position of all other players.
Even if he is unable to claim victory this week, Elvira believes his game has progressed in a manner that will ensure he is ready to hit the ground running when the 2023-24 DP World Tour season begins in a matter of weeks.
“I have showed a great level of consistency and I feel like I've been giving myself a lot of chances,” he added.
“Obviously winning is really difficult in any sport and I think even more so in golf. I've been trying and maybe this year, this week is the time and hopefully I can get some wins under my belt on the DP World Tour next season.”
It's been some year for Manuel Elvira 🇪🇸#RolexGrandFinal pic.twitter.com/MyHJ7t4caX
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) October 27, 2023
Excited by the challenge in front of him, Manuel is relishing the prospect of joining brother Nacho on the DP World Tour next season.
“The Challenge Tour prepares you for life on the DP World Tour because you have to be competitive everywhere if you want to battle for those top 20 spots,” he said.
“You have to bring your A-game pretty much every week and you have to do the same thing on the DP World Tour. You can really fall behind if you don’t keep working harder and harder every week.
“The first event is only a month away and I'm looking forward to being able to play with my brother Nacho because that's going to be a huge help for me.
"It’s going to be a special experience to travel to all of the courses and different locations together.
“I need to work even harder next year. The main goal for next year is just to keep my card and hopefully win an event.”
Manuel has played a full Challenge Tour schedule for the last three years and he believes his game has improved immensely over the last 12 months, having missed out on the Rolex Grand Final last season.
"I've grown a lot over the past year," he added. "I've had some tough learning experiences and I think that helps you grow as a person and as a player. I have learnt how to be patient and just to believe in myself and trust the process.”
