Victor Perez takes on a new challenge when he tees off in the fourth French event of the European Challenge Tour season at the Hopps Open de Provence, from September 20-23.
Perez is one of 37 French players in action on home soil as the Hopps Open de Provence makes its debut on the Challenge Tour’s International Schedule at the Severiano Ballesteros-designed course at Golf International de Pont Royal.
The Frenchman has mixed results from the previous French tournaments this year, but with five 2018 events left his game is on the rise at the business end of the year after four successive top 15 finishes.
With the chance to impress in-front of a home crowd once again, Perez is looking forward to another event with a homely feel.
“I think I’m pretty fortunate being French and having four events in my home country,” he said.
“Subconsciously, I think you make the French events more important because you want to win on home soil, but every week is just as important. If you can try and treat them the same I think that is an advantage, as you’re not putting them on a pedestal and thinking that they’re more important.”
The 26 year old was tied fourth in Northern Ireland a month ago, and since then has consistently finished inside the top 15 with a share of 15that the Rolex Trophy, joint 11that the Cordon Golf Open and tied 14thin Kazakhstan last week.
Perez, who ended 2017 18thin the Rankings, is on the cusp of breaking into the top 15 on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah, where a European Tour card awaits at the end of the season, and a strong performance on home soil could see him jump from 28thto inside the illustrious top 15.
“I’ve had some good results since mid-season and my game is coming together nicely,” he said. “We all know the Challenge Tour is top-heavy, so if you can finish a tournament inside the top three that’s when you can make the big moves in the Rankings.
“Everyone has their pedal to the metal at this point of the season, going as hard as they can to get a top 15 finish to get their European Tour card for next year. It’s out of my hands how they are going to play, all I can do is prepare and play as well as I can and see where that takes me.”
Michael Hoey, Max Orrin and Ben Stow, who all lie with seven places of the top 15, will be aiming to record another strong result to increase their chances of graduating to the European Tour at the end of the season after their top ten finishes last week. While Spaniard Javier Ballesteros, son of Seve, returns to the Challenge Tour for the first time since 2016 to make his maiden appearance at his father’s course.
