The Road to Mallorca Rankings are up-and-running following the first three events of the season, with European Challenge Tour members jostling for early gains on the season-long competition to secure a European Tour card.
JC Ritchie is the only player to top the 2020 Road to Mallorca Rankings, having maintained his lead since triumphing at the season-opening Limpopo Championship. In fact, after following his victory with a top 20 placing at the RAM Cape Town Open and a fifth-place result at the Dimension Data Pro-Am, the South African has extended his advantage at the summit to over 10,000 points.
The 25-year-old earned his Challenge Tour card after making the cut at European Tour Qualifying School and has made a huge stride towards securing one of the 20 cards up for grabs on the Road to Mallorca this year after dominating the South African Swing.
Meanwhile, Swede Anton Karlsson made an impressive start in his bid to regain his European Tour card, winning his first Challenge Tour title at the RAM Cape Town Open. He sits in second position on 38,266 points, ahead of South African teenager Wilco Nienaber who occupies third position after an eye-catching start to the season, which included a runner-up finish at the Limpopo Championship.
It is another young South African, 20-year-old Garrick Higgo, who rounds out the top four places, cementing his name as one to watch with a runner-up finish at the RAM Cape Town Open. The local players certainly made the most of home advantage, with South Africans Jacques Kruyswijk (fifth), Louis de Jager (eighth) and Hennie du Plessis (ninth) also safely inside the top ten after the first three events.
Spain’s Santiago Tarrio Ben guaranteed a flying start to his second full Challenge Tour season with a strong showing at the Dimension Data Pro-Am. He occupies sixth position on 17,419 points, ahead of Englishman Toby Tree, who made the most of the decision to play the three South Africa events despite securing his European Tour card for the season at Qualifying School, while his compatriot Harry Ellis lies in tenth position.
With 20 European Tour cards available this year, Ugo Coussaud would be the last player to earn his European Tour card were the Rankings race to conclude today, with the Frenchman in 20th on 7,211 points.
