The Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final takes place this week, from November 2-5, at Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca. With 20 players from the field of 45 set to earn life-changing DP World Tour cards for the 2024 season, there’s all to play for.
Here’s our guide to all 45 players set to tee it up in Spain this week.
Manuel Elvira
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 1
Country: Spain
Date of birth: 14th August 1996
Top ten finishes: 10
Manuel Elvira has had more top ten finishes than anyone else on the Challenge Tour this season. The Spaniard has been a model of consistency with three second place finishes and seven other top tens from just 24 starts. He’s chasing that elusive first win this week in Mallorca.
Ugo Coussaud
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 2
Country: France
Date of birth: 9th October 1992
Top ten finishes: 5
Ugo Coussaud started the year in fine form, securing a maiden Challenge Tour win at The Challenge presented by KGA in March. On top of that, he’s recorded three second places finishes and one other top ten to all but guarantee promotion to the DP World Tour.
Casey Jarvis
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 3
Country: South Africa
Date of birth: 28th July 2003
Top ten finishes: 5
Casey Jarvis has impressed in his debut season on the Challenge Tour. The South African is also the youngest in the field this week. With a first win – which came at the Euram Bank Open – and three second place finishes, it’s been a memorable year for the 20-year-old.
Jesper Svensson
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 4
Country: Sweden
Date of birth: 14th March 1996
Top ten finishes: 6
Jesper Svensson didn’t make his first start of the 2023 Challenge Tour season until May at the B-NL Challenge Trophy. As the last man in the field, the Swede would go on to produce some final day fireworks to secure a maiden win that week. He’s been in the top 20 on the Rankings ever since.
Adam Blommé
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 5
Country: Sweden
Date of birth: 19th April 1996
Top ten finishes: 7
Adam Blommé has been ever-present in the top ten of the Rankings throughout 2023. A hot start to the season saw him finish second and seventh in consecutive weeks which helped to pave the way for a brilliant 12 months. He joined the winner’s circle in September with a playoff win in the Swiss Challenge.
Lorenzo Scalise
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 6
Country: Italy
Date of birth: 18th July 1995
Top ten finishes: 7
Lorenzo Scalise has been in fine form on the Challenge Tour this season. The 28-year-old has racked up seven top ten finishes, including a memorable triumph in the Kaskáda Golf Challenge in June.
Andrea Pavan
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 7
Country: Italy
Date of birth: 27th April 1989
Top ten finishes: 6
Andrea Pavan won the D+D Real Czech Challenge in June to claim his fifth Challenge Tour title. The Italian is also a two-time winner on the DP World Tour and arrives at Club de Golf Alcanada knowing his return to Europe’s top tier is almost confirmed.
Matteo Manassero
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 8
Country: Italy
Date of birth: 19th April 1993
Top ten finishes: 3
Matteo Manassero burst onto the DP World Tour scene in 2010 when he became the youngest winner in the Tour’s history at the age of just 17. He has since gone on to become a four-time winner on the DP World Tour and has won twice this year on the Challenge Tour. A return to golf’s Global Tour beckons at the end of this week.
Ricardo Gouveia
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 10
Country: Portugal
Date of birth: 6th August 1991
Top ten finishes: 6
Ricardo Gouveia is second on the list of all-time wins on the Challenge Tour having added two more to his collection in 2023. He’s now a seven-time winner having secured titles at both the Abu Dhabi Challenge and Hainan Open this year.
Ivan Cantero
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 11
Country: Spain
Date of birth: 30th January 1996
Top ten finishes: 8
Ivan Cantero is another Spaniard having an outstanding year on the Road to Mallorca. A consistent performer, he’s come close to a first Challenge Tour win on several occasions, with two second place finishes and six other top tens.
Will Enefer
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 12
Country: England
Date of birth: 2nd October 1997
Top ten finishes: 5
Will Enefer didn’t get his first start of the year on the Challenge Tour until May but has taken full advantage of each start since. A third-place finish at the B-NL Challenge Trophy kick-started an impressive campaign which has also seen him finish second on two occasions.
Maximilian Rottluff
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 13
Country: Germany
Date of birth: 29th January 1993
Top ten finishes: 2
As the last man in the field at the UAE Challenge in May, Max Rottluff launched a weekend birdie blitz to claim a memorable first triumph. He followed that with a second win of the season at the Indoor Golf Group Challenge in Sweden three months later.
Stuart Manley
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 14
Country: Wales
Date of birth: 15th January 1979
Top ten finishes: 4
Stuart Manley has held a DP World Tour card on no less than eight occasions and could make it nine this week in Mallorca. He returned to the winner’s circle in June at the Blot Open de Bretagne, making it four wins on the Challenge Tour for the 44-year-old.
Francesco Laporta
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 15
Country: Italy
Date of birth: 10th October 1990
Top ten finishes: 5
Francesco Laporta finished the 2019 season as the Road to Mallorca Number One before going on to play three seasons on the DP World Tour. Returning to the Challenge Tour this season, a win at the Big Green Egg German Challenge powered by VcG in July and two top five finishes in his last two outings have helped to increase his chances of returning to Europe’s top tier.
Brandon Stone
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 16
Country: South Africa
Date of birth: 20th April 1993
Top ten finishes: 6
Brandon Stone has recorded one second place finish and five other top tens on the Road to Mallorca. As a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, he’s no stranger to the big stage, and will be hoping to make sure of his return to golf’s Global Tour this week.
Joel Girrbach
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 17
Country: Switzerland
Date of birth: 19th July 1993
Top ten finishes: 4
A superb solo second place finish in the Hainan Open – the penultimate event on the Road to Mallorca – has seen Joel Girrbach return to the top 20 at just the right time. He climbed 17 places with that result and has put himself in a great position with only four rounds of the season to play.
Benjamin Follett-Smith
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 18
Country: Zimbabwe
Date of birth: 9th March 1994
Top ten finishes: 6
Benjamin Follett-Smith started the season in the perfect way, winning the opening tournament on the Road to Mallorca. Since his win at the Bain’s Whiskey Cape Town Open, he’s remained in the top 20 of the Rankings and is closing in on a first promotion to the DP World Tour.
Jamie Rutherford
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 19
Country: England
Date of birth: 25th April 1992
Top ten finishes: 4
With four top ten finishes in 2023, Jamie Rutherford is well-placed to secure graduation this week. A season-best third place finish came at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in July and he’s made all but two cuts since.
Euan Walker
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 20
Country: Scotland
Date of birth: 27th August 1995
Top ten finishes: 6
It was 12 months ago that Euan Walker carded the fifth hole-in-one in Rolex Grand Final history with an ace at the par three 17th at Club de Golf Alcanada. A year on and the Scotsman is on the verge of graduation to the DP World Tour for the first time.
Ashley Chesters
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 21
Country: England
Date of birth: 25th August 1989
Top ten finishes: 3
Ashley Chesters has spent most of the year inside the top 20 on the Rankings having recorded two second place finishes and one other top ten. Having held a DP World Tour card for six years prior to this season, a strong finish this week would see a return to the Europe’s top tier for the Englishman.
Oliver Farr
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 22
Country: Wales
Date of birth: 25th March 1988
Top ten finishes: 5
Oliver Farr has recorded three wins on the Challenge Tour over the years, with his last triumph coming in 2019. He’s been close to adding to that tally this year, with two top five finishes in his last four outings helping him climb into promotion contention.
Sam Bairstow
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 23
Country: England
Date of birth: 11th August 1998
Top ten finishes: 3
It’s been a brilliant first season on the Challenge Tour for Sam Bairstow who made sure of a full card by making the cut at the Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School last year. A sensational maiden win came at the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by the R&A in August.
Marco Penge
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 24
Country: England
Date of birth: 15th May 1998
Top ten finishes: 3
A breakthrough year for Marco Penge could get even better with a positive result at Club de Golf Alcanada this week. The Englishman recorded a first Challenge Tour win in the Open de Portugal at Royal Obidos weeks after teeing it up in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Frederic Lacroix
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 25
Country: France
Date of birth: 23rd February 1995
Top ten finishes: 6
Consistency has been the key for Frenchman Frederic Lacroix throughout 2023. An impressive six top ten finishes have made sure of his place in the top 40 of the Rankings all year. He’ll tee it up this week in good form too. His last three results have been tied eighth, tied sixth and tied 13th.
Brandon Robinson Thompson
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 26
Country: England
Date of birth: 25th August 1992
Top ten finishes: 4
Robinson Thompson burst onto the scene after winning the Irish Challenge in his first appearance on the Challenge Tour in July. He’s gone on to record three further top ten finishes and currently sits in 26th position on the Rankings, hoping for a strong week in Mallorca to secure his DP World Tour card. He also made the cut at The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Félix Mory
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 27
Country: France
Date of birth: 11th September 1994
Top ten finishes: 5
Félix Mory has had an inconsistent season but has found form at an important time of the year. A strong finish has included a tied second place finish on home soil at the Hopps Open de Provence, and puts him in with a good chance of climbing into the top 20 this week.
Lauri Ruuska
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 28
Country: Finland
Date of birth: 28th December 1993
Top ten finishes: 3
Secured a first Challenge Tour win on home soil at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge in August where he became just the fourth player in Challenge Tour history to shoot a round of 59 or better during round one.
Julian Suri
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 29
Country: United States
Date of birth: 6th April 1991
Top ten finishes: 3
A strong finish to the season (T2 in Portugal and a third place finish at the Swiss Challenge) saw him climb into the top 46 and secure his place at the Rolex Grand Final. He’s hoping to regain his DP World Tour card this week having lost it in 2022.
JJ Senekal
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 30
Country: South Africa
Date of birth: 24th January 1988
Top ten finishes: 4
JJ Senekal secured a maiden Challenge Tour win at the SDC Open in South Africa at the start of the season. Despite his form dropping recently, he has all the experience needed for a strong final push.
Nicolai Kristensen
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 31
Country: Denmark
Date of birth: 17th May 1992
Top ten finishes: 4
Nicolai Kristensen has narrowly missed out on DP World Tour playing rights in the last two years, finishing 34th and 31st on the Rankings in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Heads into the 2023 season finale in a similar position but will be hoping to use past experiences at the Grand Final as a catalyst for a climb into the top 20.
Jaco Prinsloo
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 32
Country: South Africa
Date of birth: 22nd August 1989
Top ten finishes: 4
He made a strong start to the season in South Africa with a T3 at the SDC Open, followed by a second place finish at the Nelson Mandela Bay Championship. Two further top tens have put him in contention, but he requires a strong showing to force his way into the top 20.
Tom Vaillant
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 33
Country: France
Date of birth: 14th December 2001
Top ten finishes: 3
Has enjoyed an impressive first season on the Challenge Tour after graduating from the Alps Tour last season where he finished third on the Order of Merit and is now targeting back-to-back promotions. His best finish this season came at the British Challenge presented by Modest! Golf Management where he finished tied second.
Lars van Meijel
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 34
Country: Netherlands
Date of birth: 12th June 1994
Top ten finishes: 3
The only Dutchman in the field. Van Meijel impressed at the start of the season with two back-to-back top 10 finishes in India and Abu Dhabi. He will be hoping to rekindle that kind of form in Mallorca to force his way into the top 20.
Jeppe Kristian Andersen
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 35
Country: Denmark
Date of birth: 9th August 1995
Top ten finishes: 4
It’s been an impressive first season on the Challenge Tour for Jeppe Kristian Andersen after graduating from the Nordic Golf League last season. The Dane won three times on the Nordic Golf League in 2022, including the season ending Sydbank Road to Europe Final - by Møn Golfresort.
Conor Purcell
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 36
Country: Republic of Ireland
Date of birth: 19th June 1997
Top ten finishes: 3
The only Irishman in the field, Purcell will need a strong performance in Mallorca to secure his DP World Tour card. A terrific start to the season in South Africa saw him register back-to-back top ten finishes in Cape Town and George. His best result of the season was a T2 at the Dormy Open.
Sam Hutsby
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 37
Country: England
Date of birth: 29th October 1988
Top ten finishes: 2
Sam Hutsby began the season playing on the DP World Tour before securing victory at the Challenge Tour’s Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz in June turned his focus. Recorded a tied fifth finish at the Euram Bank Open but has struggled to maintain consistency since.
Tom Lewis
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 38
Country: England
Date of birth: 4th January 1991
Top ten finishes: 3
A two-time DP World Tour winner, Lewis has returned to the Challenge Tour this season in a bid to regain his DP World Tour card. His best result came with a tied second place finish at the Abu Dhabi Challenge, his first Challenge Tour appearance since 2018. Lewis played on the PGA Tour in 2020 after winning the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 2019.
Lucas Vacarisas
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 39
Country: Spain
Date of birth: 20th August 1998
Top ten finishes: 2
Secured his place at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final following a memorable maiden victory at the recent Hopps Open de Provence following rounds of 68-69-64-67 to reach 20 under par for the week.
Sebastian Friedrichsen
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 40
Country: Denmark
Date of birth: 27th September 2002
Top ten finishes: 3
It’s been a consistent first season on the Challenge Tour for Sebastian Friedrichsen. His three top five finishes came at the D+D Real Czech Challenge, Italian Challenge Open and Vierumäki Finnish Challenge.
Steven Brown
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 41
Country: England
Date of birth: 6th May 1987
Top ten finishes: 3
Climbed 29 places to 41st on the Rankings and secured his place at the Rolex Grand Final courtesy of a T3 finish at the recent Hainan Open. His last victory came on the DP World Tour at the 2019 Portugal Masters.
Craig Howie
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 42
Country: Scotland
Date of birth: 27th August 1994
Top ten finishes: 3
Bio: Graduated to the DP World Tour after finishing 19th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings in 2021 but returned to Challenge Tour after losing his DP World Tour card last season. His best finish this season was a T3 at the UAE Challenge.
Jordan Gumberg
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 43
Country: United States
Date of birth: 14th April 1995
Top ten finishes: 2
Jordan Gumberg snuck into the Rolex Grand Final following a T13 finish at the Hainan Open. The American kickstarted his season at the Irish Challenge, where he earnt his place through the pre-qualifier and went on to finish T2.
Darren Fichardt
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 44
Country: South Africa
Date of birth: 12th May 1975
Top ten finishes: 3
Darren Fichardt secured victory at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in July. He’s gone on to record two further top ten finishes in just ten Challenge Tour appearances this season.
Marc Hammer
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 45
Country: Germany
Date of birth: 7th September 1998
Top ten finishes: 3
Hammer has had an inconsistent season but has registered three top tens, including a third place finish at the Italian Challenge Open which helped to secure his place at the season finale. In 2022 Hammer became the first player to win two Official World Golf Ranking tournaments in the same week, and in different countries when he won the Euram Bank Open, just five days after securing his first victory as a professional at the Weihenstephan Open on the Pro Golf Tour.
Martin Couvra
Road to Mallorca Ranking: 46
Country: France
Date of birth: 17th January 2003
Top ten finishes: 1
The last man in the field. Couvra became the seventh amateur in history to win on the Challenge Tour after coming out on top in a play-off at the Challenge de España. He turned pro shortly afterwards and is now targeting promotion to the DP World Tour with victory at the Grand Final.
*Alex Fitzpatrick, who currently sits in ninth on the Rankings, won't tee it up in Spain this week following an outstanding year. He's made the most of his starts on the DP World Tour and has already secured his playing privileges on golf's Global Tour next season. Fitzpatrick is targeting a place in the DP World Tour Championship so won’t play in Mallorca, meaning the 46th person on the Rankings - Martin Couvra - takes the final place in the field.
