The largest European prize fund on the European Challenge Tour will be contested this week. We take a look at three players who could be in the mix on Sunday afternoon.
Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez
Garcia Rodriguez has had a very successful 2019, winning twice on the Alps Tour in less than five weeks, and has brought that form onto the Challenge Tour. The Spaniard was the 54-hole leader at the Challenge de España but was pipped to the title by Antoine Rozner, however, the 30-year-old was back on home soil at the Andalucía - Costa del Sol Match Play 9 last week, where he led the field after Thursday and Friday’s strokeplay before claiming ninth place following the weekend’s match play format.
If he strikes hot at Terre dei Consoli Golf Club, he could be difficult to catch in the blazing Italian sunshine.
Martin Simonsen
Simonsen recorded two very impressive runner-up results in May at the Challenge de España and Prague Golf Challenge and will be aiming to replicate that form which saw him sit third in the season-long Challenge Tour Rankings. He sat inside the top ten on the leaderboard at the end of the strokeplay format at the Andalucía - Costa del Sol Match Play 9 last week but was unable to record his third top five result of the season during the match play format.
A strong performance in Italy and another top five finish could see him re-enter the top three in the Rankings.
Ricardo Santos
When it comes to players in-form it is hard to look past Santos. The Portuguese missed the cut at the first two events of the campaign and claimed a share of 21st place at the following event in Prague, but since then he has recorded three consecutive top five results, including victory at the Swiss Challenge Presented by Swiss Golf, and finished 13th in Spain last week.
He currently sits second in the Rankings and having finished tied 15th at the Italian Challenge in 2016 when Terre dei Consoli Golf Club last hosted the event, expect him to be in the mix once again this week.
