We have assessed the field on the eve of the season-opening Turkish Airlines Challenge and have picked out three players who could be fighting at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
Allen John
If there is one man who knows how to win at Samsun Golf Club, it is Allen John. The German came second at the Porsche European Open as an amateur in 2018 and has lived with less than five per cent hearing since birth. After a distinguished amateur career, John turned professional in 2011 but was cruelly forced to retire in 2013 due to a serious pubic bone injury. The German regained amateur status and won the gold medal at the 2017 Deaflympics at Samsun Golf Club. Following his victory, John was awarded the Silver Laurel Leaf, the highest state award for sporting excellence in Germany. He is now back at Samsun as a professional and will use his knowledge of the course to mount a challenge on this week.
Daan Huizing
Daan Huizing already has one victory to his name this season after triumphing at the Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla. The Dutchman overhauled players from the Challenge Tour, Staysure Tour and Ladies European Tour to win in Jordan and become the first champion of the ground-breaking event where players from each tour played on the same course for the same prize fund. It marks a brilliant start to the campaign following a soul-searching off-season. After a double bogey at the 71st hole of last year’s Challenge Tour Grand Final derailed his chances of securing a European Tour card, he was forced to begin anew in 2019. Two wins in two events? You never know.
Oscar Lengden
Could this be the year that sees Oscar Lengden fight his way into the top 15 on the Order of Merit? Lengden has won in each of the previous two seasons – the Bridgestone Challenge in 2017 followed by the Challenge de España in 2018 – so he knows how to win. Now it is a case of building on those wins. Lengden, like Huizing, teed it up in the world-first Jordan Mixed Open and came tied seventh following rounds of 70-68-68, once again showing the strong form on display at the end of last season having finished tied seventh at the Foshan Open and tied 17th at the Challenge Tour Grand Final. The 26 year old will be looking for a solid start to the Rankings race ahead of his Challenge de España title defence next week.
