The Road to Mallorca returns to Italy this week, for the Italian Challenge Open, taking place at Argentario Golf Club in Tuscany. Here’s everything you need to know before play gets under way on Thursday…
Argentario Golf Club
Argentario Golf Club is one of the most spectacular courses in Italy and plays host to a Challenge Tour event for the first time this week. The course is part of the exclusive five-star Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort, and offers a technically challenging test, with the venue set to welcome the Italian Open on the DP World Tour in 2025.
The strategic layout, which has received the Bioagricert environmental certification for sustainability and water management, requires golfers to weave in and out of natural mediterranean vegetation and ancient olive groves, whilst offering remarkable views of the Orbetello Lagoon, particularly on the back nine.
An event steeped in history
The Italian Challenge Open has provided the Challenge Tour with several memorable moments through the years, with a host of notable names making their mark.
Matteo Manassero is the most recent to have triumphed at the event, with the home favourite all but securing his return to the DP World Tour by claiming an emotional three-stroke victory 12 months ago in front of huge home support at Golf Nazionale. By winning, he became the third Italian champion of the event, joining 2023 European Ryder Cup Vice Captain, Edoardo Molinari, and Matteo Delpodio, who triumphed in 2009 and 2015 respectively.
To date, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia is the only player to win the event twice, doing so for the first time in 2014 before he added a second title seven years later in 2021.
The importance of finishing strong
The Italian Challenge Open is the 24th of 29 events on the 2024 Road to Mallorca, with time running out for those looking to make their move into the promotion places.
The top 20 players following the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A will earn promotion to the DP World Tour, but the first hurdle for those in the field this week will be to make sure of their place in China. Back-to-back weeks in Asia precede the end-of-season finale, whereby the leading 68 players that have entered the events will remain in the race for promotion.
In short, those targeting promotion have three weeks to punch their ticket to Asia, starting this week and followed by the Swiss Challenge (September 26-29) and the D+D Real Czech Challenge (October 2-5).
In addition to that, this week will see the field competing for an augmented prize fund, with €350,000 on offer.
