The European Challenge Tour touches down on French soil for the first time in the 2014 season for this week’s Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open, and we take a look at five players who might just have what it take to emerge victorious.
Joel Sjöholm
The Swede recently opened up about the regret he feels having not yet experienced the thrill of challenging for a title in his professional career, in an exclusive blog for the Challenge Tour website.
Maybe that frank and public admission helped him shed the shackles as the inimitable Swede roared into contention at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España just days later, leading at the halfway stage before earning his best finish of the season, tied fifth.
He missed the cut in his only previous appearance at this event but the 29 year old’s graduation from the Challenge Tour back in 2010 had much to do with two top three finishes on French soil, including a runner-up Lyon, so it all adds up to a potentially successful week for Sjöholm.
Simon Wakefield
His last Challenge Tour victory came all of 12 years ago, but is the Englishman finally ready to double his trophy haul on a familiar stomping ground in Saint Omer this week?
He suffered a disappointing weekend this time last year having entered the weekend just a shot off the lead but the 30 year old did come close to victory here in 2012, finishing in outright third position as Darren Fichardt claimed the title.
Having earned his first top ten finish of the 2014 Challenge Tour season in Catalunya, Wakefield was back in form on The European Tour last week as he claimed a tied ninth place finish in the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity.
Tjaart van der Walt
The South African was only beaten to the title on the first hole of a play-off last year, as Ireland’s Simon Thornton lifted a maiden European Tour title, so van der Walt will have some unfinished business in Saint Omer this week.
The 39 year old has shown glimpses of that kind of form this season, with tied 12th place finishes in both the NH Collection Open and the Madeira Islands Open – BPI – Portugal. While he finished tied 32nd on The European Tour in Austria last week, a third round of 68 had lifted him to within the top 20 before a disappointing finish.
The experienced Pretorian has never played a full season on the Challenge Tour but as he sits 31st in the 2014 Rankings, he will no doubt be targeting a top 15 finish and graduation back to the top tier and a big result this week could go a long way in achieving that aim.
Ruaidhri McGee
Having earned his card through Qualifying School last year, the young Irishman has swiftly found his feet in his rookie season on the Challenge Tour.
Opened his account this year with a 66 at the Challenge de Catalunya before missing the cut, and while he also failed to make it past the halfway stage of the 36-hole Madeira Islands Open, he has been an ever-present on leaderboards on both the Challenge Tour and European Tour since.
A 12th place finish at the Turkish Airlines Challenge boosted his confidence before his first real chase for a title ended with a tied seventh finish at the Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda.
The Derryman entered the final round of last week’s Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity in a share of tenth spot, and while he finished tied 25th after a disappointing final round 75, he will no doubt have gained plenty of belief and experience from just his second European Tour appearance.
He has spent most of his burgeoning career under the radar but the 23 year old certainly seems to possess the confidence and form to announce his name on the European golf scene this week.
Cyril Bouniol
In stark contrast to the aforementioned McGee, Bouniol came to the Challenge Tour carrying the burden of a huge reputation after a glittering career in American collegiate golf.
The Frenchman won the Byron Nelson Award as the top senior in the USA and the former Abilene Christian University student arrives to the first home professional event of his career surely confident of claiming a maiden victory in the paid ranks.
While he struggled at last week’s Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity, the 27 year old has already earned two top five finishes in his rookie season on the Challenge Tour.
He has not missed a single cut on the Challenge Tour thus far, having played his way through all three stages of Qualifying School last year to earn his place on the second tier, so it seems only a matter of time before this hot prospect lifts his first trophy.
