The first event of the 2019 European Tour season is in the books, and with 12 of the 15 members of the Class of 2018 taking part we look back on a good week for this year’s graduates.
For those making the jump up they could be forgiven for taking some time to adjust to life on Europe’s top tier, but there were many who immediately impressed in the Far East.
Many of the top 15 finished strongly on the final stages of the 2018 Road to Ras Al Khaimah – none more so thanVictor Perez.
Since tweaking his swing after missing the cut in the Open de France in July, the 26 year old has gone on to record seven top 15 results in his next ten starts before ending the season with one victory in China, followed by a runner-up finish in the season-ending Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final.
The Frenchmancarried that red-hot form to the Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi, and despite a slow start in his first appearance as a European Tour member he reeled off three rounds in the 60s to finish the week in tied third.
Perezwas not the only member of the Class of 2018 inside the top ten in Hong Kong, though. Finland’sKim Koivu, who won three times on the Challenge Tour last season, also made a great start to his rookie campaign by carding rounds of 69-67-69-67 for a share of ninth – his second-best performance at that level having shared seventh at the 2018 Portugal Masters.
Also flourishing at Hong Kong Golf Club wasLorenzo Gagli– who finished the week in tied 20thlargely thanks to an excellent 66 on Moving Day.
The Italian was one of nine of last year’s top 15 to make the cut in the season-opening event, along withJack Singh Brar(T30),Grant Forrest(T36),Joachim B. Hansen(T45),Robert MacIntyre(T57),David Law (71) andLiam Johnston(72).
Next up for the 2018 graduates are the Australian PGA Championship and the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Anahita this week – ten members will tee it up in Mauritius whileSean CrockerandMacIntyreare travelling down under to RACV Royal Pines Resort in Queensland.
