Jens Fahrbring returns to the venue where he picked up his biggest pay cheque of last season and the Swede is hoping to secure his European Tour card once and for all at the penultimate event of the Challenge Tour season, The Foshan Open.
The 31 year old may have earned his maiden Challenge Tour title in 2013, but this year has truly been the biggest breakthrough season of his career.
He doubled his title haul back in May with victory at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge and a campaign which has yielded just one missed cut in 17 appearances on Europe’s top developmental tour received a huge fillip at the Kazakhstan Open, where a share of third place means his graduation to The European Tour is almost secured.
Despite sitting in fifth place in the Road to Oman Rankings, however, the Sollentuna player does not feel as if his path to the big time is certain just yet, but he is feeling confident that he can finish the job at a tournament which he truly loves.
“It’s probably the best event of the year,” said Fahrbring, who finished in a tie for third at last year’s Foshan Open. “There are always big crowds and the prize money has been increased this year, and the course is amazing too so I’m looking forward to it.
“I think the course kind of suits my game because it doesn’t really suit the long hitter. You’ve got to keep it in play off the tee, there are some tight awkward tee shots, the greens are Bermuda-style grass so they’re quite tricky to read and have a lot of grain.
“It’s a strategic course, there are some big slopes on the greens so you have to keep it in play off the tee and then hit to the right spots on the green.
“I was straight off the tee all week, I took advantage of the par fives and my iron game wasn’t that sharp but I managed to hit it to the right spots and get the putter going for a few of the rounds.
“I’ve been playing OK all year. I don’t feel I have had a tournament yet where my game is spot on from the tee to the green, but that’s golf. Maybe China will be that week, hopefully.”
Fahrbring’s successful year took him to new heights in his career last month when he held a share of the lead after rounds two and three of the 72° OPEN D'ITALIA presented by DAMIANI on The European Tour.
He eventually finished in a share of third place, but it was a new experience which he believes will stand him in good stead for the remainder of his career
“That was obviously a confidence boost, just to get that kind of feeling,” he said. “Obviously those guys are great golfers, all of them, but it’s still just golf.
“There’s not that much of a difference and if you’re up there on The European Tour, it’s the same process you go through the day before if you’re in the last group.
“Everything is the same, the same mental process. There are bigger crowds and the cameras are there, so it’s that sort of thing you have to get used to, so that was a good experience.
“Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself after having got my first win. This year I have been more relaxed throughout the year and I think it was important for me to just play a few events on The European Tour early in the year, just to get to feel a totally different environment and vibe at those tournaments.
“That helped me relax out here on the Challenge Tour, and the win in Czech was huge. It was more relief than joy to be honest.
“I do feel confident now for the last two events of the season but like I said, I have to deal with the pressure better than how I’ve done in the last two events. My game feels good and it should be a fun end to the season.”
All but one of the top 15 players will be present at Foshan Golf Club as they chase a potentially career-changing victory, with the increased $500,000 prize fund among the biggest of the season on the Challenge Tour, with Nacho Elvira the only absentee after his three wins this season already earned him promotion to The European Tour.
A host of young Chinese players will test their games against some of Europe and the world’s most talented up and coming players, including 16 year old amateur Tian Lang Guan, who made the cut on The European Tour in January at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
