The European Challenge Tour heads to Italy for the eagerly anticipated Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil. Here are five things to know ahead of the action getting under way.
Largest prize fund in Europe
The €300,000 prize fund at the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil is the largest European prize fund on the Challenge Tour International Schedule.
Outside of the back-to-back events in China at the end of the season, this week’s prize fund gives players a chance to make a significant move up the season-long Challenge Tour Rankings, as they pursue a place inside the top 15 and a life-changing European Tour card.
Swedish success
The last three winners of the Italian Challenge have all come from Sweden. Sebastian Soderberg lifted the title in 2018 en route to graduating to the European Tour, while Joel Sjöholm took victory in 2017.
A year earlier, when the tournament was staged at this year’s host-venue, Terre dei Consoli Golf Club, Johan Edfors secured a three-shot victory over fellow Swede Alexander Björk.
Sjöholm, in 30th place, is currently the highest ranked Swede on the season-long Rankings and will be hoping to replicate his 2017 success and use his knowledge of Terre dei Consoli Golf Club from the event in 2016 where he finished in a share of tenth place behind Edfors and Alexander Björk.
Return to Terre dei Consoli
The Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil takes place at Terre dei Consoli Golf Club this week, hosting a Challenge Tour event for the second time following Johan Edfors triumph in 2016.
After successive seasons at Is Molas Resort in Sardinia, the Italian Challenge returns to Terre dei Consoli for the first time since 2016, where players will be faced with a fierce Robert Trent Jones Jnr-designed course, stretching 7305 yards and ending on a 657-yard par five 18th hole.
Debut winners
Three of the last five Italian Challenge winners won their debut Challenge Tour title at the event; Ricardo Gouveia in 2014, Matteo Delpodio in 2015 and Sjöholm in 2017.
Gouveia beat Florian Fritsch in a play-off to seal his debut title – his first of three Challenge Tour wins – as he graduated a year later, topping the Challenge Tour Rankings with a record points total of 251,592.
Italy’s Delpodio was cheered on by the home supporters as he sealed his maiden victory by three strokes in 2015. While Sjöholm clinched his inaugural Challenge Tour title in the Sardinian sun with a stunning 24 under par total.
Road to Rome 2022
The Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil will be the first event to be held in Rome since The Road to Rome 2022 began.
The Senior Italian Open, held at Villaverde Resort in Fagagna at the end of May, was the first European Tour-operated event to be held since The Road to Rome 2022 began following Europe’s 17 ½ - 10 ½ victory over USA in the biennial event at Le Golf National in September. The 2022 Ryder Cup will take place just outside of the iconic city at Marco Simone Golf Club.
