After narrowly missing out on victory eight months ago, a focussed and determined Steven Tiley hopes to finish the job as the D+D Real Czech Challenge Open returns to Golf & Spa Kunetická Hora.
In October last year, Andreas Hartø sealed his third European Challenge Tour title in stunning fashion as the Dane finished with four birdies to see off the brave challenge of his compatriot Joachim B Hansen and win the inaugural D+D Real Czech Challenge Open.
Tiley played alongside Hartø in the final group last year after an excellent first three days yielded rounds of 66, 67 and 67, but the Englishman eventually fell away to finish in a tie for fourth as a one under par 71 on Sunday left him seven shots shy of the runaway winner.
“I played very nicely for the first few days and only okay on the last day,” said Tiley. “I struggled a little with everything on the Sunday and with Andreas being the type of player he is – the sort of guy who gets the job done when he has a sniff – he played really well and ended up running away with it.
“But I’m looking forward to getting back out there; it’s a nice course and hotel and a good week in general. You have to keep your ball in play, there’s a little bit of rough and a few decision holes where you can hit driver into tighter spots or irons off the tee.
“Last year I hit driver a lot, managed to the fairway and so had wedges in so in that way it played to my game a little bit.”
It has been a solid start to the season for Canterbury native Tiley, having not missed a cut in six appearances on the Challenge Tour. The 30 year old produced his best performance of the year so far in Belgium two weeks ago with a tie for ninth at the Telenet Trophy, taking him into the top 25 in the Rankings.
Tiley, who became a first-time father shortly before the inaugural D+D Real Czech Challenge Open, is even more determined this season after missing out on a place in the Grand Final by the slimmest of margins in 2012. He knows a good finish in Dříteč could set him up well in his bid to return to The European Tour.
“It was one of the first tournaments back since the birth of Mollie – that eight months has flown by – so I was in good spirits and that translated to my golf, too,” he continued.
“But I missed Kazakhstan and Russia and Toulouse, three weeks in row waiting for young Mollie to be born, and at the start of the year my attention was elsewhere as I was becoming a father for the first time. But it’s something I’ve been talking about with my wife, I’ve got a full year now to concentrate on golf as everything is stable back at home now.
“The Czech Republic is the perfect build-up to Saint Omer (the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open) and a good chance to push up the Rankings. The Challenge Tour is a great stepping stone but I do feel I’ve been on it too long; it’s time to press on.
“I’ve had a good start that I want to capitalise on this week and really kick-start my aims of getting back on The European Tour.”
Designed by 14-time European Tour champion Graham Marsh, host venue for the second year in succession, Golf & Spa Resort Kunětická Hora is located in Pardubice, approximately 95 kilometres east of the capital city Prague.
Spread over 140 acres, the 7,337-yard par 72 course – which takes its name from the nearby Kunětická Hora castle – is one of the longest in the Czech Republic.
Also in the field in the Czech Republic is American Brooks Koepka, who last week extended his dominant lead at the top of the 2013 Challenge Tour rankings to €27,618 with a superb second victory of the season at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España.
Koepka is in fine fettle of late and will be looking to take that form into the second D+D Real Czech Challenge after the 23 year old romped home ten shots clear of his nearest rival on La Gomera – setting a new record for the biggest winning margin in Challenge Tour history.
