The Road to Mallorca arrives in Kolkata for the second of back-to-back events co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). Here are three players to look out for…
Form horse – Martin Couvra
Martin Couvra currently sits seventh on the Road to Mallorca Rankings following two top ten finishes in his last two starts. The 21-year-old has made every cut so far this season, and led the Delhi Challenge for three days before just coming up short in round four. The Frenchman became only the seventh amateur to win on the Challenge Tour when he triumphed at the Challenge de España last year, and he will be looking to secure a first as a professional this week.
Local boy – Manu Gandas
Manu Gandas currently leads the PGTI Order of Merit after enjoying a stellar start to the year. In four starts, he’s made three cuts, winning the season-opening Players Championship 2024 presented by Tollygunge Club before going on to finish 13th and fifth the following two weeks. He also has previous form at Royal Calcutta having won the SSP Chawrasia Invitational presented by TAKE in 2022 by two strokes.
The outsider – Hayden Hopewell
Hayden Hopewell secured full playing status on the Challenge Tour by making the cut at Final Stage Qualifying School last year, and he’s made the most of the opportunities presented to him so far in 2024. The Australian has impressed in his five starts to date on the Road to Mallorca, making four cuts with a season-best third place finish coming at the NMB Championship in South Africa. He finished tied 17th in the Delhi Challenge last week to continue his encouraging start to the campaign.
