John Parry will be hoping to kick-start his European Challenge Tour season next week as he travels to Belgium in search of victory on his Telenet Trophy debut at Ravenstein Royal GC in Tervuren, just outside Brussels.
Parry finished 126thin The Race to Dubai last year after an inconsistent season, but he believes he is well capable of bouncing back this year by finishing in the top 20 in the Challenge Tour Rankings and claiming a European Tour card, as he did in 2009.
The European Tour winner made a disappointing start to 2012, missing four consecutive cuts - three on The European Tour and one on the Challenge Tour - until his class came to the fore at the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal last week, where he finished tied fourth.
As he makes his debut in Belgium next week, the Englishman will be hoping to build on the momentum gained in Madeira and challenge for a second Challenge Tour title.
“I’m really looking forward to going to Belgium,” said Parry, whose two wins both came in France – the 2009 ALLIANZ Golf Open Grand Toulouse on the Challenge Tour and the Vivendi Cup in 2010 on The European tour.
“I’ve never been to the venue before so it will be a new experience. It’s obviously disappointing to be back on the Challenge Tour, but I’m feeling positive about it and if anything it makes you work and practise even harder to get back on The European Tour. I’ve had a taste of the life there and that’s what I want to get back to.
“I’ve been struggling the last few months so that’s why it was especially good to shoot two low weekend rounds in Madeira before heading to Belgium.
“I worked hard on my swing over the winter and played a few mini tour events in Spain. That was good because there was no pressure and it gave me a chance to try out the changes to my swing and start to feel comfortable with it.
“It had been ages since I had a really low round, so to shoot 65 in the third round in Madeira was very pleasing and quite a relief.”
While Parry will be eligible to play a number of European Tour tournaments this year, he is wary of falling behind in the Challenge Tour Rankings and so believes he would be better served by committing to the second tier tour.
“A few of the European Tour events that I would have got into with my category are not on the schedule this year – such as the one in Mallorca,” said the 25 year old. “But that’s probably a good thing as it means I can fully focus on the Challenge Tour.
“I maybe would have played 12 on each tour, and then you’re in danger of being in no man’s land, but I will be concentrating on the Challenge Tour and hopefully will get my card back through the Rankings.”
