We are now well past the halfway point on the Road to Oman, with 16 European Challenge Tour events now played, producing 14 different winners.
With eight tournaments remaining, culminating in the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in Oman, here is a look at how things stand, with thetop 15 in the Rankingsearning graduation to The European Tour next season.
Leader – Ricardo reigns supreme
One man has stormed clear at the top of the Rankings in the past couple of months, with almost €30,000 separating him and the rest of the field: Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia.
Last week’s tie for third place at the Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank was the 24 year old’s eighth top ten finish in 13 starts this season, an astonishing level of consistency.
The highlight was hisdominant victory in the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Hartl Resortlast month, but it already looks likely that Gouveia will be a star of the not-too-distant future on The European Tour.
Movers and shakers – Fox on the prowl
Below Gouveia are several players who have consistently been in the money, and as such have maintained a steady position in the Rankings.
France’s Sebastien Gros sits in second place while the likes of Rhys Davies and Nacho Elvira – both with two victories to their name this season – seem set to hold their positions coming into the crucial closing stages of the season.
Some new names have popped up in recent weeks, however, to keep everyone on their toes, most notably New Zealand’s Ryan Fox.
The 28 year old secured top ten finishes in each of his first two Challenge Tour events before qualifying for The Open Championship at St Andrews, where a final round of 67 saw him finish in the top 50.
That form continued through the following week as Fox claimed hismaiden Challenge Tour victory in Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, and a top ten finish at the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI has put him in eighth position in the Rankings having played just five events.
Frenchman Thomas Linard also jumped into the top 15 after Le Vaudreuil, his second runner-up finish of the season – the first was also in his homeland at the Najeti Open Presented by Neuflize OBC – seeing him climb to 11thin the Rankings.
Still in the hunt – Winther’s coming
A clutch of players of real pedigree currently sit just outside the top 15 and, such is the nature of the Challenge Tour, one or two good results in the coming weeks could see anyone make a giant leap up the Rankings.
The form player would look to be Jeff Winther, who began a run of three successive top five finishes when he came third in the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour and is currently 19th, just €5,000 behind Gary Boyd in 15thplace.
Another notable contender is France’s Clément Sordet, fresh from hismaiden victory at the Northern Ireland Openin just his fourth event since turning professional – expect him to climb higher than his current ranking of 30thby the time we reach Oman.
Finally, it is worth keeping an eye on Dutchman Daan Huizing, who graduated in sixth place in the Rankings in 2013 and showed signs of returning to his best form in Northern Ireland, where he recorded his best result of the season with a tied third finish.
The 24 year old is now up to 20
th
in the Rankings and, having had a taste of European Tour action last season, will be keen to kick on through the closing stretch and earn one of the top 15 spots again.
