Each season the Challenge Tour welcomes the best up-and-coming players from Europe’s satellite tours.
We turn our attention to the newest members from the Pro Golf Tour, who will be eagerly anticipating the start of the 2020 Road to Mallorca season in South Africa.
Allen John
The German is set for his second Challenge Tour season after finishing fourth on the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit.
John rose to prominence in 2018 with a standout performance as an amateur at the Porsche European Open, finishing in a share of second place on home soil.
The 32-year-old, who was diagnosed as being almost fully deaf at two years old, played 12 events on the Challenge Tour in 2012 before electing to regain his amateur status in 2016. He would go on to win gold at the Deaflympics the following year.
After his sensational finish at the Porsche European Open, the 32-year-old re-entered the paid ranks and has seen his game go from strength to strength, notching up five top five finishes on the Pro Golf Tour in 2019, including victory at the Open Michlifen.
Ondřej Lieser
Leiser secured the fifth spot on the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit despite teeing up just ten times on the circuit in the 2019 season. The 28-year-old wrapped up his card with a scintillating end to the year, recording top three finishes in his final three starts. With a victory also to his name in 2019, Lieser looks set to be one to watch this season as he returns to Challenge Tour action in 2020.
Hinrich Arkenau
The German opened his 2019 Pro Golf Tour season in the ultimate fashion, capturing the first title of the year, the Red Sea Egyptian Classic. He would follow up his opening victory with a runner-up showing at the Red Sea Ain Sokhna Classic a week later, with it providing a huge stride towards a Challenge Tour berth.
Arkenau joined an elite group of players to record golf’s magic number, 59, in 2017, when he carded 13 birdies and 5 pars at the Sparkassen Open. The 29-year-old became only the second German player to achieve the coveted feat at an official tournament, following in the footsteps of former World Number One Martin Kaymer.
Benjamin Rusch
The Swiss player was Mr. Consistent in 2019 notching up five top five results throughout the Pro Golf Tour season, with his best finish a runner-up showing at the Open Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia in Morocco.
Rusch has already proved he has what it takes to compete on the Challenge Tour after recording a top ten at the Euram Bank Open in 2019 and will head into the 2020 season with plenty of confidence.
Felix Mory
With Hurly Long and Robbie van West securing their playing rights via their position at European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage and Sami Välimäki, who finished second on the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit, securing his European Tour card at Final Stage, Felix Mory was assured an unexpected Challenge Tour berth for 2020.
The Frenchman finished eighth on the Order of Merit and will be looking to make the most of his promotion as he begins his maiden season on Europe’s leading developmental circuit.
2019 Pro Golf League graduates: Allen John (Germany), Ondřej Lieser (Czech Republic), Hinrich Arkenau* (Germany), Benjamin Rusch* (Switzerland), Felix Mory* (France).
_*Arkenau, Rusch and Mory finished sixth, seventh and eighth on the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit respectively but gained Challenge Tour status after Hurly Long and Robbie van West made the cut at European Tour Final Stage Qualifying School, thus improving their category and Sami Välimäki earned his European Tour card. _
