The Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf marks the European Challenge Tour’s return to European soil after the South African Swing and is the first of back-to-back events on Swedish soil. Here is what you need to know before the action begins on Thursday…
Picturesque location
Situated eight miles south east of Malmö, Hinton Golf Club is set on undulating ground, parts of which are reminiscent of Scottish moorland whilst also taking on a traditional parkland course in character.
The Club started with a six-hole layout in 1994, which was extended to nine holes, and by 2005 a full 18-hole course was finished. One of the more difficult holes on the front nine is the 580-yard par five eighth, whilst water threatens on the back nine at the 13th and 15th to make for an interesting closing stretch.
Seeing double in Sweden
The Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf will take place at Hinton Golf Club in Malmö this week, while the Dormy Open will follow at Österåkers Golf Club, located close to the Swedish capital of Stockholm, from Wednesday May 19 – Saturday May 22.
The Swedish double header will mark the Challenge Tour’s return to European soil for the first time in the 2021 season following the South African Swing, which consists of three co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour and brings the total number of events on the 2021 Road to Mallorca to 26.
The Dormy Open will be played on the Öster by Stenson course at Österåkers Golf Club, the first course designed by 2016 Open Champion and 2000 Challenge Tour Number One, Henrik Stenson.
It completes a run of events in Sweden with Stenson, The 2016 Open Champion, preparing to co-host the Scandinavian Mixed alongside Annika Sörenstam at Vallda Golf & Country Club in Gothenburg from June 10-13.
As part of the European Tour’s commitment to inclusivity in golf and co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, the inaugural Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika will feature 78 men and 78 women going head-to-head for the first time on the same course competing for one prize fund and one trophy.
Big debuts, big field
Irishman James Sugrue will make his long-awaited professional debut this week following an interrupted season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2019 Amateur Champion’s last competitive start was at the 2020 Masters Tournament after the effects of the pandemic put paid to many of the benefits that come with winning The Amateur Championship.
The 22-year-old wrote his name into amateur golf’s record books when he defeated Scotland’s Euan Walker, who is also in the field this week, at Portmarnock Golf Club in 2019 and will be joined in Sweden by Road to Mallorca Rankings leader Wilco Nienaber, who won last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am, and four-time European Tour winner Matteo Manassero, who tees it up for the first time this season.
From one debut to another
Walker Cup player Ben Jones will also make his professional debut this week just days after representing Great Britain and Ireland in last week’s narrow loss to the USA.
The Englishman suffered a pair of defeats in the singles at Seminole Golf Club at the weekend, but that disappointment will make way for excitement as he prepares for his very first appearance on the Challenge Tour this week.
The Englishman recorded top ten finishes last year in the Australian Master of the Amateurs, Australian Men's Amateur Championship and Ghala Open. In 2019, he reached the semi-finals of The Amateur Championship at Portmarnock, finished third in the European Amateur Championship and represented England in the European Amateur Team Championship and Men’s Home Internationals.
