The European Challenge Tour visits France for the third time this season for the Hopps Open de Provence. Here are our Three to Watch at Golf International de Pont Royal…
Dimitrios Papadatos
Dimitrios Papadatos is looking to add another Challenge Tour title to his back catalogue, having triumphed at the 56º Open de Portugal @ Morgado Golf Resort in 2018. The Australian has been in impressive form this season with three top ten finishes, including a tie for second at the Kaskáda Golf Challenge and a tie for seventh at the recent British Challenge Presented by Modest! Golf Management. The 30-year-old currently sits in 38th place on the Road to Mallorca Rankings but will be hoping for a strong performance in Provence to climb into the top 20 and secure European Tour playing rights for the 2022 season.
John Murphy
Ireland’s John Murphy is set for a big future in the game after an impressive amateur career which included four NCAA wins with the University of Louisville and the Byron Nelson award in 2020, which secured himself an invite to the PGA TOUR’s 2022 AT&T Byron Nelson event. The Irishman shone at the 2021 Walker Cup and subsequently turned professional, sealing an impressive victory on his professional debut at the Clutch Pro Tour’s Northern Ireland Open. Murphy has since made the step up to the Challenge Tour and already has three top 15 finishes to his name, including a tie for 11th at last week’s Big Green Egg German Challenge powered by VcG.
Jean Bekirian
Jean Bekirian took the bold decision to turn professional at the age of 16 and has since shown glimpses of talent, claiming a maiden professional win at the age of 17 on the Pro Golf Tour. The Frenchman, now 19, has fine-tuned his trade on the Challenge Tour this year and carded a scintillating 28 on his front nine at the Open de Bretagne earlier in the season, which included back-to-back eagles on his opening two holes. Bekirian will be an outsider for many having never finished inside the top 50 on the Challenge Tour, however a return to home soil could provide the perfect stage for the youngster to express his quality and pull off an upset.
