The European Challenge Tour heads to Belgium this week for the B-NL Challenge Trophy by Hulencourt. Here’s everything you need to know before the action begins…
Hulencourt
Hulencourt, established in 1988, consists of two golf courses – the Vallon Championship Course and the Verger nine-hole pitch and putt course. The Vallon course is considered one of the best parkland courses in Belgium and is maintained to an exceptional standard all year round. The Championship Course is set upon gently undulating terrain and offers wide fairways, however the numerous water hazards, out-of-bounds and strategically placed bunkers make the course a tough test for even the highest calibre of golfer.
The Challenge Tour returns
The B-NL Challenge Trophy by Hulencourt will mark the first Challenge Tour event in Belgium since the KPMG Trophy in 2019, which saw Englishman Dale Whitnell claim victory after defeating countryman Laurie Canter in a play-off at Millennium Golf. The KPMG trophy was first played in 2006 and rotated through several venues across Belgium throughout its 13-year history.
B-NL Challenge Trophy
The B-NL Challenge Trophy is supported by the Belgian Golf Federation (KBGF) and the Netherlands Golf Federation (NGF). The inaugural edition of the event was hosted last year in the Netherlands as Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia came out on top in a four-way play-off to secure his first Challenge Tour title at The Dutch. Garcia-Heredia went on to finish sixth on the 2021 Road to Mallorca Rankings and subsequently earn promotion to the DP World Tour.
The final push
It’s all to play for on the Road to Mallorca Rankings with just six events remaining before the season-ending Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A. The top 20 players on the Rankings will earn DP World Tour cards for 2023, with Germany’s Freddy Schott currently sitting in pole position on 115,599 points. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a stellar season, with a maiden Challenge Tour victory coming at the Frederikshavn Challenge - Presented by HESSEL earlier this month in addition to six further top ten finishes.
