The European Challenge Tour players with the ambition to step up to and compete among some of the world’s leading players on The European Tour should welcome the presence of defending champion Markus Brier of Austria at this week’s BA-CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria.
Brier completed one of the most popular and convincing victories of the 2004 Challenge Tour season when he triumphed at his home club, Fontana Golf Club, by eight strokes.
Those Challenge Tour players looking to join the 37 year old Brier on The European Tour will be aware that he is exactly the type of player that you have to compete with to survive at the top level, and should be looking to gauge their abilities against Austria’s most capable and popular golfer.
For Austrian Martin Wiegele, the presence of Brier, coupled with the always exceptional Fontana Golf Club, make the BA-CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria the premium event on the Challenge Tour Schedule.
Wiegele was propelled into the limelight as the next great Austrian player as he stormed the Challenge tour Rankings in his Rookie season as a professional in 2003, and secured his European Tour card for 2004.
A disappointing 2004 has not deterred Wiegele’s desire to carry on and better the work Brier has done for Austria, and where better for him to steal Brier’s crown, than in his own castle.
“Markus will be hard to beat this week, but I think that he played even better than his best when he won at Fontana last year because he finished on 23 under and that is a very hard score to beat,” said Wiegele.
“He is a very steady player but I do think he played above his usual standard last year. I hope that he plays well though – it’s always good for the event when Markus plays well because he is very popular at Fontana and it makes sure we have good crowds watching the golf. It would be perfect if I could play with him in the final group on Sunday afternoon.
“That is another great thing about playing a tournament there – the crowds are always there to support the event. Sometimes you don’t have that many people watching Challenge Tour events, but you feel like you are playing a bigger event at Fontana because the people always come out to watch.
“I think the level of organisation and the way that the course is prepared is the best on the Challenge Tour – it doesn’t get any better than at Fontana,” continued Wiegele. “I don’t think I have ever heard anything negative said about the place from all the players that I have spoken to.
“I think that everything is in place there for it to become a European Tour venue, and, as an Austrian player, I would love to see our National Open on The European Tour.”
