The European Challenge Tour moves to Italy this week for the XX Tessali-Metaponto Open di Puglia e Basilicata, an event that celebrates its 20th anniversary this season, and a competition with a special place on the Schedule, having been the first tournament to be played on the Challenge Tour back in 1989.
The XX Tessali-Metaponto Open di Puglia e Basilicata has played a significant role in the development of The European Tour’s next generation of golfing stars over the past 17 years, and last season’s event saw the crowning of another champion, Leif Westerberg of Sweden, who went onto claim a European Tour card through the top 15 of the Challenge Tour Rankings.
Six out of this year’s ten Challenge Tour winners will line up in Italy, including last week’s winner, Frenchman Olivier David, who joined Argentines Rafael Gomez, Cesar Monasterio and Daniel Vancsik, Kevin Haefner of the USA and England’s Richard McEvoy in the tournament winners enclosure after his thrilling play-off victory at the FIRSTPLUS Wales Challenge.
Westerberg put together a stunning finish of five birdies in his closing seven holes to take the title last year. One over par for his final round after 11 holes, the Swede began his birdie blitz at the 12th, made par on the 13th before rattling in four successive birdies from the 14th to the 17th and posting an 11 under aggregate of 274.
Westerberg then waited anxiously in the clubhouse as overnight leaders Craig Williams of Wales and Englishman Oliver Wilson finished their fourth rounds.
Williams, who was 11 under with three holes to play, dropped two shots in his closing three holes to fall back to third place on nine under, while Wilson finished one stroke better off than his final day playing partner to finish outright second.
Westerberg’s victory was essential in his successful bid to win his European Tour card for 2005, and it will be no surprise if this week’s winner goes onto secure his playing privileges for The 2006 European Tour International Schedule.
The XX Tessali-Metaponto Open di Puglia e Basilicata is a unique event on the Challenge Tour Schedule as it is played over two courses, Riva dei Tessali and the Metaponto Club. Each player will play one round over each course for the first two days before the final two rounds are completed at Tessali.
