German Nicolai von Dellingshausen believes his experience at last year’s Hainan Open and Foshan Open on the European Challenge Tour will stand him in good stead for the Belt & Road Colorful Yunnan Golf Open from April 12-15.
The tournament at Kunming Yulongwan Golf Club in Yunnan Province has been added to the Challenge Tour schedule for the first time this year, in conjunction with the China Tour.
The 126-man field will be equally split between the two tours with several sponsor invitations and players will compete for a lucrative prize fund of US$350,000.
After a trio of wins on the Pro Golf Tour last year, von Dellingshausen was catapulted onto the Challenge Tour and attained four top 15 finishes.
And as he prepares for his second trip to China, the 25 year old feels he is more extensively prepared for the tournament after his previous competitions on the Chinese island of Hainan and at Foshan, in the Guangdong district.
“I think playing in China last year will help me when I return this year. I was able to get to know the culture because for Western Europeans it can be different,” von Dellingshausen said.
“It can also help to know what to expect with the climate – because China is so big, you can get different climate zones but it definitely helps to have been there before.
“I’m really satisfied with how I played last year. I’m pleased with how I developed and how I grew so overall I’m really happy.”
At the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open last month, von Dellingshausen was in contention after the opening three rounds but a closing 75 curtailed his title challenge.
However, when reflecting on last year’s near misses – namely his fifth-place finish at the Kazakhstan Open and runner-up berth at the Bridgestone Challenge – von Dellingshausen insists competing in the upper echelons of leaderboards instils self-confidence.
“Having been in contention a couple of times last year, it will certainly help with my confidence,” he said.
“When I started on the Challenge Tour last year, I just really wanted to try my best to see how far I can go.
“Being in contention twice, it really helped me believe in myself a little bit more. I know I can compete on this Tour.”
The Düsseldorf native is one of a number of German players on the Challenge Tour this season, and 2017 Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit winner von Dellingshausen says having his international team-mates on the Tour is both comforting and challenging.
“Everyone is part of the German national team, so we’ve known each other for quite a long time,” he said.
“It really helps to have some friends with you sometimes. It’s good to have someone to talk to when you have questions or when you experience situations that you’ve not been in before.
“It’s also good to have competition with the other Germans because I think it pushes you that little bit further.”
