Germany’s Sven Strüver is looking to celebrate his return to full fitness by adding the first European Challenge Tour victory to the three European Tour titles he has amassed in his career at the Morson International Pro-Am Challenge. Strüver, now fully recovered from knee surgery, is playing in just his third event of the season after damaging his meniscus cartilage in Guatemala at the beginning of the year of the year.
The 38 year old, who played on the Challenge Tour at the start of his career in 1992, is determined to get back into competitive action in order to fine tune his game for the second half of the season. Having played just four events all year, Strüver cannot wait to tee up at the Marriott Worsley Park Hotel and Country Club on the outskirts of Manchester.
Strüver has been helped back to full health by Kai Fusser, the fitness coach of Women’s World Number One, Anika Sorenstam, at his home in Florida.
“I feel fully rehabilitated and a lot of that has to do with Kai and the work that we have done in America,” said Strüver. “Now I just want to play competitively again. I’m ready to go out and compete and I am looking forward to doing to on the Challenge Tour.
“I feel good and I am hoping to play in as many events as possible for the second half of the season because I have only finished three this year – it’s about time I got out there and some work!
“I actually picked up my injury at the Challenge Tour event in Guatemala back in February so I didn’t get much of a chance to see many of these young kids out here, but I have been very impressed with what I have seen on the range this week.
“The game has changed so much over the last 20 years – even I go to the gym now! – but you have to look after every aspect of your life to succeed out here and so many of the young guys do that.”
The Morson International Pro-Am Challenge is a unique event on the Challenge Tour Schedule, with the first two rounds played as a regular strokeplay event before the format switches to a Pro-Am for the last two rounds.
Each professional to make the halfway cut is paired with an Amateur partner for the final 36 holes, with individual amateur prizes on each of the final two rounds with the professionals playing for a prize fund of £100,000.
Johan Axgren remains the man to catch at the head of the Challenge Tour Rankings. With his two victories already this season, the Swede is a long way ahead of the chasing pack, with season’s earnings of €77,453.
