The 2023 Road to Mallorca provides another opportunity for golfing stars to emerge and earn one of the life-changing DP World Tour cards by finishing in the top 20 on the season-long Rankings.
Here are our ones to watch for the season ahead…
James Allan
James Allan will tee it up on the European Challenge Tour in 2023 after winning the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Order of Merit in 2022.
The 28-year-old won the Tour’s season-ending Matchroom Tour Championship at Lough Erne Resort to capture his third victory of the season and cement his position at the top of the Rankings, subsequently becoming the highest annual earner in the EuroPro Tour’s history and earning his 2023 Challenge Tour playing rights.
Allan will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Englishman Nathan Kimsey in earning graduation to the DP World Tour in 2023. Kimsey claimed two victories in 2022, including the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A on his way to being crowned Road to Mallorca Number One.
Mateusz Gradecki
Mateusz Gradecki is looking to join good friend and countryman Adrian Meronk on the DP World Tour in 2024. Meronk became Poland's first winner on the DP World Tour with his victory at the Horizon Irish Open last year.
Gradecki was unfortunate to miss out on promotion to the DP World Tour in 2022 after finishing 21st on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. The Pole impressed with a seventh place finish at the British Challenge presented by Modest! Golf Management, a second place at the Big Green Egg German Challenge powered by VcG and picked up a maiden Challenge Tour title at Limpopo Championship in South Africa. Gradecki’s first win meant he became only the second Polish winner on the Tour following Meronk’s victory at the Open de Portugal in 2019.
The Pole arrived at the 2022 Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A in 19th position on the Rankings in a good position to cement his place in the top 20 and secure 2023 DP World Tour playing rights. However, the Pole carded rounds of 75-70-69-73 to finish in a tie for 18th in Mallorca, which saw him slip down just outside the top 20 on the Rankings.
The 28-year-old will be looking to use his impressive year as ammunition for success on the 2023 Road to Mallorca and having already tasted victory on the Challenge Tour, he is in great shape for a successful year.
Marco Penge
Marco Penge bounced back from a serious knee injury to perform impressively on the 2022 Road to Mallorca.
The Englishman underwent surgery on his knee in 2021 and made his first appearance in eight months at the SDC Open at the start of the season in South Africa, where he finished fourth. The 24-year-old continued to show glimpses of his talent in 2022, recording an eighth place finish at the Empordà Challenge in Spain before a runner up finish at the Kaskáda Golf Challenge.
Penge finished in 39th position on the 2022 Road to Mallorca Rankings after a disappointing performance at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final, before narrowly missing out on his DP World Tour card at Qualifying School.
The Englishman will be looking to build on solid foundations put in place in after playing 21 Challenge Tour events and only missing six cuts in 2022 as he targets promotion to the top tier.
Marc Hammer
Marc Hammer enjoyed a terrific maiden year on the Challenge Tour and finished 27th on the 2022 Road to Mallorca Rankings.
The German made history by becoming the first player to win two Official World Golf Ranking tournaments in the same week, and in different countries when he secured victory at the Euram Bank Open in Austria just five days after his first professional win arrived at the Weihenstephan Open on the Pro Golf Tour.
The 24-year-old will be looking to build on his impressive first year on the Challenge Tour and earn promotion to the DP World Tour for 2024.
