The European Challenge Tour moves to Austria this week for the Euram Bank Open at GC Adamstal. Here are three players to look out for this week...
Form horse
Matteo Manassero lands in Austria off the back of a memorable triumph on home soil in Rome at the Italian Challenge Open. The Italian’s three stroke win at Golf Nazionale was his second of the season following victory at the Copenhagen Challenge presented by Ejner Hessel in May. A third win on the Road to Mallorca would see Manassero earn automatic promotion back to the DP World Tour where he is already a four-time winner and the youngest winner in history. He’ll be looking to do it at the first time of asking this week.
Local boy
Niklas Regner is still searching for his best form in 2023, and he’ll be hoping it comes on home soil this week. Having made seven cuts from 13 starts this season, the Austrian has shown glimpses, with a six under par opening round of 65 at the Kaskada Golf Challenge last month helping him to a tied 27th finish in the Czech Republic, his best of the season to date. The 24-year-old could kick-start his push towards the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by the R&A with a good result in familiar surroundings.
The outsider
Hugo Townsend only turned professional in June but did so off the back of an exceptional conclusion to his amateur career. An invite to the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed event on the DP World Tour last month saw the 24-year-old card a bogey-free final round 64 to finish in 11th place. He turned professional the following week and has teed it up in three Challenge Tour events so far. A missed cut in the Czech Republic was followed by an impressive outing in the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge where he led going into the weekend before eventually finishing in a tie for 17th.
