The Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A has historically produced a plethora of golfing stars. The highly-pressured environment that the Grand Final constructs suggests only those that can perform on the biggest stage will prevail.
Ondrej Lieser
Ondrej Lieser last year made history by becoming the first Czech player to win the Road to Mallorca Rankings after securing victory at T Golf & Country Club. Lieser posted a final day three under par round of 68 to earn a one-stroke victory in Mallorca and therefore became the first player from the Czech Republic to secure full European Tour playing rights. The 30-year-old initially struggled to adjust to life on the European Tour but has recently seen an upturn in form, with a tie for 19th place at the Dutch Open, which he will be looking to use as a platform to build on for the final stages of the season.
Francesco Laporta
In 2019, Francesco Laporta secured a sensational wire-to-wire victory at the Grand Final and consequently topped the Road to Mallorca Rankings. The Italian has not looked back since, narrowly missing out on a first European Tour victory in 2020 after finishing in a tie for second at the Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World. The 31-year-old has impressed on the European Tour this year with three top ten finishes, including a tie for sixth at the BMW PGA Championship and it is only a matter of time before he becomes a European Tour winner, having previously proven he can triumph on the big stage.
Adri Arnaus
Adri Arnaus, the 2018 Grand Final winner, has gone from strength to strength since his spectacular victory in Ras Al Khaimah, recording 14 top ten finishes on the European Tour. The 26-year-old Spaniard recently lost in a play-off at the Acciona Open de España to countryman Rafa-Cabrera Bello as he continues to impress after making the step up.
Ricardo Gouveia
Current Road to Mallorca Number Two Ricardo Gouveia will be aiming for a second Grand Final title when he tees it up at T Golf & Country Club, having won the accolade in 2015 in Oman. The Portuguese topped the Challenge Tour Rankings in 2015 before going on to impress on the European Tour, which included a third place finish at the 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, before a dip in form meant he returned to the Challenge Tour in 2020. The return to familiar surroundings looks to have rekindled an old spark for Gouveia, winning two titles in as many starts at the Italian Challenge and Made in Esbjerg Challenge, taking his Challenge Tour victory count to five.
Espen Kofstad
Espen Kofstad is another man looking for a second Grand Final title this year after he secured victory in Italy in 2012 and subsequently topped the Rankings. The 34-year-old claimed his fourth Challenge Tour victory at the Sydbank Esjberg Challenge earlier this year, and currently sits in tenth place on the Rankings as he looks set for a return to the European Tour.
Richard Bland
In 2001, Richard Bland pulled off one of the greatest Grand Final victories in history to elevate him from 45th to tenth in the Rankings to secure a European Tour card. The Englishman carded a heroic final round of 63, which included a seven under par back nine to sign for an 18 under par total to triumph in Bordeaux. Bland performed solidly on the European Tour before returning to the Challenge Tour at the age of 46 after losing his card. He secured an immediate return to the top tier, however, as he finished third on the Rankings. Bland has since created history by becoming the oldest first-time winner on the European Tour at the age of 48 in the 2021 Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, and just a month later he became the oldest player to hold a share of the lead after two rounds of the U.S. Open.
Henrik Stenson
Henrik Stenson is the most decorated of the Grand Final winners. The Swede topped the 2000 Challenge Tour Rankings after securing a five-stroke victory at the Grand Final in Cuba and has since won 11 European Tour events, including the 2016 Open Championship. In 2013, Stenson became the first player to win the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and the U.S. PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup after prevailing in both Tour’s season finales.
