Lorenzo Scalise is looking to draw on past success at Golf Resort Kaskáda when he tees it up in the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge this week.
The Italian secured a maiden HotelPlanner Tour win at Kaskáda two years ago, doing so in dominant fashion with a three-shot victory in the Czech Republic.
Scalise has a fine record at this week’s venue, with his win in 2023 coming two years after he fired a course record third round 61 during the 2021 edition before he went on to finish tied second.
Scalise, currently 73rd on the 2025 Road to Mallorca Rankings, is hoping to continue his impressive form on a course making its fifth consecutive appearance on the HotelPlanner Tour schedule.
“It feels good to be back,” he said.
“Obviously, I didn’t play last year and today was the first time seeing the course since my win back in 2023. It was nice to relive some of those memories.
“I’ve had a course record, runner up and a victory. It’s feels silly not to try and ride all the good momentum I get from this place.”
The 29-year-old returned to the HotelPlanner Tour in 2025 after spending a solitary season on the DP World Tour. Despite missing out on retaining his playing privileges for a second year, the Italian believes his experience on Golf’s Global Tour was the most valuable of his career to date.
“Even though I lost my DP World Tour card, 2024 was a good year of growth, even more than 2023 because the results weren’t as good,” he added.
“It was a key year, and I am now starting not to look at results too much.
“I couldn’t handle a lot of things outside the golf course last year. I wasn’t in a very good head space, especially the second part of the season and that taught me more than hitting a bad shot.”
Scalise arrives at the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge having made five consecutive cuts on the Road to Mallorca, with a top 15 finish at the Abu Dhabi Challenge the Italian’s standout performance.
“This season is going well; I haven’t had the results that I want but I am trending in the right direction and mentally I’m in a really good spot and the game is improving,” he said.
“I drove it exceptionally well the last time I was here. I was taking holes on with driver when the rough was up, and I beat the field by accurate driving.
“The course is playing well. It’s going to firm up and usually the score is never super low around this place. If it does play firm, 15 under would be a good score.”
The 29-year-old is part of a strong field in Brno that includes his compatriot and two-time HotelPlanner Tour winner Renato Paratore, last week’s Swiss Challenge champion Félix Mory and two-time DP World Tour winner Oliver Wilson.
The opening round of the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge gets underway on Thursday at 7:30am local time, with Scalise teeing off alongside Spaniard Santiago Tarrio and Wilson at 8:00am.
