The Dormy Open is the second tournament of the European Challenge Tour’s Swedish Swing, after the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf took place last week. Here is everything you need to know before the action tees off on Wednesday…
New venue…
Situated close to the Swedish capital of Stockholm, the Dormy Open will be played at Österåkers Golfklubb from Wednesday May 19 - Saturday May 22. The course itself was designed by 2016 Open Champion and 2000 Challenge Tour Number One, Henrik Stenson.
The golf club comprises of two 18-hole courses, but both possess the same attention to detail and quality. The Österled course where the tournament will be played is believed to be the more challenging of the two courses with a par of 72. Previously, the club has hosted the Ladies European Tour event the Compaq Open on three separate occasions and hosted The European Amateur Team Championship in 2019 which saw Tommy Fleetwood lead his England team to victory.
Henrik Stenson on golf course design…
“I have always been interested in golf course design and I am grateful to have been lucky enough to be able to put some of my ideas down on paper and then watch them come to life.” They were the words of 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson, this week’s course designer.
The course was designed by the Swede with the help of architect Christian Lundin. Lundin is a member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects and said: “From the moment we started working on the project we both agreed on a few of the fundamental features that are going to make this golf course and it has been rewarding to see the hard work pay off. We hope the visitors enjoy the course as much as we enjoyed building it.”
It is time to make history…
The Road to Mallorca is well and truly under way after four tournaments have concluded on the Challenge Tour International Schedule. Currently sitting in pole position is Wilco Nienaber of South Africa after securing an impressive victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at the Fancourt Golf Estate in George, South Africa. The 21-year-old turned professional at the age of 19 and was ranked as the number one amateur in the world after winning the South African Amateur Championship in 2019.
Scotsman Craig Howie currently sits in second place after winning the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf last week, with Henric Struehed of Sweden sitting in third place and South Africa’s Oliver Bekker placed in fourth having all competed in the first four tournaments on the schedule. With Nienaber not competing in the Dormy Open this week, the door is open for one of the chasing pack to usurp him at the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
