The Swiss Challenge takes place this week at Golf Sempach in Lucerne. Here are three players to keep an eye on…
Form horse: Euan Walker
Last year’s Swiss Challenge winner, Euan Walker, sets out to defend his title this week and does so in fine form. The Scot sits 19th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings through 11 weeks of the 29-event schedule, with consistency the key to his success thus far. After missing the cut in the season-opening SDC Open back in January, Walker has made all ten cuts in a row since and has finished inside the top 20 in four of his last six starts. His best result of the season came three weeks ago in the Challenge de España, where he teed it up in the final group on Sunday before eventually finishing tied third. A popular winner 12 months ago, he’ll be looking to go back-to-back this week.
Local boy: Benjamin Rusch
Benjamin Rusch arrives on home soil having impressed in his three starts this term, and with previous knowledge of Golf Sempach that could pay dividends come Sunday. The 35-year-old finished tied 14th in the Challenge de Cadiz last week, and carded rounds of 69-67-65-69 three weeks earlier to end the Challenge de España tied fifth. Rusch is no stranger to the Lucerne layout this week either, having teed it up on several occasions in the past on the HotelPlanner Tour. Back in 2019 – the last time the event was played at Golf Sempach – Rusch finished tied 25th, and in 2017, he played all four rounds under par to finish tied fifth.
The outsider: Baard Skogen
Baard Skogen is enjoying a fantastic debut season on the HotelPlanner Tour after earning playing privileges for the year through 2024 DP World Tour Qualifying School. The Norwegian has looked at home from the get-go, and has made the cut in all eight starts so far on the Road to Mallorca to sit 33rd in the season-long Rankings. His stand-out performance to date came in the SDC Open back in January, where the 24-year-old finished tied fifth, and he arrives in Switzerland fresh from a second top ten of the season in the Challenge de Cadiz last week.
