Challenge Tour begins again in South Africa

The new season of the Challenge Tour, with a calendar that includes 29 events in 18 countries on three different continents, begins again in South Africa, as has been the case since 2020. The SDC Open, now in its third edition, will be the first of four races in a row organized in collaboration with the Sunshine Tour and will take place from 1st to 4th February on the course of the Zebula Golf Estate & Spa, in Limpopo, with the participation of three Italians: Aron Zemmer, Gregorio De Leo and Pietro Bovari.

Challenge Tour, results

The South African JJ Senekal, 36 years old from Somerset West, defends his only title on the continental circuit, which also applies to the Sunshine Tour where he achieved two more successes. He faces the Challenge Tour again after last year’s disappointment when, having remained in the top 20 of the money list for a long time (who will also be promoted to the DP World Tour at the end of this year), he had a collapse in performance in the final stages and ended in 28th place losing the ‘card’.

In addition to Senekal, many other home players are also favourites, who are in preponderant numbers, including Daniel Van Tonder, Wilco Nienaber, Jaco Van Zyl, Thomas Aiken, Justin Harding, Dean Germishuys and Justin Walters. Also worth following are Benjamin Follett-Smith of Zimbabwe, the Englishman Ashley Chesters, the Welshmen Oliver Farr and Rhys Enoch, the Englishmen Alfie Plant and Sam Hutsby, the Spaniard Borja Virto and the Scotsman Craig Howie.

With them four competitors who have experienced the best moments on the major circuit: the French Alexander Levy (5 titles) and Gregory Bourdy (4), the Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares (2 successes) and the English Ross McGowan, (two victories, one in the ‘Italian Open 2020).

Zemmer and De Leo are making their seasonal debuts, while Bovari has already played two tournaments on the DP World Tour, in December in Australia, with a 29th place in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship. The prize money is 350,000 dollars (approximately 323,000 euros).