This week the European Challenge Tour heads to Kazakhstan where the 120 professionals taking part in the Kazakhstan Open will have the opportunity to take home the largest cheque of the 2016 calendar, with a 450,000EURO prize fund and a 1st prize of 72,000EURO this really is a season defining week for many of the players.
Champions of Golf ambassador Marcus Armitage is one of those players hoping for a good week in Kazakhstan to move further up the 'Road to Oman' order of merit, and he is one of the most inform players on the Challenge Tour at the moment so the signs are positive. On the back of a 2nd place finish at the Volopa Irish Challenge three weeks ago, Marcus moved to inside the top 50 on the order of merit just when he needed to. That finish has allowed him entry for Kazakhstan as well as getting him into the first event in China, the Hainan Open, which rounds off the season finale.
There remains only half a dozen events until the end of the European Challenge Tour season (Kazakhstan, Italy, China, China, UAE and Oman), but there is still much to play for. Marcus is not guaranteed entry into all of these events and so will need to play well in the closing weeks to not only secure his card for 2017 on the Challenge Tour but to also push for his opportunity to play on the main European Tour.
Marcus begins his first round tomorrow from Kazakhstan (Thursday 19th September) and live scoring can be found through the European Challenge Tour website, just click HERE.
Everyone at Champions and Howley Hall wish Marcus well for the Kazakhstan Open and for the rest of the season.