Casey Jarvis believes his game is in great shape ahead of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A as he looks to cap a memorable campaign by winning the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
The South African arrives at the season-ending event at Club de Golf Alcanada third on the Rankings and is guaranteed to graduate to the DP World Tour.
After three runner-up finishes earlier in the year, Jarvis claimed his maiden Challenge Tour victory at the Euram Bank Open to climb to the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings in July.
He has since been overtaken by Spaniard Manuel Elvira and Ugo Coussaud but is intent on producing another strong performance in a bid to become the first South African to finish top of the season-long standings.
“My goal at the start of the year was to win the Road to Mallorca Rankings and become Challenge Tour Number One,” he said.
“Throughout the season I kept reminding myself to keep going with that goal in mind. My game feels great heading into the Grand Final and hopefully I can get the job done this week.”
The 20-year-old is the youngest player in the 45-player field in Mallorca and is joined by four fellow South Africans aiming to earn one of the 20 life-changing DP World Tour cards on offer.
Jarvis, who was the Sunshine Tour rookie of the year for 2022-23, credits the support of his more experienced countrymen in helping him navigate his first season-long experience of playing on the Challenge Tour.
"It’s been so important for me to have people like JJ Senekal with me this year," he said. "I don't think I could do this alone. I'm a bit young and immature still, so I think I need boys to look up to and take a bit of advice from.
"The older guys have helped me a lot this year, especially during the tough weeks after I’ve missed the cut."
After impressing at the Joburg Open last November on the DP World Tour, Jarvis produced back-to-back top tens on home soil in the opening weeks of the 2023 Challenge Tour season - a period which he believes was pivotal in enabling him to produce the consistent performances which have since followed.
"Golf is about confidence, especially for me," he reflected. "The start I made to the year in South Africa boosted my confidence and earnt me a few invites on the Challenge Tour, which I took advantage of. The Challenge Tour is amazing. It's a tough Tour and the quality of golf is unbelievable.
"Obviously, I was under a bit of pressure early on, having no status on the Challenge Tour. It was important to keep putting in good performances, and it proved to me that I could perform under pressure."
The first round of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final will get under way at 8:00am local time, with Jarvis teeing it up in the final group alongside Elvira and Coussaud at 9:17am.
