Alberto Binaghi believes the Challenge Tour is in better shape now than it has ever been, and he should know – the Italian Golf Federation coach was there when the developmental tour began.
Binaghi remembers when the Challenge Tour was in its infancy, having played a big part in its early progress as it developed from the Satellite Tour in 1986 to the Challenge Tour in 1990 and he says it has come on leaps and bounds in the intervening years as it grew to become an important cog in the development of some of the world’s best golfers.
“I remember the first time I spoke about the Challenge Tour was at a Committee meeting at The European Tour, I discovered that the Satellite tours were playing on amateur courses and practising with yellow balls,” said the Italian, who is a personal coach to Matteo Manassero.
“I remember the first report I did, my aims at that meeting were that if we wanted to have champions in the future for European golf and The Ryder Cup. We needed to look after the young players and create a good Challenge Tour system, with good facilities, good practice balls and good courses.
“Now I think that, thanks to The European Tour and Alain de Soultrait (Director of the Challenge Tour), the Challenge Tour is much better and has become a consistent way of training for The European Tour.”
Binaghi knows all about the ups and downs of life as a professional golfer, having played six seasons on The European Tour and six more on the Challenge Tour between 1998 and 2006, his sole victory coming on the Challenge Tour at the San Paolo Vita Open in 1999.
But he has had one experience which not many people in the world have endured. The 56 year old made headlines in 1997 when he was struck by lightning at Guadalmina in Spain during Qualifying School.
It was something Binaghi will never forget and a moment which gave him a whole new perspective on life.
“It wasn’t a good feeling to be honest! I was leaving the course and walking towards to a place to shelter myself during the storm and this light came down,” he recalled.
“It could have killed many people because there were many people on the course, but it struck me and, although it was a serious injury and I was in a bad condition – I couldn’t move my legs at one point - I recovered. For six months I had many problems, it was quite a bad accident but I’m very happy to be here now.”
Having played a big role in the progression of many of the country’s finest young golfers, including Manassero, Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, Lorenzo Gagli and Andrea Pavan, his survival against the odds has certainly been Italian golf’s gain.
