Thomas Pieters’ victory at the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship made it 517 wins on the DP World Tour by former European Challenge Tour players. The Belgian’s success made it back-to-back victories at this event by Challenge Tour alumnus after Tyrrell Hatton’s triumph in 2021.
The 2016 Ryder Cup player carded rounds of 65-74-67-72 to claim a one-shot victory at Yas Links as another former Challenge Tour player, Rafa Cabrera Bello finished in a tie for second. The Spaniard has two Challenge Tour titles to his name after winning the 2008 Credit Suisse Challenge and the MAN NO Open in 2006.
Five further Challenge Tour alumni finished inside the top ten in Abu Dhabi – Jeff Winther, Ian Poulter, Hatton, James Morrison and Scott Jamieson - and 14 of the top 20 were former Challenge Tour players.
12 of the 2021 Challenge Tour graduates played in Abu Dhabi with Julien Brun, who finished in a tie for 25th, being the highest finisher and Ewen Ferguson the next best as he finished in 39th position. 2021 Road to Mallorca Number One Marcus Helligkilde, Ricardo Gouveia, Santiago Tarrio and Daan Huizing also all made the cut at Yas Links.
Richard Bland almost made it two Rolex Series titles in as many weeks for former Challenge Tour players but was defeated in a play-off by Viktor Hovland at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic. The Englishman narrowly missed a birdie putt on the first trip back up the 18th as Hovland holed out for birdie from four feet to secure his maiden Rolex Series title at Emirates Golf Cub.
Bland won the 2001 Challenge Tour Grand Final and last year he became the oldest first-time winner on the DP World Tour after his triumph at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willet at the age of 48.
Former Challenge Tour players Hatton, Adrian Meronk and Erik Van Rooyen finished in a tie for fourth in Abu Dhabi. Meronk won the 2019 Open de Portugal, while Van Rooyen triumphed at the Hainan Open in 2017. Two-time Challenge Tour winner Jordan Smith also finished in the top ten, the Englishman won the 2016 Red Sea Egyptian Challenge presented by Hassan Allam Properties and the Ras Al Khaimah, 2016 Golf Challenge.
Smith and several of his fellow former Challenge Tour players will return to a familiar venue this week in Al Hamra Golf Club in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, which hosted the Challenge Tour from 2016 to 2018.
