The Italian Challenge Open takes place this week at Argentario Golf Club in Tuscany and comes at a crucial stage of the 2024 Road to Mallorca. Here are three players to look out for…
Form horse – Oliver Lindell
Oliver Lindell currently occupies the final promotion place after enjoying a stellar run of form in recent weeks. The Finn, who came agonisingly close to promotion to the DP World Tour four years ago, has recorded six top 20 finishes in his last seven starts to find himself in promotion contention once more. After a tied fifth finish in the Rosa Challenge Tour and a tied sixth finish last week in the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos, he’ll be hoping to continue that trend this week.
Local boy – Gregorio de Leo
Gregorio de Leo will be targeting a first Challenge Tour win when he tees it up on home soil this week, hoping to make it back-to-back Italian wins in the event after Matteo Manassero’s triumph last year. He will aim to do it having climbed to a season-high 35th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings following top five finishes in consecutive events to start the month of September. The 24-year-old seems to be finding form at just the right time.
The outsider – Jeppe Kristian Andersen
Jeppe Kristian Andersen impressed in his debut season on the Road to Mallorca in 2023 but has struggled to find consistency during 2024. The Dane has shown signs of replicating the form that saw him finish 36th in the Rankings 12 months ago though, with two top 15 finishes in his last four Challenge Tour starts, and will be hoping this week can be the catalyst for a strong finish to the campaign. His first target will be to move inside the top 68 in the next three weeks to guarantee a place in the field for consecutive tournaments in China.
