Latest news with #ChallengeTour
Scotsman
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
‘Borderline embarrassing' - Scottish golfer on fighting back to become winner again
Henry back in winners' enclosure after tough times Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scott Henry is a winner again after going to hell and back as he battled two separate injuries and feeling that his game had become 'borderline embarrassing'. The 38-year-old, who was one of Scotland's brightest prospects when he won the Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour in 2012, returned to winning ways when landing the Scottish Par 3 Championship at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre on the outskirts of Aberdeen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In the latest event on this season's Tartan Pro Tour, Henry carded rounds of 52-52-51 for a seven-under-par total, which was matched by Chris Maclean following scores of 51-54-50. Scott Henry shows off his trophies after winning the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Par 3 Championship, the latest event on this season's Tartan Pro Tour | Tartan Pro Tour In a sudden-death play-off on the superb Devenick Course, Henry came out on top with a birdie at the first extra hole to pick up a cheque for £4,500, admitting it was great to feel as though a nightmare period in his career was finally over. 'I've worked really hard to get some sort of fitness back and be able to have my golf back to a decent standard again, so I'm delighted, to be honest,' said Henry after joining Mark Young (Montrose Links Masters) and Rory Franssen (Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters) on the list of early winners on Paul Lawrie's circuit this season. Two injuries were 'working against each other' 'I can't take you through all of it as it is too painful to go back over, if I am being perfectly honest,' he admitted in reply to being asked how difficult things had actually got for him after making around 80 appearances on the DP World Tour and more than 170 on the Challenge Tour, which has now been rebranded as the Hotel Planner Tour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I had an issue with my back and I got a poor diagnosis with that early on and I ended up injuring my leg as well, so I had two injuries working against each other over quite a period of time without realising how serious both were. 'So I just couldn't recover and my game went from being always at a very strong standard to just not being able to compete. For pretty much most of my pro career, the lowest level of standard was the top end of the Challenge Tour competing to get my main tour card. 'Then I got basically to the point where I couldn't even compete within Scotland, so it feels great to be getting closer to what it should be, though it will never quite be the same physicality that it used to be. 'I'm older now as well and it is nice to feel that I can compete properly again. I have felt better physically for the last year, but it's just taken time to get my game up to a decent standard.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scot twice came close to winning on DP World Tour Henry, who recorded two second-place finishes - both in the Madeira Islands Open - on the DP World Tour, added: 'If I knew it was going to take as long as it has, I probably wouldn't have done it because I've lost a lot of money doing it. I've put in a hell of a lot of effort and had a lot of failed rehabs. 'Those were pretty painful experiences when I wasn't getting the issues fixed and, honest to god, the standard my golf felt was borderline embarrassing. It was genuinely that bad.
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Life in the old boy yet' - Montrose Links Masters win for 43-year-old
Englishman holds off last-day charges from home duo to win Tartan Pro Tour season-opener Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Englishman Mark Young held off last-round charges from home duo Jack McDonald and Liam Johnston to win the Tartan Pro Tour's season-opening Montrose Links Masters. Young, a 43-year-old who played on the Challenge Tour in 2019 after earning promotion from the now defunct PGA EuroPro Tour, posted an 11-under-par 202 total to come out on top in an event presented by Montrose Ports Authority. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After following a brace of 69s in the opening two rounds on the Angus coast, the Longridge Golf Club in Lancashire-attached player closed with a 64 that contained seven birdies. Englishman Mark Young shows off the trophy after winning the Montrose Links Masters presented by Montrose Port Authority | Tartan Pro Tour In a thrilling last-day battle, both McDonald and Johnston did their best to catch Young after he'd edged ahead of the 36-hole leader, fellow Englishman Arron Edwards-Hill. McDonald signed off with a brilliant 62 to end up just one behind the winner, with Johnston having also been breathing down his neck before a double-bogey at 17th saw him finish five behind in third place. 'There's life in the old boy yet,' joked Young, who picked up a cheque for £4500 as he set the early pace in the battle for two cards on the 2026 Hotel Planner Tour, the rebranded name for the Challenge Tour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'm delighted,' he added. 'It's a great way to start the Tartan Pro Tour season, especially as I hadn't played much over the winter all. So I had zero expectations this week. It was kind of a free hit in my mind.' Eagle and seven birdies in Jack McDonald's 62 McDonald's closing salvo was illuminated by an eagle at the par-5 sixth while his card also contained seven birdies. 'Young Jack wouldn't go away, would he?' said Young. 'But I proved a little bit to myself as a few doubts start to creep in as time goes on, don't they? 'I'm playing part-time now as I do a little bit of work when I can. The intention is to play the whole season up here and see where that gets me. Ideally, back on to the Challenge Tour - that's the plan.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad His flying start to the new campaign was set up by an equipment change. 'I changed the putter from a blade to a mallet and I didn't miss much,' said the winner. 'No three-putts either, which always helps.' English interest in Tartan Pro Tour 'growing' More than 30 English players teed up in the event, with recent Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am winner Nick McCarthy, former DP World Tour player and Edwards-Hill also finishing in the top ten. 'I think the interest is growing from English players and more and more are starting to come up, with the lad I played with today (Edwards-Hill) coming a long way from Ipswich,' observed Young. 'It's a cheaper way to play this level of golf and a lot cheaper than the Clutch Tour down south. We also play some really good golf courses up here.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Young played in The Open at St Andrews in 2015 after winning one of the Final Qualifiers at Gailes Links. 'Yeah, ten years ago this year,' he said. Reminded that he had a big group of supporters cheering him on that day, he added: 'They've kind of dwindled over the years (laughing).'
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Why Scots are facing bigger challenge on 2025 Tartan Pro Tour
More than 30 English players teeing up in circuit's season-opener at Montrose Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It may have been created to provide playing opportunities for Scottish-based professionals and, in fairness, that essentially remains the main goal for Paul Lawrie and his team. But both the success and growth of the Tartan Pro Tour is there for all to see as the circuit heads into its sixth season, which starts on Wednesday with the Montrose Links Masters presented by Montrose Port Authority. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Having initially been 72 when the circuit was launched by the 1999 Open champion during the Covid pandemic, the fields for this year are now up to a maximum of 99 players. Graeme Robertson and Same Locke secured cards for the Challenge Tour, which has since been rebranded as the Hotel Planner Tour, through being the top two players on last year's Tartan Pro Tour Order of Merit | Tartan Pro Tour For the season-opener on the Angus coast, more than 30 are flying the English flag while the line up also includes players from Ireland and Wales, as well as Canada, Korea, New Zealand and the US. 'There's definitely been an upsurge in interest from players from further afield,' admitted Michael MacDougall, the circuit's tournament director, who has worked closely with Lawrie on a number of exciting new projects and initiatives. That, of course, partly stems from the fact that the Tartan Pro Tour is now an official Satellite Tour, having been upgraded for this year from a Feeder Tour, for the Hotel Planner Tour, which will be better known by many as the Challenge Tour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It means that any player who wins three times on the Tartan Pro Tour in the same season will secure automatic promotion to the Hotel Planner Tour and, if that had been in place last year, Sam Locke would have earned a step up before securing one of two 2025 cards up for grabs through the season-long Order of Merit along with Graeme Robertson. Another collection of top courses on schedule 'The fact we're now a Satellite Tour plus the incentives around the Hotel Planner Tour, including the chance to secure direct access to the second stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School, and prize funds of circa £27,500 has definitely generated more hype for this season, which is great,' added MacDougall. Players will once again be competing on a collection of top courses, with events also taking place at Blairgowrie, Portlethen, Newmachar, Cardrona, Downfield, Leven Links, Musselburgh, Spey Valley, St Andrews, Gleneagles, Duddingston and Trump International Golf Links. Equally impressive once again is the backing secured by Lawrie through his Five Star Sports Agency from Montrose Port Authority, Petrasco, Entier, Boskalis, Martin Gilbert, Piper Sandler, The MacKay Clinic, Alistair Brown International, Macdonald Hotels, Fugro, Insights, Barr Demolition and Gym Rental Company. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Nick McCarthy, winner of the recent Farmfoods Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am, is part of a strong English contingent in the Tartan Pro Tour season-opener at Montrose this week | Tartan Pro Tour Robertson, last year's Order of Merit winner and coming off a top-20 finish in the Challenge de España in just his third start as a Hotel Planner Tour card holder, heads the strong field at Montrose. His rivals include Englishman Nick McCarthy, who produced an impressive performance to land the recent Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am at Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay and Trump International Golf Links, as well as Calum Fyfe, who has made four cuts in his six starts on the Hotel Planner Tour this season. Among those bidding to add to previous wins on the circuit are Greg Dalziel, Darren Howie, Bradley Neil, Seb Sandelin, John Henry and Rory Franssen while James Morgan and Matthew Wilson are both teeing up as rookie professionals after leaving the amateur ranks at the end of last season.
USA Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
After gambling suspension, Marco Penge a longshot winner at DP World Tour's Haian Classic
After gambling suspension, Marco Penge a longshot winner at DP World Tour's Haian Classic Always bet on yourself. That's the moral of the story of Marco Penge. The 26-year-old Englishman was suspended from the DP World Tour in late December for violating the circuit's 'integrity program' and given a three-month suspension for placing wagers on several golf events in 2022. On Sunday, he birdied four holes in a five-hole stretch to shoot a final-round 5-under 67 at the Blackstone Course at Mission Hills Resort Haikou, Hainan Island, China, to won the DP World Tour's Hainan Classic by three strokes over Sean Crocker and Kristoffer Reitan. It marked his first win on the circuit. 'This obviously means the world to me,' said Penge, who previously won twice on the Challenge Tour, the DP World Tour's developmental circuit, in 2023. 'It's something that I've always dreamt of achieving—winning on the biggest stage.' Penge surged into contention with a 65 in the third round but made an early bogey in the final round and walked off the fifth green at 1 over for the day. 'I said to my caddie walking off the green, 'I feel like I'm swinging it great,' ' he said. 'I knew if I just stayed patient I'd have a lot of chances.' He did just that and now he's put his suspension behind him in grand fashion. "After my time off,' he said, referring to three-month hiatus for breaching the rules on gambling, 'it was the thing that I wanted to really prove to myself and prove to everyone, to show what a player I am.' He added: 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Penge also earned an exemption into the PGA Championship next month at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. He already had qualified for the British Open last month off a strong showing at the South African Open.
Khaleej Times
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
This Week in Golf: UAE grabs spotlight with back-to-back HotelPlanner Tour events
While Augusta National dominates global golf chatter this week with the Masters Tournament taking centre stage, there's something equally exciting happening in the UAE. In the shadow of golf's biggest event, the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly known as the Challenge Tour) is making waves in the Emirates, as the first of two pivotal events unfolds at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club in Ajman. As the world watches Augusta, it's important to remember that the UAE is carving its own path with back-to-back tournaments, culminating next week at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. The region is fast becoming a global golf hub, with its growing roster of local talent and increasing regional collaboration. A New Chapter for the HotelPlanner Tour Let's be honest—rebranding can be a tough sell. The transition from the Challenge Tour to the HotelPlanner Tour might still take some getting used to. But hats off to Jamie Hodges, the Director of the Tour, and his dedicated team for successfully commercializing this essential development tour in the world of golf. Even if we're still learning the ropes of this new name, one thing is undeniable: the HotelPlanner Tour continues to be a key stepping stone for up-and-coming players aspiring to make it to the DP World Tour and beyond. For many greats—including Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Henrik Stenson, and even Brooks Koepka—this very tour played a crucial role in their early careers. The experience gained from travelling across diverse climates and cultures has helped shape them into the stars we know today. Rising Stars in focus At Al Zorah, the UAE is proudly represented by a talented quartet of homegrown players who made history just a few weeks ago. Ahmad Skaik, Sam Mullane, Jonathan Selvaraj, and Rayan Ahmed etched their names into the record books by securing Team Gold at the 2025 GCC Golf Championship in Saudi Arabia, with Skaik also claiming Individual Gold in a performance that left spectators in awe. Mullane, who captured top honours at the inaugural Cedars Championship held at Al Zorah last week, will be one to watch as he aims for further success. Mullane's victory earned him entry into the UAE Challenge, while Mikhail Pinto and Dan Bryne—who finished tied for second—were rewarded with tournament exemptions, underscoring the Emirates Golf Federation's commitment to supporting and rewarding local talent. The field will also feature several amateur players from the Arab Golf Federation (AGF), further strengthening the region's presence. Notable names include Daniil Sokolov and Saleh Al Kaabi from Qatar, showcasing the growing collaboration between Middle Eastern golf associations. Face Off The competition won't just feature rising stars; seasoned pros will also be in action, including several of the UAE's best club professionals. Jackson Bell, representing the Tommy Fleetwood Academy, Craig Howie from Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Damien Scott of Al Hamra Golf Club, and Stuart Smith of Precision Golf Middle East will all test their mettle against some of the region's top talent. David Horsey, a four-time winner on the DP World Tour, returns home to Ajman ahead of his 40th birthday next week, looking to reignite his career on familiar turf. Alongside him, the always-intriguing Garrick Porteous, who recently transitioned from full-time tournament play to working as a Brand and Account Manager at ProSports International in Dubai, returns to defend his title at next week's Al Ain event. Porteous demonstrated exceptional form at the local Emirates PGA domestic scene, and his experience will be key as he looks to make another splash on home soil. A Week to Watch While the Masters may take the global spotlight, the UAE's golf scene is more than holding its own. This week's HotelPlanner Tour event in Ajman is a must-follow for golf fans, with local players battling it out for their shot at glory. If the success of the past few years is any indication, the UAE's rising stars are ready to shine—and we'll all be watching as they continue to make their mark. This Weel's Upcoming Golf Events The Masters Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, April 13, 2025 Venue: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, USA Purse: Not published at the time of going to press HotelPlanner Tour (UAE Challenge) Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, April 13, 2025 Venue: Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club, Ajman, UAE Purse: $300,000 Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, April 13, 2025 Purse: €340,000
