Challenge Tour for Davies next year
GOLF
IT’S back to the European Challenge Tour for Bridgend’s Rhys Davies next year after the 31-year-old missed the final cut in the Qualifying School at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Spain.
Widely recognised as the toughest test of the European Tour, the Q School is six rounds of golf over six days with the top 25 golfers out of 156 final starters, after earlier qualifying rounds for many, getting a full European Tour card.
Davies made a disastrous start with a round of 77 over the tougher Stadium course but followed that with a superb 66 on the easier Tour course.
A round of 76 on his second visit to the Stadium course scuppered his chances despite a fourth round 69 back on the Tour course.
Davies finished on four-over-par with the cut coming at level par.
There are around 27 tournaments on the Challenge Tour programme with a lot of travelling involved, visiting emerging golfing countries in Europe and Asia.
Last time Davies played on the Challenge Tour in 2016, he comfortably gained a top 15 place and a full tour card with wins in the Fred Olsen Open de Espana and the Turkish Airlines Challenge.
The Challenge Tour usually starts in mid to late March so Davies has time to enjoy a break and get some practice in after the Christmas and New Year celebrations.