2020 Challenge Tour

The 2020 Challenge Tour is a series of professional golf tournaments collectively known as the Challenge Tour.

The Challenge Tour is Europe's official developmental tour and is organised by the PGA European Tour. It was introduced in 1986 and was originally called the Satellite Tour, before being renamed with its present title in 1990.[1]

After beginning with three tournaments in South Africa co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, the remainder of the season was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many tournaments being cancelled or postponed.

Tournament schedule

The 2020 schedule is set out below.[2] The numbers in brackets after winners' names show the player's total number of wins on the Challenge Tour including that event. It is rare for someone to accumulate many wins on the Challenge Tour because success at this level soon leads to promotion to the European Tour.

DatesTournamentHost countryWinnerOWGR
points[lower-alpha 1]		Purse (€)Notes
2 FebLimpopo ChampionshipSouth Africa J. C. Ritchie (n/a)13$250,000Co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour
9 FebRAM Cape Town OpenSouth Africa Anton Karlsson (1)13$250,000Co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour
16 FebDimension Data Pro-AmSouth Africa Christiaan Bezuidenhout (n/a)13$340,000Co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour
10 MayPrague Golf ChallengeCzech RepublicCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–205,000
7 JunD+D Real Czech ChallengeCzech RepublicCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–205,000
TBC
14 Jun		Match Play 9SpainPostponed[lower-alpha 3]200,000
5 JulD+D Real Slovakia ChallengeSlovakiaCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–205,000
12 JulLe Vaudreuil Golf ChallengeFranceCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–210,000
12 Jul[lower-alpha 4]Austrian OpenAustria Marc Warren (3)18500,000Dual-ranking event with European Tour
18 Jul
19 Jul[lower-alpha 5]		Euram Bank OpenAustria Joël Stalter (2)18500,000Dual-ranking event with European Tour
26 JulVierumäki Finnish ChallengeFinlandCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–200,000
9 Aug
31 May[lower-alpha 6]		Swiss ChallengeSwitzerlandCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–185,000
15 AugMade in Denmark ChallengeDenmarkCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–200,000
22 AugRolex TrophySwitzerlandCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–290,000
29 AugB-NL Challenge TrophyNetherlandsCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–250,000
6 SepOpen de BretagneFranceCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–200,000
6 SepNorthern Ireland OpenNorthern Ireland Tyler Koivisto (1)12200,000Addition to the schedule[lower-alpha 7]
13 SepIrish ChallengeRepublic of IrelandCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–220,000
20 SepOpen de PortugalPortugal Garrick Higgo (1)18500,000Dual-ranking event with European Tour
27 SepHopps Open de ProvenceFranceCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–200,000
4 OctLalla Aïcha Challenge TourMoroccoCancelled–200,000
4 Oct
2 Aug
28 Jun[lower-alpha 6]		Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor OilItaly Hurly Long (1)12300,000
11 Oct
21 Jun		Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf OpenFranceCancelled–190,000
18 OctHainan OpenChinaCancelled–$350,000Co-sanctioned with China Tour
25 OctFoshan OpenChinaCancelled[lower-alpha 2]–$500,000Co-sanctioned with China Tour
8 Nov
5 Jul
17 May		Andalucía Challenge de EspañaSpain Ondřej Lieser (1)12200,000
14 NovAndalucía Challenge de CádizSpain Pep Anglès (1)12200,000New tournament
22 Nov
8 Nov		Challenge Tour Grand FinalSpain Ondřej Lieser (2)17350,000Flagship event
  1. Points listed for tournaments that have not been completed are official projections based on the expected field and/or minimum points allocations. Final allocations are usually published the day after completion of all tournaments eligible for ranking points that week.[3]
  2. Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
  3. Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][5]
  4. Added to Challenge Tour and European Tour schedules as both tours' planned season-resuming event on 15 June.[13]
  5. Revised end date and dual-ranking status announced on 15 June.[13]
  6. Provisionally rescheduled due to COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
  7. Added to schedule as part of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Rankings

Due to the shortened season, there was no formal graduating class; instead, the top five players would receive limited playing time on the European Tour in 2021.[16]

RankPlayerCountryPoints
1Ondřej Lieser Czech Republic116,345
2Marcel Schneider Germany98,500
3Pep Anglès Spain92,688
4Richard Mansell England84,534
5Matt Ford England69,948

See also

References
  1. "Tour History". PGA European Tour. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  2. "Challenge Tour Schedule 2020". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  3. "Events | Challenge Tour | 2020". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  4. Jackson, Keith (11 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Indian Open postponed, Czech Masters cancelled outright". Sky Sports. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  5. "Update on Challenge Tour international schedule". PGA European Tour. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  6. "Further update to Challenge Tour schedule". Challenge Tour. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  7. "R&A support for the Challenge Tour". The R&A. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. "Vierumäelle rahakas golfkisa myös tälle vuodelle". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). 10 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. "Swiss Challenge 2020 auf golf sempach – abgesagt" (in German). Swiss Challenge. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  10. Keogh, Brian (14 August 2020). "2020 Irish Open moved to Northern Ireland's Galgorm Castle due to Republic's Covid travel restrictions". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  11. "Hopps Open de Provence cancelled". European Tour. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  12. "Statement on the Challenge de España". PGA European Tour. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  13. "European Tour and Challenge Tour to resume in Austria". European Tour. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  14. "NI Open: R&A to back September European Challenge Tour event at Galgorm Spa & Resort". BBC Sport. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  15. "Statement on Challenge Tour international schedule". PGA European Tour. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  16. "Czech mate as Lieser scoops Grand Final and Rankings double". PGA European Tour. 22 November 2020.
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