Adri Arnaus has won on the Alps Tour in Italy. Can he win his first European Tour title at Golf Club Adamstal, which hosts this week’s Euram Bank Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SPANIARD Adri Arnaus returns to his Alps Tour roots this week as he prepares for the Euram Bank Open.

It will be his first appearance at the picturesque Golf Club Adamstal in the Austrian Alps.

Arnaus burst on to the professional golf scene in 2017. He won two events on the Alps Tour as an amateur, including the Grand Final at Golf Club des Iles Borromees, in the Italian Alps.

He also topped the Order of Merit that year to earn his place on the European Challenge Tour.

The following season he graduated to the European Tour after finishing inside the Top 15 on the Challenge Tour Rankings – winning the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, in the United Arab Emirates.

Adri Arnaus said: “I definitely missed out on playing a beautiful golf course a couple of years ago.

“I love any course which is different to what we are used to – being here in the mountains with the tree lines is very special.

“It’s one of the coolest places I’ve been to so far this year,” said the Texas A&M University graduate.

“It’s so different. You can breathe in the nature everywhere you turn. I’m going to remember a lot of holes on this golf course.

“I’ve tried to make a schedule which looks good for the rest of the year,” added the 2017 Spanish Amateur Champion.

“It’s great we can get back to competition and hopefully play for titles on Sundays.

“Last year I wanted to get to the DP World Tour Championship, and hopefully I can get a bit higher up on the rankings this year.

“I had a good year last year and started pretty well this season, so I had some momentum,” added Arnaus, talking about the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We had to reschedule everything and find new things to do,” said the 25-year-old who is now looking for his maiden European Tour win.

“Golf is a game where you don’t have to be on the range all the time, you can improve other aspects of your game.

“I’ve been focusing on the physical and mental aspects. Then when we were allowed to play golf in Spain again, I did that and got back in shape.”

And if that preparation will pays dividends if he can follow last week’s winner Marc Warren by winning in Austria, which hosts an event for a second week in a row.

Golf Club Adamstal – situated in the Austrian Alps – will again stage the Euram Bank Open. The Challenge Tour tournament has been upgraded to dual-ranking European Tour event

Ewen hoping it’s Fergie time in Alps

GOLF Club Adamstal is situated in a valley in the Lower Austrian Alps.

And after hosting the Euram Bank Open on the Challenge Tour since 2018, it is now the venue for the second of two dual-ranking events.

Arnaus is pleased to have made the trip to Ramsau as the 2020 season continues, after missing out on the tournament two years ago.

Also in the field this week is Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson, who will be hoping to go one better than his runner-up finish at last year’s Euram Bank Open.

The 24-year-old carded an eight-under par 64, making a charge from 13^th place at the start of the final day.

He finished as runner-up to compatriot Calum Hill alongside Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima.

Ferguson said: “There are a lot of good players right now in Scotland. Loads of good guys coming through.

“I think Marc Warren was very motivated by not doing well last year and getting on top of his game. There are loads of young Scots coming through.

“I think it’s a kick up the backside for the older guys and they’re pushing on.

“You look at leaderboards now and there seems to be a lot of Scots kicking around.

“It’s good for us, even having lunch you can chat to friends you’ve known for years. It makes it homely rather than it being hard on the road.

“You know you can bat ideas off each other and inspire each other. I played well here last year.

“I finished second and had a good run at it in the end. It was a good week for me. It’s been nice practicing here again.

“I know some of the places to go and places not to go, that could be quite helpful. I’m excited to get going.

Schneider hopes Austrian form continues

HOPING to carry on his form from last week’s Austrian Open is Germany’s Marcel Schneider.

The 30-year-old carded four consecutive rounds of 69 – dropping just four shots all week – to finish one stroke behind winner Marc Warren.

Schneider said: “I’m so happy to be back out and competing. My game was super solid.

“You could see from the scores, three-under four times and I just dropped four shots the whole week. Hopefully I can continue that.

“Something clicked there. Putting has never been the strength of my game. But it worked quite well last week.

“Hopefully I can ride that wave for a long time. I love the course, beside the walking, I really love the views from the fairways and the greens.

“You need a lot of tactics in your game,” added Schneider who won the 2018 Swiss Challenge

The Euram Bank Open will be governed by the European Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy, as will all events for the remainder of the 2020 season.

The strategy relies on healthcare specialists Cignpost to deliver rapid on-site COVID-19 screening.

All players, caddies and on-site personnel will be tested in order to help mitigate the risk of new COVID-19 infections.

Participants will operate within national public health guidelines, including social distancing as well as following enhanced hygiene directives.

•To follow Adri Arnaus in the first round click here for live scoring.

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Benjamin Poke extended his lead to three shots at the European Tour Qualifying School at Lumine GC, in Spain’s Tarragona. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

BENJAMIN Poke remained in control on day four of the European Tour Qualifying School’s Final Stage as he increased his lead to three shots at Lumine Golf Club.

The Dane is in pole position with two rounds remaining after posting his fourth consecutive sub-70 round to reach 16-under par.

Meanwhile Poke’s closest challengers, Korea’s Jinho Choi, India’s SSP Chawrasia and Finland’s Sami Valimaki shared second place on 13-under.

The 27-year-old, who shot a four-under 67 on the Lakes Course on Monday, has led the six-round tournament since day two.

And following a bogey-free fourth round, which included two birdies in his final three holes, Poke will now look to earn a European Tour card for the first time in his career.

Poke said: “The conditions were a bit calmer but I still started off a bit slower, like I did yesterday.

“I just kept hitting fairways and greens but missed a few greens around five and six, and managed to scramble in nicely, which kept the momentum going a bit.

“I got a nice birdie on eight and from then on, I kept giving myself big chances and scrambled nicely when I needed to,” added Poke, who finished 29th on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca.

“It helps playing alongside guys who were also playing well. Toby (Tree) was three-under, I was four-under and Sami was six and it definitely helps because everybody’s playing well and going through good vibes.

“I’ve not given where I finish much thought, to be honest,” said Poke, who has been watching snooker on TV to relax in the evenings.

“Obviously, it’s a goal for everyone but I feel like I’ve got nothing to lose really. I’m just going do my best and see what happens.”

Choi charged up the leaderboard with the joint low round of the day on the Lakes – a seven-under 64, as he aims to regain his European Tour playing privileges, while 21-year-old Valimaki also pulled himself into contention with a six-under par 65.

Choi, who finished 181st on the Race to Dubai forcing last year’s Korean Tour money list winner to head to Qualifying School, said: “I enjoyed the round today. It was pretty solid.

“I putted really well, other than one three-putt, which was a missed short one, but overall it was a good day.”

“Coming into today I reminded myself that we’re only halfway through the tournament.

“So I told myself that I need to shoot some low scores this second half, and so that was all I really focused on – going low.

“I know I still need to shoot low numbers over the final two rounds as well if I want to get a European Tour card, so my mindset will still be to go low and keep playing solid golf.”

Chawrasia continued to safely navigate his way through the six-round marathon with a four-under par 67 on the Lakes.

The four-time European Tour winner was helped by an ace on the 186-yard fourth hole, one of two hole-in-ones recorded on the par three.

Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist also holed his tee shot en route to a 67 of his own.

Armitage cashes in on conditions

A six-way chasing pack, which includes Germans Hurly Long, Nicolai von Dellingshausen and Marcel Schneider, Sussex’s Toby Tree and Yorkshire’s Marcus Armitage as well as Frenchman Adrien Saddier, all share fifth place on 12-under.

Thirty-two year-old Armitage, whose only Challange Tour win came in the 2016 Foshan Open, said: “I’m really pleased with today’s round.

“I thought it was going to be quite windy. But it turned out to be calm and presented a lot of opportunities – and I played really well,” said Armitage who is attached to Howley Hall GC.

“I’m just taking it like any event, you keep chasing and you are trying to win.

“Obviously, you want to be in the top 25 but you also want to win the tournament – and that is the goal at the start of the week, and we will keep going.”

Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson charged up the leaderboard with an eight-under par 64, which marked the low round of the tournament at the Hills Course.

It took the Scot from outside the cut line to tied 17^th, inside the number for a European Tour card.

Ferguson, who played in the 2015 Walker Cup before turning pro in 2016, said: “I played well today. I played well on the first couple of days as well.

“But it’s a long week and you just have to keep plugging away. I didn’t want a mistake to happen early on, so I think I played a little bit too defensive in the first couple of rounds.

“Today I just seemed to attack at a lot more pins – I just thought let’s just go for it,” added Ferguson, who is attached to Glasgow’s Bearsden GC.

“My dad’s out watching me this week and it’s quite nice to have someone you’re close to just watching you and willing you to do well with the odd wee fist pump when you hole a putt.

“I’m pretty tired after a long season on the Challenge Tour with China and Mallorca in the last few weeks,” said 23-year-old Ferguson, who won the Boys Amateur Championship, at Royal Birkdale, in 2013.

“I’ve felt quite a lot of pressure to try and get my card for quite a while now, so that’s why my dad’s come along to motivate me.

“I’m feeling pretty good – there’s two more days to go and I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and see what happens at the end of it.”

The Final Stage cut line, which is limited to the top 70 players and ties after four rounds, fell at four-under, with 77 players making it through to the last two rounds.

Each player who bettered the 72-hole benchmark is guaranteed full status on the European Challenge Tour for 2020, with the top 25 players and ties earning European Tour cards after the sixth and final round

The attention now turns to the Lakes Course where the 77 remaining players will contest each of the two remaining rounds.

•For live scoring at Lumine, click here.

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Portmarnock’s Robin Dawson is going for broke as the European Challenge Tour nears its climax after leading the first round of the Lalla Aïcha Challenge Tour at Royal Dar Es Salam, in Morocco. Picture by EUROPEAN TOUR

IRELAND’S Robin Dawson raced to the top of the leaderboard at the Lalla Aïcha Challenge Tour in what could be a pivotal week for the European Challenge Tour rookie.

The 23-year-old posted eight birdies and 10 pars in a flawless eight-under par opening round of 64 on the Blue Course, at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, to sit one shot clear of Lancashire’s Jack Senior.

Dawson, who currently occupies 88th position on the Road to Mallorca rankings, is looking to surge up the standings with a strong finish this week.

Only the top 53 players in the order of merit following the Moroccan event are confirmed a place in the field for the penultimate event of the season, the Foshan Open, in China.

With four events remaining before the top 45 players battle it out for the all-important 15 European Tour berths up for grabs at the Challenge Tour Grand Final, the former Irish amateur international, who played in the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy, knows a strong result is required this week.

Dawson, who lost to Ernie Els’ nephew Jovan Rebula in the final of the 2018 Amateur Championship, duly delivered on day one in Morocco.

The Tramore man posted six birdies over his opening eight holes to propel himself into the lead, before picking up two more shots from the turn.

“I’m outside the top 70 so I know that I’ve got to play well in the next couple of weeks to give myself a chance,” he said. “I’ve got nothing to lose, so I’m just going to go out there and give it 100 per cent.”

The Portmarnock player recorded an impressive round of 64 in the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on the European Tour as he attained a career-best top 30 finish in the Rolex Series event.

But Dawson finds himself in contention for the first time in his short career following a mixed debut season.

“I’m really pleased,” Dawson said. “It was just nice carefree golf out there.

“My form has been rubbish, if I’m honest, but golf is a funny game, said Dawson who has made the cut in just six of his 18 starts on the European Challenge Tour in 2019.

“I feel like I’ve been playing okay and then I shoot something that leaves me scratching my head, wondering what is going on.

“I’m really enjoying playing this week. This is one of the best courses we play all year, the greens were perfect and tee to green you’ve got to be accurate if you’re going to score well.

“I can’t fault the course at all, it’s been really fun,” said Dawson.

Swede Oscar Lengden sits two shots behind Dawson’s lead, on six-under, as he goes in search of his third Challenge Tour title in as many years, with Surrey-based Welshman David Boote, Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson and Spaniard Santiago Tarrio Ben a shot further back.

The second round of the Lalla Aïcha Challenge Tour begins at 8am local time on Friday, with Dawson getting his second round under way at 2pm.

•For live scores click here

The post Dawson finally finds form in Morocco to lead Lalla Aïcha Challenge after first round appeared first on Golf North.

EWEN Ferguson will go in search of his first European Challenge Tour title when the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge gets under way at Vierumäki Resort on Thursday.

The Scot will be looking to go one better than his last outing at the Euram Bank Open in Austria, where he finished runner-up behind compatriot Calum Hill, recording his best professional result to date.

His recent form parallels the achievements of many of his amateur colleagues, with several Scottish players achieving considerable success on both the European Tour and Challenge Tour in recent months.

Not least Robert MacIntyre, who just a year after being pipped to the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge title in a sudden-death play-off against Finland’s Kim Koivu is flying high on the European Tour.

MacIntyre – who lost in the final of The Amateur Championship to Hampshire’s Scott Gregory three years ago – has two runner-up finishes and a top 10 at The Open Championship already under his belt this season.

‘’I talk to Bob (Robert MacIntyre) a lot, and he’s doing exactly what he was doing before on the Challenge Tour,’’ Ferguson said.

‘’It’s not like he’s changed anything dramatically and that gives me confidence that I’m doing the right things and I just need to stay patient.

‘’It’s nice to see him doing so well. It gives me, and a lot of the Scottish guys, a lot of belief when he is competing with the likes of Rory and Rickie.

‘’With Bob doing well, and Connor Syme also qualifying for the Open, it is an incentive to push each other on and last week in Austria I was thinking that I wanted to do well so that I can get a piece of the action.

“We’re all good friends too, so it’s good to be inspiring each other to better things,” Ferguson added.

The Scotsman, who reached the semi-final of the Belgian Knockout on the European Tour in June, currently sits just outside the promotion spots, in 17th position.

Ferguson will be looking to move into one of the coveted top 15 places with a strong performance at Vierumäki Resort this week.

After missing only his second cut on the Challenge Tour a week before Austria, the former Walker Cup player found his form on the Austria hills last week, and heads into the Finnish challenge full of confidence.

‘‘It was good to get myself back in contention in Austria and finish with a good round, which is something I’ve sometimes been struggling to do this season,’’ added Ferguson, who hails from Glasgow.

‘’I’m in a good position in the rankings with lots of events coming up, so I’m hoping that the performance in Austria can put me in a good position for the rest of the season.’’

The first round begins at 7:30am local time while Ferguson will get his opening round under way from the 10th tee at 8:30am local time, with Hill beginning his title challenge on the first hole at 8:40am.

The post Ferguson taking inspiration from MacIntyre going for first Finnish Challenge win appeared first on Golf North.

Scot Calum Hill secured his second European Challenge Tour victory in the Euram Bank Open dropping just three shots in 72 holes to win by four shots at Austria’s Golf Club Adamstal. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CALUM Hill carded just three bogeys in 72 holes to win the Euram Bank Open, his second European Challenge Tour title, at Golf Club Adamstal and jump into the top 15 on the Order of Merit.

The Scot added a bogey-free 66, four under par, to his opening rounds of 65-64-67 to reach 18-under par and win by four shots ahead of countryman Ewen Ferguson and Portugal’s José -Filipe Lima, who both finished on 14 under par following final rounds of 64 and 65, respectively.

Prior to this week, Hill had endured a mixed season with two top 10s and three missed cuts from eight starts.

However, a tie for 26th place at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open last week offered glimpses of a return to the type of form which saw him win in only his fifth Challenge Tour start last year, and with his tremendous performance in Austria, he has showed he is truly back to his best.

Hill, a member at Craigie Hall, said, “I’ve been saying it my coach, management team and parents that I’ve felt like my game was in a nice position, but I haven’t been managing it particularly well.

“I wasn’t missing in the correct spot if I was missing or my short game wasn’t tight enough to get up and down all the time, so I was making quite a few errors that were a little uncharacteristic, so my scoring was quite poor.

“There were little glimpses of it coming together with a few low scores, but I’ve tightened it up in the last couple of weeks and I’m scoring a lot better.

“I’m very happy with how the day and the week has gone. It’s fantastic to get another win and not only secure next year but it will hopefully push me forward to finishing in the top 15.”

The 24-year-old, who won the Galgorm Resort & Spa Northern Ireland Open, entered the final round with a three-shot lead from Kent’s Matt Ford in second place.

However that advantage had disappeared by the time the duo reached the fifth tee box following a quick start by the Englishman, but the leaderboard getting tighter only heightened Hill’s focus.

“In my mind, I thought if I got to 20-under, I should win on that number, but three holes in, I was tied,” Hill said.

“Matt had a really good start and we were all square through four holes, so it tightened it up a little and made it more interesting. I had to focus and minimise the errors and make a few birdies along the way to try and give myself a chance.

“I was hitting really nice golf shots, but my putts just weren’t dropping. They weren’t great rolls but I think I eased into my putting a little slower than I eased into my long game.

“I wasn’t worried about not keeping up with Matt because I felt like I could keep plotting away and make fewer errors.

“I figured that if I could get to three or four-under, then he would have to get to eight-under and you’ve got to play great golf to get that deep.”

Ferguson flew up the leaderboard on day four to secure his best Challenge Tour finish of tied second with Lima, both of whom kept the bogeys off the card and in doing so finished one shot clear of Ford, Grégory Havret, Rikard Karlberg and Oliver Lindell – who all shared fourth place on 13-under.

Frenchman Ugo Coussaud and Poland’s Adrian Meronk completed the top 10 having finished on 12-under, with both men carding four-under par rounds of 66.

Meanwhile, two-time European Tour winner Julien Quesne set a new course record at Golf Club Adamstal after signing for a superb nine-under par round of 61, beating the previous record by one.

With his win, Hill jumps to sixth place in the Challenge Tour Rankings while Ferguson’s second place moves him onto the cusp of the top 15, in 17th spot.

After a week’s break in the international schedule, the Challenge Tour will travel to Finland for the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge, from August 1-4.

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