RICHARD Mansell claimed a share of the first-round lead at the Challenge Tour Grand Final after posting a five-under par round of 66 – despite having not played a practice round at T-Golf & Country Club.

The Staffordshire golfer only arrived in Mallorca on the eve of the tournament, having been in isolation following a positive Covid-19 test.

But the EuroPro Tour graduate showed no signs of rust as he joined Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren and Spain’s Santiago Tarrio at the top of the leaderboard.

Mansell, who is currently third on the Road to Mallorca rankings, admitted he could not have expected a better outcome after playing the course for the first time.

“I just really tried to control my golf ball,” Richard said. “I just tried to keep it below the hole all day.

“I had an awful warm-up. I was saying to a couple of guys, I have never been so nervous on the first tee.

“I didn’t think I was going to keep it on the golf course. But I hit a great drive – birdied the first, birdied the second and thought ‘oh, hang on’.

“I’ve still got three rounds to go,” said Mansell, who graduated from Nova Southeastern Florida University, where he played on the same national championship winning team as Surrey’s Ben Taylor, who is now playing on the PGA Tour in America.

The Sharks graduate, who is a member at Cannock’s Beau Desert GC, added: “I came into this week and I haven’t been able to do anything.

“But what I have done is tried to learn the course as much as I can in my hotel room, and just tried to do what I could, and trust that was enough.

“I’ve played enough rounds of golf to let me golfing ability take over instead of just trying to force it,” said Mansell.

“I really enjoyed it out there and it was good to have my caddie back and be out of the hotel room,” said 25-year-old Mansell, who won the Cobra Puma Championship last summer.

The course at T-Golf & Country Club is firm after a sustained period of warm weather.

And with high temperatures expected for the rest of the week, Mansell expects the greens to become harder and faster as the week goes on.

“The greens are firm and I think they’re just going to get firmer as the week goes on,” he said.

“I was in the last group out. I had a couple of putts towards the end that definitely ran out a little bit more.

“I was up by the green when Marcel Schneider hit a shot in and I heard it land and it was like it landed on concrete.

He added: “I think they’re just going to get more baked out as the week goes on, which emphasises having good ball control which tends to be my game.”

Mansell, Hellgren, who carded two eagles on his way to his five-under par 66, and Tarrio lead by one stroke.

The Englishman was runner-up on the 2019 EuroPro Order of Merit, after the Race to Desert Springs Tour Championship a year ago, earning one of five cards on the Challenge Tour.

Lancashire’s former European Boys champion Matthew Baldwin, Italian Enrico Di Nitto, American Tyler Koivisto and Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard MøllerEnrico Di Nitto, American Tyler Koivisto and Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard Møller are tied in fourth place on four-under.

Kent’s Road to Mallorca No. 4 Matt Ford, Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand and Germany’s Alexander Knappe are a shot further back in a tie for eighth place on three-under.

The second round of the Challenge Tour Grand Final will begin at 8.30am Spanish on Friday, with the leading trio playing in the final group at 11.05am.

•Click here for second round scoring.

The post Mansell roars into lead at Challenge Tour Grand Final despite the lack of practice 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.

The post Hill banking on gaining card after securing second win on Challenge Tour in Austria appeared first on Golf North.

Scotland’s Calum Hill who continued his good form at last week’s Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club to lead at the halfway mark when returning to play in the Euram Bank Open on the European Challenge Tour. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CALUM Hill leads the Euram Bank Open on 11-under par at the halfway stage after posting a bogey-free 64 on day two at Austria’s Golf Club Adamstal.

The Scot added a six-under par round to his opening five-under 65 to overhaul first round leader Marcel Schneider, who heads into the weekend as Hill’s nearest challenger after carding a one-under par second round to leave him two shots back on nine-under

Hill finished as the low Scot at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open – last week’s Rolex Series event – and he has continued that form upon his return to the European Challenge Tour.

Hill said: “I’m happy with how things have panned out over the last couple of days. I’ve hit some nice golf shots and holed some putts so I’m in a nice position.

“I hit a lot of really good golf shots. I hit a poor wedge shot on my second hole, the 11th, which ended up in the right bunker – but I got that up and down and I wasn’t in too much trouble for the rest of the round.

“I had a couple of close looks, missed a handful but also made a couple so it worked out a nice score in the end.

“I hit a really good drive on the last which was just left of the trees and I had 74 yards to the pin and I put it to four feet before rolling that in. So it was nice to sign off the round with that,” Hill added.

The Kirkcaldy native played alongside three-time European Tour winner Grégory Havret, who also posted a six-under 64 to head into the weekend in a tie for 12th, and Hill admitted it helped to have the momentum of playing with someone who was also scoring freely.

Hill, who is attached to Gleneagles, said: “Every single shot Greg hits is of really high quality. It’s always a nice golf shot so you’re never stepping into your one thinking ‘oh gosh!’.

“You’ve always got a good vibe going into your shots, so it is nice to have that momentum in your group.

“I don’t find playing with Greg that different to playing with anyone else, despite his success. He’s just a really nice guy and very chatty, so it’s really relaxing,” said Hill who won last year’s Northern Ireland Open in just his fifth start on the Challenge Tour.

Hill and Havret were only bettered on day two by French duo Edouard Dubois, who posted a seven-under 63, and Antoine Schwartz, who tied the course record of 62 with Marcel Schneider, whose opening effort on day one saw him join Borja Virto on the honours board after the Spaniard set the record in 2018.

Behind Schneider is Kent’s Matt Ford, Switzerland’s Raphael de Sousa, Chle’s Felipe Aguilar, and Finland’s Oliver Lindell, who share third place on eight-under.

Then comes a group of six players on seven-under all tied for seventh, including Dubois and Schwartz, along with fellow Frenchman Joel Stalter, Jordan Mixed Open winner Daan Huzing, Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen and Finn Mikael Salminen.

In total, 69 players survived the 36-hole cut of one under par and the third round will begin at 7.30am local time on Saturday.

For live scoring in the third round click here.

The post Hill climbs every mountain to lead at halfway mark in Austria’s Euram Bank Open appeared first on Golf North.

Royal Cinque Ports’ Steven Tiley needed all the skills learned as a links player in Kent to cope with the wind in the third round of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in France.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

KENT’S Steven Tiley will take a three-shot lead into the final round of Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge as he goes in search of his first European Challenge Tour title.

The Englishman, who is playing in his 11th season on the Challenge Tour, leads after 54-holes for the first time.

The Royal Cinque Ports player is in pole position to clinch his first title on tour after recording a two-under par round of 69, to stay in front in France.

Tiley began the third day with a three-shot advantage after opening rounds of 64 and 68, and continued his impressive form at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil, where he finished runner-up to last year’s wire-to-wire champion Richard McEvoy.

A bogey on the third hole was the 36-year-old former England amateur international’s only blemish on the front nine as he made back-to-back birdies from the seventh hole to reach the turn at one-under.

A birdie on the par five 12th preserved his lead before he followed that up with three successive pars.

After a bogey on the 16th Tiley’s lead dropped to two strokes, however, he bounced back with his third birdie of the week on the 18th hole to sign for a round of 69 and maintain his three-shot advantage over the field.

With 18 holes left to play and a debut Challenge Tour win within touching distance, Tiley is trying to remain calm and concentrate on his game.

“The birdie on 18 could be crucial,” he said. “I’ve got to go out tomorrow and take care of my own business and not worry about anyone else and see if it’s good enough at the end.

“I’m excited for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it,” said Tiley, who grew up playing on Kent’s three championship links courses that have hosted The Open – Prince’s, Royal St George’s and his home course in Deal.

“It was tough out there today,” Tiley added. “It was pretty windy, and it was tough playing with a lead. I held it together and got up-and-down when I needed to, so overall, pretty happy.

“I hit some loose shots at start but hit good shots on seven and eight to make birdies and made a good save on nine. I got a little bit nervous towards the end but managed to birdie the last after a good wedge shot.”

England’s Dave Coupland and Dutchman Darius van Driel, who clinched his first Challenge Tour win at the 2018 Euram Bank Open, sit in a share of second place, hoping to chase down Tiley, after recording rounds of 69 and 68, respectively.

Grégory Havret, a three-time European Tour winner, leads the charge on home soil following his 69, including a birdie-birdie finish to join another Kent player Matt Ford in a tie for fourth place on an eight-under total.

Also in the chasing pack is Hampshire’s former European Tour veteran Richard Bland, whose only victory in 23 years on Tour came in the Challenge Tour Grand Final back in 2001.

The final round will start at 7:20am local time with Tiley going in search of victory from 12:30pm. Follow lives scores here.

The post Tiley’s three-shot lead at Le Vaudreuil as he goes in search of maiden victory appeared first on Golf North.

Steven Tiley, from Kent’s Royal Cinque Ports, has never held a 36-hole lead in 11 years playing on the European Challenge Tour, but is three shots clear at the halfway point in the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge where he was second a year ago. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

KENT’S Steven Tiley leads by three shots at the halfway stage of Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil.

The Englishman, who finished runner-up to last year’s wire-to-wire champion Richard McEvoy, followed up his opening round of 64 with a three-under par round of 68 to break away from the chasing pack at the end of day two.

Tiley has never led a European Challenge Tour event after two rounds after 11 seasons of trying.

But the 36-year-old showed why the Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil course is a favourite of his by recording a second sub-70 round for a 10-under total.

An early bogey on his second hole – the 11th – to begin the round did not phase him as he made six consecutive pars before holing a long birdie putt on the 18th.

Tiley then surged ahead after the turn, making gains on the third, fifth and seventh holes to extend his lead over the chasing pack to three strokes.

With 36 holes left to play and a debut Challenge Tour victory in sight, Tiley was pleased with his second round work at Le Vaudreuil.

“I played okay on my front nine – the back nine,” said Tiley. “The back nine is quite tricky and it’s a lot longer than last year and the wind was swirling a little bit this morning, but I played well.

“I holed a good putt for birdie on 18 from about 30 foot to go out level par,” added the Royal Cinque Ports member, who turned pro in 2007 after a golf scholarship at Georgia State University.

“On the first I made a really good up-and-down, then on the second I made an unbelievable par and that steadied the ship for a little bit.

“I made a couple of birdies coming in thanks to some good wedge shots, so overall, it’s a pleasing round.

“I think this course suits my game. I was hitting the ball relatively straight and keeping it in play, and because of that you get a lot of wedge shots, and I’m pretty useful with a wedge in my hand.

“I’ve been practising a little bit more on my strengths within my game leading up to this week and that has shown so far.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in contention going into the weekend, so I’m looking forward to it and I’ll see what I can do.”

Fellow overnight leader Robin Sciot-Siegrist dropped down the leaderboard after a two-over par 73, as a group of four players sit three shots behind Tiley.

English pair Dave Coupland and fellow Kent pro Matt Ford, South Africa’s Bryce Easton and Spain’s Santiago Tarrio Ben share second place on seven-under.

Three-time European Tour winner Grégory Havret, who won the European Amateur Championship 20 years ago, is one of four players a further stroke back as the three-time French Amateur Champion leads the host nation charge at the seventh edition of Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge.

•The third round will begin at 7.40am local time on Saturday morning with Tiley teeing off at 12.50pm. Follow live scoring here

The post Tiley taking it one step at a time at top of leaderboard in Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge appeared first on Golf North.