The 2022 Road to Mallorca provides the platform for golfing stars to emerge and earn one of the life-changing DP World Tour cards by finishing in the top 20 on the season-long Rankings.
Here are our ones to watch for the season ahead…
Oliver Hundebøll
Oliver Hundebøll will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Dane and friend Marcus Helligkilde in earning graduation to the DP World Tour in 2022. Helligkilde claimed three victories in 2021, including the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A on his way to being crowned Road to Mallorca Number One.
Hundebøll showcased glimpses of his talent in 2021, recording a fifth place finish at the Dormy Open in Sweden and a tenth place result at the Made in Esbjerg Challenge in Denmark, whilst also impressing at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge where he opened with rounds of 64-68 as compatriot Helligkilde secured his maiden Challenge Tour title in wire-to-wire fashion.
Hundebøll finished in 63rd position on the 2021 Road to Mallorca Rankings and the 22-year-old will be looking to build on solid foundations put in place after playing 16 Challenge Tour events and only missing four cuts.
Angel Hidalgo
Angel Hidalgo was unfortunate to miss out on promotion to the DP World Tour in 2021 after finishing 22nd on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. The Spaniard impressed with a sixth place finish at the Italian Challenge, a third place at the Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge and picked up a maiden Challenge Tour title at the Big Green Egg German Challenge powered by VcG. The 23-year-old showcased his consistency as he posted four consecutive rounds of 68 to finish two shots ahead of Road to Mallorca Number Three Santiago Tarrio and Austrian Lukas Nemecz as he secured victory in Germany.
Hidalgo arrived at the 2021 Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A in 22nd position on the Rankings looking to break into the top 20 and secure 2022 DP World Tour playing rights. The Spaniard carded rounds of 70-70-73-69 to finish in a tie for 15th in Mallorca, but he was unable to climb the Rankings and remained in 22nd place.
Hidalgo also impressed with a tie for fifth at the Joburg Open, the first event of the DP World Tour era, as the tournament was reduced to 36 holes due to the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant and weather delays.
The 23-year-old will be looking to use his breakthrough year as ammunition for success on the 2022 Road to Mallorca and having already tasted victory on the Challenge Tour, he is in great shape for a successful year.
Matteo Manassero
Matteo Manassero, the youngest winner in DP World Tour history, hinted of a return to form towards the end of 2021. The Italian wrote his name into the history books after he secured victory at the 2010 Castelló Masters at 17 years and 188 days old, before securing his second win at the 2011 Maybank Malaysian Open, making him first and second on the list of youngest winners on Tour. In the same year he became the then-youngest player to make the cut at the Masters, where he finished in a tie for 36th place – the best performance by a European amateur for 73 years. Manassero won four top-tier titles by the time he was 20, including the 2013 BMW PGA Championship.
Manassero finished in a tie for third at the Challenge Costa Brava to climb 20 places to 44th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and secure his spot at the Rolex Grand Final. The Italian impressed with a tie for eighth at the season finale, however the rise to 33rd in the Rankings was not enough to secure a return to the DP World Tour.
The 28-year-old can take confidence from his performances in 2021 as he looks to rekindle an old spark and earn graduation from the Challenge Tour this year.
Jesper Svensson
Jesper Svensson enjoyed a solid maiden year on the Challenge Tour and finished 36th on the 2021 Road to Mallorca Rankings. The Swede made 11 cuts in 14 appearances, which included a second place finish at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge and a third place at the Empordà Challenge. The 25-year-old posted a 21 under par total in Vierumäki as he finished two shots behind Helligkilde and a 16 under par total in Empordà as he finished two shots behind Road to Mallorca Number Four Julien Brun.
Svensson won the 2020 Race to Himmerland, the Nordic Golf League’s season finale, but is still searching for his first piece of Challenge Tour silverware. The Swede will be hoping that he can secure victory this season and finish inside the top 20 on the Rankings to earn a life-changing DP World Tour card.
