It is clear for all to see that 2020 belonged to one man and one man only on the European Challenge Tour, and that man is Ondrej Lieser.
A highly-rated amateur, Lieser was tipped for stardom but after showing early promise, he faded into obscurity before showing glimpses of his previous form on the Pro Golf Tour in 2019.
That good form earned him basic playing status on the Challenge Tour in 2020 and he took full advantage.
His 2020 season started in Austria in July and a solid yet unspectacular showing saw him pick up a tie for 44th position and a tie for 13th place.
Lieser’s next chance to compete on the Road to Mallorca came at the weather-affected Italian Challenge Open Enes Motor Oil where he finished in a tie for fourth after the third and final round, a result which earned him entry into the Andalucía Challenge de España by way of a top ten finish.
He took full advantage. The 29-year-old bounced back from a two over par opening round of 74 to posts 70-67-67 and win his first Challenge Tour title in dramatic circumstances. The very next event – the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz – was to be played the next week on the very same course, but Lieser opted to return to the Czech Republic and miss the second leg of the Spanish Swing, a decision which raised many eyebrows.
The doubters were put firmly in their places, however, as the Prague native travelled to the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca refreshed and ready to go.
Four successive under par rounds at T-Golf & Country Club meant he won his second tournament in as many events and also saw him climb to the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings and become the first Czech player to be crowned Challenge Tour Number One.
