By Nick Totten, europeantour.com
At Foshan Golf Club
There must be something in the water – or maybe he just likes it there – but Johan Edfors has certainly had his fair share of success in China, a theme that he very much wants to continue this week at the Foshan Open.
Just last week the Swede picked up his second victory in the People’s Republic, after storming to a three shot victory last week in Chongqing, some eight years after his first European Tour title came on Chinese soil at the 2006 TCL Classic.
That year Edfors went on to win two more times en route to a career-best tenth place on the Order of Merit, and he will hope for a similar upturn in fortunes to close out the European Challenge Tour season, as he looks to maintain his place inside the top 15 on the Rankings.
Currently 13th on the season-long list, the 39 year old is in position for a return to The Race to Dubai next season, but after a win it can sometimes be difficult to push on the next week. However, with no time to spare and just three events remaining, he knows he needs to play well again this week and improve his ranking for the best possible playing opportunities next year.
So while he might have had little time for celebration this past Sunday, the time to do it properly will come in a few weeks’ time, when he hopes to also be celebrating a return to golf’s top table.
“Obviously I am in good form from last week, and hopefully I can keep that good play going,” said the 2003 Challenge Tour Number One. “I have been out playing the course yesterday and today, and it is a great course and the greens are really good, so I think we will see some decent scoring and hopefully I can put a couple of low numbers in.
“It has been great to have got so many text messages, emails and likes on Facebook, so it has been fun to see that people are still following me even though I haven’t had many good results in the last couple of years. I’m on my way back though, and hopefully I can take another step in that direction here and have my card secured after next week - I’m definitely going to get back.
“After the round on Sunday we had the only bottle of champagne they had in the hotel, and then a few beers, but then I flew over here, so there hasn’t been too much celebrating as yet. Hopefully I’ll have a big party when I get home after these next few weeks.
“My first win on The European Tour was here in China, and my first win on the Challenge Tour in over ten years too, so it feels great. China has treated me pretty nicely over the years, as I’ve had a few other good performances too. I usually like how the golf courses are set up over here, and I must have been here 20 times, and I hope that I get to come back another 20 times.
“I hoped when I came to China last week that, first of all, I would get into the top 45, and I did that pretty quickly. So now I am going to try and push on pretty quickly, and maybe even get into the top 10 or top five, as that will give me a few more playing opportunities for next year. We’ve got three more tournaments though, and I am going to try to do my best in all of them.”
Edfors was joined at a press conference in the build-up to the second Foshan Open by former US Amateur Champion Matthew Fitzpatrick, and the Sheffield native was quick to point out how impressed he was with the infrastructure on show this week in Foshan City.
This is only the 20 year old’s eighth event on the Challenge Tour, but he has already shown the kind of form that has seen him heralded as one of the game’s next big things. He is just focused on making his way into the top 45 on the Rankings though, and gain with it a starting berth in the season-ending Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club.
“I’m looking forward to it, it should be a good week,” said Fitzpatrick. “It is a completely different set up to other weeks on the Challenge Tour, as already we’ve been looked after really well and the facilities are fantastic, so I’m looking forward to starting tomorrow.
“To have a press room like this, compared to usually being interviewed out on the course, and all of the hospitality out around the ninth and 18th greens by the club house, it is all pretty cool.
“My aim at the start of these four events was to get in the top 45 on the Rankings, and if I have a really good week then that might bump me closer to the top 15, but that is my aim, to get into Dubai, before the final of the Qualifying School.
“I’ll just see how it goes, as it is a good course this week, and I don’t think there are going to be a ton of birdies. The greens are defending the course pretty well, with how sloped and fast they are, and hopefully it is a good week and it gets me into the top 45.”
The final member of the group was Edfors’ fellow Swede – Niklas Lemke – who is the highest placed performer from last season to return and tee it up in 2014. He is excited to be back after his tie for sixth last campaign, and is in confident mood ahead of the first round on Thursday.
“It is nice being back as it is a lovely golf course in really good shape, and I’m looking forward to it,” said the man at 88th on the Challenge Tour Rankings.
“My game has felt pretty good for the last month so I have prepared pretty much as normal for this week, and I was in a similar situation last year and played really well in the end, so hopefully I can do the same this time around. I’m into Oman next week too, so hopefully it will be two good weeks, and onto the Final in Dubai like last year.”
