9. Chris Gane (England)
Age: 27. Turned Professional: 1993. 2001 Volvo Order of Merit: 315th. European Tour Career Winnings: 1,470 euro (£908). European Challenge Tour Victories: 2001 Austrian Open, 2001 Terme Euganee International Open Padova. Rookie.
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“The Challenge Tour is a fantastic proving ground because the standard is so high. If you're off your game slightly then you have the weekend off. So it keeps you on your toes. I've only been on the Tour for 18 months but this year we've had more events and bigger prize money. The courses have generally been in good condition but they could be a little tougher. I played only one European Tour event this year but the set up was much tougher than we usually face on the Challenge Tour.”
10. Richard Bland (England)
Age: 28. Turned Professional: 1996. 2001 Volvo Order of Merit: 260th. European Tour Career Winnings: 18,583 euro (£12,001) European Challenge Tour Victories: 2001 Challenge Tour Grand Final. Rookie
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“The standard of play has gone sky high. With just 50 players making the cut, some of those this year have been ridiculous…five or four under on courses where you don't have to do a lot wrong to shoot a score. I've proved what can be achieved in a short time. The Challenge Tour is invaluable, it gives you experience, it is a great learning curve.”
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11. Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Denmark)
Age: 22. Turned Professional: 2000. 2001 Volvo Order of Merit: 339th. European Tour Career Winnings: 554 euro (£344). European Challenge Tour Victories: 2001 San Paolo Vita & Asset Management International Open. Rookie.
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“Although I have only played just over a year on the Challenge Tour, it has made a very good impression on me. You have to shoot under par to progress. I have learned life on Tour: the need, for instance, to take time off to rest. And my game has got a lot better playing the Challenge Tour.”
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12. Peter Hanson (Sweden)
Age: 24. Turned Professional: 2000. Years on European Tour: 2001. 2001 Volvo Order of Merit: 120th. European Tour Career Winnings: 150,954 euro (£93,857). European Challenge Tour Victories: 2001 Günther Hamburg Classics.
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“I only played six events as I played most of the season on The European Tour. The courses are a bit easier than the courses on The European Tour and you can see that in the scores. But the organisation is good, the money is improving and the number of tournaments is increasing. I think it is a great place to play and get your card. Last year I got my card through the Qualifying School but it is tough to perform with the re-ranks. You have to perform well early in the season. With a card from the Challenge Tour you don't have that pressure. The Challenge Tour is a very good preparation for The European Tour. The difference between the playing standards is not that big. It is very good training.”
