While the likes of Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett are used to battling away for Race to Dubai titles and competing in Final Series events, there are some in the field who are not so experienced when it comes to the glitz and glamour of the European Tour Final Series.
From seasoned professionals who have not made it to the final event of the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour Championship, before, to players who had to battle just to keep their cards last season, those memories feel like a long time ago for these six non-rookies we profile, who have all made massive strides in 2016 and enjoyed the best seasons of their European Tour careers.
Richard Bland
Career best Race to Dubai ranking: 65th
This season ahead of the Nedbank: 25th
Although Richard Bland has twice finished in the top 70 in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex, and competed in all of the Final Series events in 2014, bar the DP World Tour Championship, it would be fair to say the Englishman is enjoying a standout season.
Always regarded as a consistent European Tour player, Bland has taken his game to a new level this season, having finished in the money 25 times from 28 events, including seven top ten finishes. Ahead of the weekend at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, the Southampton native had carded just one over par round from the previous 34 he had teed it up in.
The 43 year old’s highly impressive season stats speak for themselves. Bland is a cumulative 140 under par for the season, with a stroke average of just 70.28, which sees him ranked tenth in that category. He’s on course to finish the season with his best career stats, driving it further and straighter, finding more greens in regulation and needing less putts per GIR than ever before.
Regardless of what happens over the final two weeks of the 2016 season for Bland, it will be the most memorable year of his career.
Joakim Lagergren
Career best Race to Dubai ranking: 83rd
This season ahead of the Nedbank: 40th
Another enjoying a career-best season, Lagergren has taken the promising form he has shown all season into the Final Series. Despite having never made it through to the final two events of the Race to Dubai, the Swede has not been fazed by his new surroundings and the big prize funds on offer, with Joakim impressiing at last week’s Turkish Airlines Open, where he finished in a tie for sixth place.
After a quiet first half of the 2016 season, the 24 year old burst into life at the Made in Denmark where he finished fifth, before posting his second consecutive fourth place finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to surge up the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex. After consolidating those impressive performances with two more top 20 finishes at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports, and the Portugal Masters, Joakim headed into the Final Series full of confidence.
The Stockholm native has never putted better, with the dimuntive Swede averaging 28.81 putts per round, and just 1.72 per green in regulation. And he’s not short with the big stick either, averaging nearly 290 yards from the tee. With four of his five European Tour top tens in the last two years coming in the second half of the season, do not be surprised if Joakim is near the top of those leaderboards over the last couple of weeks of the 2016 season.
Renato Paratore
Career best Race to Dubai ranking: 109th
This season ahead of the Nedbank: 60th
The quickest player on the European Tour, Paratore has shown why he was so highly thought-after as an amateur with an impressive second full season on the European Tour. He has carded three top tens, nearly doubled the prize money he won in 2015 this season, and put together a fine run of consistent form. The last time the Italian finished over par at a European Tour event was way back at the 100th Open de France in July.
Still just 19 years old, it is has been the ideal follow-up season to Paratore’s debut year, which saw the Rome native just retain his card after finishing 109th in the Race to Dubai. Making his debut in the Final Series, the Youth Olympics gold medallist is not the sort of player to be intimidated by the big stage. With his 2016 driving accuracy, greens in regulation and average putts per round stats an improvement on what they were last year, and his stroke average down significantly, Paratore will look back on his 2016 season fondly.
Jorge Campillo
Career best Race to Dubai ranking: 74th
This season ahead of the Nedbank: 42nd
The hard-working Spaniard, who played more European Tour events than any other player in 2015, came into the season with a career-best season ranking of 74, which he achieved having played 31 events last season. Although the 30 year old has still clocked up the air miles this season, he has added some consistency to his game which sees him head into this week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in 42nd place on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
Campillo, who made a hole-in-one at last week’s Turkish Airlines Open on the way to finishing tied for 17th place in Antalya, has finished in the money 19 times from 28 events this season, including four top tens.
The 30 year old has a stroke average of just 70.68 this season, which is a significant improvement on his previous best of 71.14 from the 2015 season. Like Lagergren, Jorge is also rolling it in better than he ever has done before on the European Tour, averaging 28.96 putts per round.
Playing for the first time in the final two events of a European Tour season, Campillo will be keen to consolidate his good form over the last two weeks of the 2016 Race to Dubai.
Matthew Southgate
Career best Race to Dubai ranking: 175th
This season ahead of the Nedbank: 52nd
A fairy tale. That is how many people would describe Matt Southgate’s story and 2016 season. And what a story it has been for the Englishman, who battled back from testicular cancer in 2015 to make it through three stages of Qualifying School. He was not done there though and was not on the European Tour to make up the numbers, making his presence felt in Ireland where a fine week finished with the 28 year old in tears by the 18th green.
Southgate had started the week as first reserve before making it into the field and finishing fourth, four shots behind winner Rory McIlroy, to earn 200,000 euros. Performing well in the big events is an art Matt has mastered this year, with top 15 finishes at The Open Championship and 100th Open de France following in July.
Determined not to rest on his laurels, the Q-School graduate posted three top 20 finishes in four starts heading into the Final Series, including in front of his home fans at the British Masters where he shot three rounds in the 60s.
Coming into the 2016 Race to Dubai season Southgate’s best finish on the Rankings was 175th. Those struggles seem like a distant memory now with Matt lining up against some of the best player the European Tour has to offer this week in South Africa.
Nacho Elvira
Career best Race to Dubai ranking: 121st
This season ahead of the Nedbank: 43rd
What a season it has been for Nacho Elvira, who has backed up his outstanding Challenge Tour campaign of 2015, which saw the Spaniard win three times to secure automatic promotion to the top tier, with another brilliant season in 2016. One second place, one third place and four other top tens speak volumes for what the 29 year old has achieved in what is only his second full season on the European Tour.
The first time Elvira found himself on the world stage as a European Tour member was in 2014, when he finished 121st in the Race to Dubai standings. What a difference a couple of years has made, with Nacho teeing it up in his second Final Series event on the back of a ninth place finish at the Turkish Airlines Open last week. Before the four time Challenge Tour winner made his Final Series bow in Turkey, Elvira finished ninth thanks to a 19 under par total at the Portugal Masters.
An impressive 30 under par for his last two events shows just how well Nacho is playing at the moment, and he will be keen to take the form to Gary Player Country Club, where the extra distance he has found from the tee this season will come in very useful. Averaging 12 yards furher from the tee this year, in comparison to 2014. Elvira has also improved his average putts per round. Comfortably inside the top 60 at the moment, the Madrid native will have one eye on rounding off a memorable season at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, next week. Another good week here in South Africa will allow Elvira that chance.
