The European Challenge Tour will return to Central America for the first two events of the New Year before making trips to Portugal, Kenya and Spain to complete the early part of the new Schedule.
With the season already underway after the 48th Abierto Mexicano Corona and the 100th Visa Argentine Open presented by Bridgestone the Challenge Tour will resume the season with another two co-sanctioned events with the Tour de las Americas (TLA), giving the Membership an opportunity to play in the Guatemala Open from February 2-5 at the now familiar Hacienda Nueva – where Argentina’s Cesar Monasterio triumphed last season.
The Challenge Tour will then take a short hop to Costa Rica, stopping off at another now familiar venue at the Cariari Country Club in San Jose for the Costa Rica Open 2006 from February 9-12.
The Challenge Tour players touch down in Europe for the first ‘home’ event of the new season from February 23-26 with a welcome return to Portugal for the Estoril Challenge at Penha Longa in Estoril – home of The European Tour’s Portuguese Open in 1994 and 1995.
The Challenge Tour season would not feel the same without its annual visit to the Karen Golf Club in Nairobi, which will take place between March 9-12, 2006, for the Kenya Open – an event that has been associated with The PGA European Tour since the first Kenya Open in 1967.
From Kenya, the tour will return to Europe and to one of the toughest courses to feature on the Challenge Tour last season – the Greg Norman designed Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona for the Peugeot Challenge. Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, said: “Once again, the beginning of the European Challenge Tour gives our Members the opportunity to play golf at a time when the harsh European winter denies us the chance to play on home soil.
“Our partnership with the Tour de las Americas, now in its fourth year, is as strong as ever, and we are sure that our Members welcome the chance to compete against some of the best players from Central and South America. “We also welcome a return to Portugal and Spain – two countries that boast some of Europe’s finest golf courses – while the Kenya Open is one of our most established and respected events on our Schedule.”
