Sean Crocker is hoping for a strong season finale as he heads to China for the final trio of tournaments in his debut European Challenge Tour season.
The American made his first start on Europe’s top developmental tour at the Hauts de France Golf Open in June, where he missed the cut, but since then he has been in contention twice, challenging for the title in both Austria and Kazakhstan – before finishing tied third on both occasions.
Those results, along with an impressive showing at The Open Championship – where he held his own against the game’s elite before a difficult final round saw him claim a share of 47th– have propelled the 22 year old up to 36thon the Road to Ras Al Khaimah.
But with three of the most lucrative events of the season left to play, there are still plenty of opportunities to climb into one of the coveted top 15 spots.
For Crocker, who only joined the paid ranks last year, the next three weeks are as much about experiencing new cultures as they are about making a late charge for the European Tour.
“It’s been a fun year, but it’s also been a long, hard year,” he said. “It’s the Challenge Tour for a reason, one of the most competitive places to come and play golf.
“It’s been nice to not play too many tournaments but still be able to play myself into those last three events.
“I’ve never been to China. I haven’t seen the course. Everyone says China is very different to anywhere else, so I’m looking forward to getting there and experiencing it with my own eyes. My caddie says it’s the most different place he’s ever been to in the world.”
Crocker, who was born in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare before moving to the United States aged five, is the most recent of a long line of Americans who have chosen to start their careers on the Challenge Tour.
Chase Koepka and Julian Suri were the most recent US players to graduate from the Challenge Tour to the European Tour, but it is Chase’s brother, four-time Challenge Tour winner and now three-time Major Championship champion Brooks who is the most well-known.
Crocker does not see himself as the ‘next Brooks’ but he is buoyed by the successful career his countryman has forged since leaving Europe.
“It would be nice to progress as fast as Brooks did, but you’ve got to play your ass off if you’re going to do that,” he said.
“If I can play well for one or two years on the Challenge Tour before jumping onto the European Tour and playing well there, before maybe moving back home and playing over there, then that would be pretty amazing.
“I’m not in a rush to leave Europe. I’m trying to progress as quick as I can through the Challenge Tour to graduate to the European Tour. If I can play on that tour for a few years, then I’d be quite happy with that.”
