The Road to Mallorca heads to France for the fourth time this year as the Hopps Open de Provence takes centre stage this week. Here is your check sheet for the action at Golf International de Pont Royal.
Quatrième fois
The Hopps Open de Provence will be the fourth French event on the 2019 Road to Mallorca, as the Federation Francaise de Golf continue their support of the European Challenge Tour.
In the last ten seasons, there have been 41 events held in France with this week’s tournament in Mallemort becoming the 42nd, with three taking place already this year at the Hauts de France - Pas de Calais Golf Open, Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge and Open de Bretagne.
Robin Roussel, Steven Tiley and Sebastian Heisele will all be hoping to become the first player since Bernd Wiesberger in 2010 to win twice in France during the same Challenge Tour campaign.
French success
There has been a French revolution on the Challenge Tour in 2019 with three French wins, Antoine Rozner dominating at the top of the Road to Mallorca until August, and two players inside the top 15 in the Rankings.
Five more Frenchmen are placed within the top 45 as they look to cement their place in the Rankings for the Challenge Tour Grand Final at Club de Golf Alcanada.
Romain Langasque triumphed on home soil at the inaugural edition of the Hopps Open de Provence last year, and home crowds will be hoping to cheer on another French champion this week.
Seve’s signed approval
The great Severiano Ballesteros left a lasting impression on the Estate of Pont Royal as he designed Golf International de Pont Royal – the only course associated with his name in France.
The venue opened in 1992 after a year’s build on the former hunting grounds and pine forests of Pont Royal. At the turn of the millennium a new clubhouse was built, and ten years later there was the addition of a golf academy and a separate six-hole course.
Javier Ballesteros, son of Seve, will tee it up at Pont Royal this week in his first Challenge Tour event of the season.
Ford’s stunning 60
On the same day as Oliver Fisher recorded the first round of 59 on the European Tour at the Portugal Masters, England’s Matt Ford was one stroke away from replicating the feat on the Challenge Tour at last year’s inaugural Hopps Open de Provence.
Ford carded his lowest professional career round – a 12 under par round of 60 – setting a new course record but narrowly missed out on becoming the third player after Adrien Mörk and Nicolo Ravano to record a round of 59 on the Challenge Tour.
Final furlong
The Hopps Open de Provence marks the fifth event before the leading 45 players on the Road to Mallorca face-off at the Challenge Tour Grand Final. Prior to his victory, Langasque sat in 55th place in the Rankings last year but moved to within touching distance of the top 15 when he jumped to 17th position.
Although the Frenchman missed out on a top 15 place, eventually finishing 19th, his form continued through to European Tour Qualifying School where he gained his European Tour card at Final Stage.
With six events left in 2019, could a victory at Golf International de Pont Royal start a fantastic run-in for a European Tour hopeful?
