The sixth edition of the German Challenge powered by VcG takes place this week at Wittelsbacher Golfclub, Neuburg an der Donau, Germany. Here’s all you need to know…
Back at Wittelsbacher
Wittelsbacher Golfclub has been a consistent fixture on the Road to Mallorca in recent years after first emerging on the schedule in 2021. The 7,479-yard par 72 lay-out begins and ends with par fives, with the 627-yard closing hole one of the longest tests on the schedule. Last year, the long par four 17th was the most difficult hole on the course, with the tenth also providing a stern examination of the field.
The course itself used to be home to the horses of Bavarian royalty before it was transformed by Dutch architect Joan Frederik Dudok Van Heel in 1988. Being tree-lined and long, keeping the ball on the short grass will be of upmost importance this week.
Past winners
The German Challenge powered by VcG has been a happy hunting ground for past promotion hopefuls, with four of the five winners going on to earn DP World Tour status the same year.
South African JC Ritchie kickstarted his promotion push at Wittelsbacher 12 months ago after cruising to an eight-stroke victory following rounds of 67-66-65-66 for a dominant 24 under par total. Ritchie would go on to win the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos and Italian Challenge Open to secure automatic promotion to Golf’s Global Tour. Wittelsbacher was also the scene of Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen’s third win of 2024, a result which earned the Dane early promotion to the DP World Tour.
Francesco Laporta from Italy and Spaniard Angel Hidalgo are also past champions of the German Challenge who went onto earn promotion the same year. Alejandro Del Rey, the 2022 victor, didn’t seal promotion but would play his way onto the DP World Tour for the 2023 season following a fifth-place finish at DP World Tour Final Stage Qualifying School.
Opportunity
With Road to Mallorca Number One MJ Daffue taking a week off ahead of the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, the chasing pack will be looking to make up ground in Germany. Spaniard Pablo Ereno came close to his second victory of the season at the Blot Play9 two weeks ago and sits under 200 points behind the pacesetting South African, while Finn Tapio Pulkkanen and Ryan van Velzen from the Rainbow Nation are well-placed to close the gap this week.
Halfway there
The German Challenge powered by VcG marks the halfway point on the Road to Mallorca with 14 tournaments of the 29-event schedule now in the record books. Thus far, South African players are leading the charge with four from the Rainbow Nation winning on five occasions, with English players the next best, having won four times.
A week off follows the German Challenge before the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge kickstarts 14-straight weeks with stops in Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates and China all to come before the season finale at the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A.
