Jens Dantorp needed an outstanding finish in 2017 to make the top 15 of the Challenge Tour Rankings, and that is exactly what he did, starting with victory in Ras Al Khaimah.
The Swede was ranked 48thbefore the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge got under way but following his 15 under par total and his stunning play-off triumph he was in dreamland.
After a round of 65 on Moving Day, Dantorp was in a position to attack the leaders on the final day – and he did just that. The Swede could have won the tournament on the 18thhad his eagle putt dropped, however, the tap-in-birdie was enough to take it to a play-off.
Ras Al Khaimah’s 18thhole is known as an eagle opportunity at only 576-yards long and Dantorp was so close on his closing hole that the belief was still there heading into the play-off.
Full of confidence, the 28 year old hit one of the shots of the season – possibly the shot of his career – to leave him with an eagle chance from six feet, which he duly slotted home to seal his second career victory in four years and move him to 13thin the Rankings.
The triumph at Ras Al Khaimah spurred the Swede forward with a European Tour card in sight for 2018 if he could record a high finish at the final event of the year at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in Muscat, Oman.
He left it late to secure victory in Ras Al Khaimah and it was his stunning final round of 66 which secured his graduation from the Challenge Tour as the sun shone in Oman.
Three birdies on the opening four holes got his final round under way and he added another three gains during his last five holes to his bogey-free round to claim a tied fifth result, which secured 11thplace in the Challenge Tour Rankings and a spot on the European Tour for 2018.
