Penha Longa to Provide a Tough Test

Penha Longa, the venue for this week’s Estoril Challenge, will provide a true test of resolve for the European Challenge Tour Membership according to Adam Hunter, the last man to win the Portuguese Open at one of the country's most outstanding golf courses.

It was in 1995 that Hunter defeated Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke in a sudden-death play-off for the Portuguese Open, and the Scotsman recalled that Penha Longa was the toughest opponent he had to overcome on that victorious week 11 years ago.

Hunter, now a widely renowned coach working with some of Scotland’s top players including European Tour Members Alastair Forsyth, Stephen Gallacher, Paul Lawrie and Gary Orr, birdied the first extra play-off hole against Clarke to secure his only European Tour success after a four day battle against Penha Longa’s testing lay out, which had extra protection from some severe weather conditions.

As the Challenge Tour returns to mainland Europe for the first time in 2006 after four events in Central and South America, Hunter said: “It’s going back a long way but one of the main things that I remember about that week was the wind. Either the second or third round was suspended because the wind was so strong and that made it very tough.

“Pehna Longa is a tough course anyway, but the conditions that week made it even harder. I remember on the last day that I made a great up and down on the 17^th and then hit driver-driver to the 18^th green to have a birdie chance to win the tournament. I missed the putt but it went to extra holes and I managed to make birdie and Darren made a par at the first extra hole and that was it.

“So if the wind blows it will be a hard week for the Challenge Tour guys at Penha Longa. The fact I played my golf at a course called Sandy Hills helped me because it was like Penha Longa – quite hilly and exposed to the wind.”

The current Rankings reflect the season’s Latin American beginnings with Mexico’s Antonio Maldonado, winner of the 48^th Abierto Mexicano Corona, leading the way on €41,624, and 13 out of the Challenge Tour’s current top 20 hailing from the region.

Following his victory at the Challenge Tour’s last event – the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006, Sweden’s Johan Axgren is the leading European on the Rankings in second place with €34,661.

Spain’s José Manuel Carriles, who won the inaugural Estoril Challenge in 1997, will be at Penha Longa be looking to repeat his victory of seven years ago as he bids to join Axgren and Maldonado in the all important top 20 of the Challenge Tour Rankings.