The European Challenge Tour makes its first of two visits in the space of three weeks to the Czech Republic for the return of the D+D Real Czech Challenge as Panorama Golf Resort plays host for the first time. Here is everything you need to know for the week ahead.
Kristensen defends
Nicolai Kristensen defeated Ugo Coussaud, who leads this season’s Road to Mallorca Rankings, in a play-off last year to claim his first Challenge Tour title. In the tenth anniversary edition of the event, the Dane recorded a bogey-free 66 in the final round to finish alongside overnight leader Coussaud at 14 under before he made a birdie at the first extra hole to seal victory. He was unable to build on that momentum over the remainder of the season and finished 32nd on the season-long rankings as he missed on graduating to the DP World Tour. After a missed cut on home soil in Copenhagen last week, Kristensen will be aiming to rekindle the memories of his D+D Real Czech Challenge triumph from last year as the event moves to a new host venue.
Panorama Golf Resort on show for first of two Czech stops
After being held at Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora in nine of its ten previous editions, with the other being staged at Kaskáda Golf Resort, the tournament – organised by promotional company Relmost – is this week taking place at Panorama Golf Resort for the first time. Located in Kácov, just under an hour from Prague, the venue opened in 2016 boasts 27 holes across three nine-hole courses: Forest, Meadows and River. The Forest and Meadows are the two layouts being used this week and are both undulating. After the Road to Mallorca continues next week in Spain, we will return to the Czech Republic for the Kaskáda Golf Challenge, from June 15-18.
Czech challenge
Ondrej Lieser, who made history by becoming the first Czech player to win the Road to Mallorca Rankings in 2020, headlines the home challenge in action this week. The 31-year-old is making his debut Challenge Tour appearance of the season and will be joined by 12 fellow home players in the field. Among those are Filip Mruzek, who finished in a tie for 12th at the D+D Real Czech Masters on the DP World Tour in 2021, and Jan Cafourek who finished in a tie for 14th in Copenhagen on his first Challenge Tour start of the campaign last week. Since the inaugural D+D Real Czech Challenge in 2012 and the subsequent addition of the Kaskáda Golf Challenge to the Challenge Tour schedule in 2017 we have yet to see a home winner. Will that all change this week?
