Еуропалық Challenge Tour: Кәсіби гольф турнирінің екінші деңгейі

Professional golf tour in Europe
the golf event series

The Challenge Tour, also sometimes referred to as the European Challenge Tour, is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and similarly with the main European Tour and the European Senior Tour, some of the events are played outside Europe.

The tour was introduced in 1986, when the national tours of Sweden, France and Italy became open to foreign players, and was initially called the Satellite Tour. The Order of Merit was introduced in 1989, with the top five players on it winning membership of the European Tour for the following season. The following year the tour was renamed the Challenge Tour, a name already used in 1989. Up to 1993 the Challenge Tour rankings were based on each player's best several results, but since 1994 it has been a straightforward money list, with all results counting. Players who are successful on the Challenge Tour qualify for membership of the European Tour the following year. Twenty players earn direct promotion to the European Tour. Players finishing 21–45 may also gain qualification for occasional low prize money European Tour events, but can improve their status through European Tour Qualifying School. Players who win three Challenge Tour events in a season are fast tracked onto the main tour immediately and are fully exempt the following season, similar to that of the US based Korn Ferry Tour.

Official World Golf Ranking points are awarded for high finishes in Challenge Tour events. Formerly, most events awarded 12 points to the winner, with European Tour dual ranking events awarding 18 points. The Challenge Tour Grand Final gave 17 points to the winner. In 2014, a number of events received slightly higher points totals, with three events earning a minimum of 13 points and the Challenge Tour Grand Final winner receiving 17 points, up from 16.

One competitive level down from the Challenge Tour are four third level developmental tours, the Alps Tour, the Pro Golf Tour, the PGA EuroPro Tour (ceased in 2022) and the Nordic Golf League, each of which is based in a different part of Europe. These circuits are known as the satellite tours. Each season the top five players (not otherwise exempt) from the Order of Merit of each of these tours earn status on the Challenge Tour for the following season. The Challenge Tour also offers status to players competing in the European Tour Qualifying School. In December 2022, it was announced that the Clutch Pro Tour and the Tartan Pro Tour would become official feeder tours to the Challenge Tour; in place of the now defunct PGA EuroPro Tour. The Tartan Pro Tour would offer Challenge Tour status to the leading player on the Order of Merit, whereas the Clutch Pro Tour would offer Challenge Tour status to the top two players on the Order of Merit. In 2024, with inclusion into the OWGR, the Clutch Pro Tour increased the number of Challenge Tour cards to three.

Originally, the Challenge Tour events were held in Western Europe. In 1991, the five Safari Circuit events in Africa were added. Only the Kenya Open (until 2018) remained a regular event on the tour for more than a few years, although the Zambia Open returned to the tour between 2001 and 2004 as the first Sunshine Tour co sanctioned event. In 2020, the tour re entered into South Africa, again co sanctioning events with the Sunshine Tour. Another African tournament, the Moroccan Golf Classic, was held from 2002 to 2010. The Challenge Tour featured tournaments co sanctioned with the Tour de las Américas in Latin America from 2003 to 2011. In 2011, the tour added its first events in Asia, the Gujarat Kensville Challenge in India and the Kazakhstan Open. In 2023, the tour re expanded their schedule into India, playing two events co sanctioned alongside the Professional Golf Tour of India. This came after the European Tour had entered into a partnership with the PGTI.

YearWinnerPoints2023 Marco Penge 1,2852022 Nathan Kimsey 208,9182021 Marcus Helligkilde 222,6282020 Ondřej Lieser 116,3452019 Francesco Laporta 210,1222018 Joachim B. Hansen 192,3202017 Tapio Pulkkanen 210,7992016 Jordan Smith 239,985YearWinnerPrize money (€)2015 Ricardo Gouveia 251,9522014 Andrew Johnston 190,8562013 Andrea Pavan 147,8112012 Espen Kofstad 131,0992011 Tommy Fleetwood 148,9132010 Álvaro Velasco 134,2972009 Edoardo Molinari 242,9802008 David Horsey 144,1182007 Mike Lorenzo Vera 128,9272006 Mark Pilkington 119,1522005 Marc Warren 103,5772004 Lee Slattery 95,9802003 Johan Edfors 94,5092002 Lee S. James 121,5312001 Mark Foster 97,7372000 Henrik Stenson 108,7101999 Carl Suneson 69,641YearWinnerPrize money (£)1998 Warren Bennett 81,0531997 Michele Reale 51,6791996 Ian Garbutt 37,6611995 Thomas Bjørn 46,4711994 Raymond Burns 43,5831993 Klas Eriksson 48,3651992 Paul Affleck 39,7681991 David R. Jones 35,5331990 Giuseppe Calì 28,3831989 Neal Briggs 9,464