1996 Challenge Tour


The 1996 Challenge Tour was a series of golf tournaments known as the Challenge Tour, the official development tour run by the PGA European Tour. The tour was started as the Satellite Tour in 1986 and was renamed the Challenge Tour ready for the start of the 1990 season.
The Challenge Tour Rankings was won by England's Ian Garbutt.

Tournament schedule

The table below shows the 1996 Challenge Tour schedule.
DatesTournamentHost countryWinnerNotes
22–25 FebKenya OpenKenya Mike Miller
7–10 MarOpen de Cote d'IvoireIvory Coast Massimo Florioli
11–14 AprIs Molas ChallengeItaly Simon Burnell
18–21 AprLe Pavoniere ChallengeItaly Kalle Väinölä
24–27 AprAlianca UAP ChallengerPortugal Gary Marks
2–5 MayCanarias ChallengeSpain Robert Lee
16–19 MayOpen de DijonFrance Francisco Cea
23–26 MayClub Med OpenItaly Ignacio Feliu
30 May – 2 JunSiab OpenSweden Kalle Väinölä
6–9 JunKB Golf ChallengeCzech Republic Joakim Rask
7–9 JunHimmerland OpenDenmark Niklas Diethelm
14–16 JunVästerås OpenSweden Johan Axgren
20–23 JunTeam Erhverv Danish OpenDenmark Robert Jonsson
20–23 JunOpen dei TessaliItaly Stephen Scahill
27–30 JunAudi Quattro TrophyGermany Erol Simsek
28–30 JunMemorial Olivier BarrasSwitzerland Juan QuirósUnofficial money
4–7 JulOpen des VolcansFrance Andrew Sandywell
5–7 JulNeuchâtel Open Golf TrophySwitzerland Federico BisazzaUnofficial money
11–14 JulVolvo Finnish OpenFinland Björn Bäck
11–13 JulGosen ChallengeEngland Greg Owen
26–28 JulInterlaken OpenSwitzerland Van Phillips
1–4 AugEnglish Challenge Tour ChampionshipEngland Dennis Edlund
7–10 AugRolex Pro-AmSwitzerland Dennis Edlund
15–18 AugKarsten Ping Norwegian OpenNorway Ignacio Feliu
22–25 AugDutch ChallengeNetherlands Mathew Goggin
23–25 AugToyota Danish PGA ChampionshipDenmark Adam Mednick
30 Aug – 1 SepKentab/RBG OpenSweden Max Anglert
5–8 SepRussian OpenRussia Carl Watts
5–8 SepSwedish MatchplaySweden Adam Mednick
12–15 SepPerrier European Pro-AmBelgium Kevin Carissimi
18–21 SepEulen Open GaleaSpain José Antonio Sota
25–29 SepTelia InfoMedia Grand PrixSweden Scott Watson
25–28 SepModena Classic OpenItaly Lee S. James
3–6 SepBank Pekao Polish OpenPoland Erol Simsek
17–20 OctUAP Grand FinalPortugal Ian Garbutt

Rankings

The top 15 on the Challenge Tour Rankings gained membership of the European Tour for the 1997 season.
PositionPlayerCountryPrize money
1Ian Garbutt37,661
2Dennis Edlund34,286
3Robert Lee33,990
4Andrew Sandywell33,098
5Massimo Florioli32,708
6Van Phillips32,450
7Fredrik Jacobson31,297
8Joakim Rask31,180
9Ignacio Feliu30,998
10Adam Mednick29,684
11John Mellor28,330
12Carl Watts28,068
13Stephen Scahill27,454
14Mårten Olander27,111
15Kalle Väinölä26,709