1997 Challenge Tour


The 1997 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 Italy's Michele Reale.

Tournament schedule

The table below shows the 1997 Challenge Tour schedule.
DatesTournamentHost countryWinnerNotes
5–8 MarOpen de Cote d'IvoireIvory Coast Knud Storgaard
13–16 MarLonrho Kenya OpenKenya Jorge Berendt
10–13 AprIs Molas ChallengeItaly Andrew Collison
16–19 AprLe Pavoniere Supercal ChallengeItaly Andrew Collison
24–27 AprAlianca UAP ChallengerPortugal Anssi Kankkonen
1–4 MayCanarias ChallengeSpain Michele Reale
15–18 MayModena Classic OpenItaly Jesús María Arruti
22–25 MayMatchmaker Austrian OpenAustria Erol Simsek
30 May – 1 JunHimmerland OpenDenmark Mikael Lundberg
5–8 JunKB Golf ChallengeCzech Republic Alex Čejka
5–8 JunSiab OpenSweden Joakim Rask
19–22 JunTeam Erhverv Danish OpenDenmark David Lynn
20–22 JunMemorial Olivier BarrasSwitzerland Raphaël JacquelinUnofficial money
26–29 JunAudi Quattro TrophyGermany David A. Russell
26–29 JunOpen dei TessaliItaly Ivó Giner
3–6 JulOpen des VolcansFrance Mark Litton
5–7 JulNeuchâtel OpenSwitzerland Erol Simsek
10–13 JulVolvo Finnish OpenFinland Søren Kjeldsen
17–20 JulRolex Pro-AmSwitzerland Anssi Kankkonen
24–27 JulInterlaken OpenSwitzerlandTournament cancelled after
1st round because of rain
24–27 JulBTC Slovenian OpenSlovenia Kalle Brink
31 Jul – 3 AugKlassis Turkish OpenTurkey Bradley Dredge
7–10 AugChallenge Tour ChampionshipEngland Greg Chalmers
21–24 AugNetcom Norwegian OpenNorway Demitri Bieri
28–31 AugSteelcover Dutch ChallengeNetherlands Raphaël Jacquelin
23–25 AugToyota Danish PGA ChampionshipDenmark Fredrik Henge
3–6 SepSovereign Russian OpenRussia Michele Reale
4–7 SepÖhrlings Swedish MatchplaySweden Gregory Garbero
11–14 SepPerrier European Pro-AmBelgium Craig Hainline
18–21 SepEulen Open GaleaSpain Warren Bennett
23–26 SepBPGT ChallengeEngland Olivier Edmond
25–28 SepPolish OpenPolandCancelled due to rain
2–5 OctTelia InfoMedia Grand PrixSweden Fredrik Henge
8–11 OctSan Paolo Vita OpenItaly Mathew Goggin
16–19 OctEstoril ChallengePortugal José Manuel Carriles
23–26 OctEstoril Grand FinalPortugal Nicolas Joakimides

Rankings

The top 15 on the Challenge Tour Rankings gained membership of the European Tour for the 1998 season.
PositionPlayerCountryPrize money
1Michele Reale51,679
2Kalle Brink36,112
3Greg Chalmers35,267
4Raphaël Jacquelin34,538
5Anssi Kankkonen32,128
6Nicolas Joakimides31,497
7David Lynn31,342
8Steen Tinning29,522
9Knud Storgaard29,426
10Craig Hainline29,368
11Stephen Leaney28,614
12Heinz-Peter Thül27,418
13Nicolas Vanhootegem26,936
14Søren Kjeldsen26,581
15Bradley Dredge26,415