Challenger tour.. what does it do?

[vkurup]

Saw a few clips about the Challenger tour on the EUR tour. The guys are really good. I am assuming that people can won CT and get a tour card to the main tour. Is there any other way to get a tour card. Folks like Rory probably never went on CT but play on the main tour. So what does the CT do and what alternative do you have to get on the main tour...

 

[Ethan]

It is the Championship to the Euro Tour's Premiership. 15 leading finishers on the Challenge Tour get ET cards each year and the next couple of dozen or so get some limited access to lower ranking events. In the US, the old Q school is now replaced by qualification through the web-com Tour. The same may happen here. Lots of great players have come through the Challenge Tour and quite a few good players go back when they lose their ET cards.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Its pretty tough on that tour, prize money is small, unless you win, and you still have to pay all your expenses.
I met the wife of a Challenge tour player, Paul Dwyer at a family wedding last year, and she was saying how tough it was.

Look at the European tour website, and there must be a dozen plus players who have been regulars on the main tour who have dropped down.

 

[vkurup]

How did the Rorys and Westwood make it to the main tour w/o getting on the Challenger ones? Is there a different route in?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

McIlroy won enough money on the back of sponser invites to gain a tour card and then got a win early

Westwood won early after gaining a tour card

Anyone can enter your score and attempt to gain a tour card - depending on how they get on they will get certain levels of exemptions - full , certain amount of events or on the challenge tour

 

[fundy]

Theres qualifying school each year where 30 cards are awarded, thats the main route on to the tour.

 

[MendieGK]

Although, challenge your top 15 get better statuses than tour school (rightly so IMO)

 

[Dan2501]

Some top players have come through the Challenge Tour. Henrik Stenson, Thomas Bjorn, Brooks Koepka, Jamie Donaldson, Branden Grace, Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, and Ben An are all Challenge Tour graduates. It's an excellent feeder system to get on to the main Tour, much like the Web.Com tour in the US, although that tour is more lucrative than the Challenge Tour.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Think 3 wins in a challenge tour season status gets you ET status for the rest of that year and the year after as well