The German Challenge powered by VcG takes place this week at Wittelsbacher Golfclub, with several players in the 156-man field looking to build on an outstanding start to their rookie seasons.
The Road to Mallorca Rankings through 17 events of the 29-event schedule sees seven of the top 20 enjoying breakout seasons, as the ‘new kids on the block’ target promotion to the DP World Tour at the first time of asking.
With the top 20 earning graduation to golf’s Global Tour come November, five of those seven are in Neuburg an der Donau this week, looking to consolidate their spot inside the promotion places.
The first of those is Maximilian Steinlechner, who has enjoyed a career changing two weeks on the Road to Mallorca having secured his maiden HotelPlanner Tour title on home soil at the Interwetten Open followed by a runner up finish at last week’s D+D REAL Czech Challenge, and the Austrian has catapulted into the Number One spot on the Rankings.
Steinlechner guaranteed playing privileges for 2025 by finishing 61st in the Rankings last season from limited starts, and with promotion to the DP World Tour all but secured he has one eye on becoming the first Austrian to be crowned HotelPlanner Tour Number One.
Clement Charmasson is another in Germany this week that continues to impress in his maiden season. The Frenchman graduated from the Pro Golf Tour last year and made the most of just his fifth HotelPlanner Tour start, holding his nerve to triumph in the Challenge de España two months ago.
The 26-year-old recently finished in a tie for eighth on home soil at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge to strengthen his position in the Rankings, and currently placed 12th he is in with a great chance of back-to-back promotions.
Irishman Liam Nolan received invites into the opening two weeks of the season and took full advantage, guaranteeing additional starts on the Road to Mallorca due to his performances.
Nolan kick-started his campaign with back-to-back top four finishes in South Africa, before following that with a third-place finish in the Danish Golf Challenge to boost his points total for the season. He arrives in Germany 20th in the Rankings.
Victor Sidal Svenson became a three-time winner on the Nordic Golf League in 2024 to graduate to the HotelPlanner Tour and has continued that blistering form through the first six months of the season.
The Dane has looked at home towards the top end of the leaderboard on no less than four occasions in just 11 starts this term. He tees it up in Germany fresh from a tied second place finish last week which saw him climb to a season-high seventh in the Rankings.
Tobias Jonsson from Sweden is also in the field in Neuburg an der Donau, with the Road to Mallorca Number 17 having registered two top tens and two other top 20s in eight starts.
Jonsson – similarly to Nolan – started the season relying on invites, but his performances have guaranteed starts for the remainder of the year.
The 25-year-old impressed as an amateur, becoming the individual winner of the 2022 Eisenhower Trophy, and will be hoping to continue his good form this week.
