Daniel Hillier, big triumph at the Swiss Open

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Daniel Hillier won with a total of 274 (68 70 72 64, -14) the Swiss Open, an event of the Challenge Tour which took place in France, in Folgensbourg, on the Golf Saint Apollinaire course (par 72). The New Zealander, thanks to a last lap finished in 64 (-8) with 10 birdies and two bogeys, managed to recover seven positions and conquer the tournament.

Second place for Jeong Weon Ko with 276 (-12). In third position the Swedish Oscar Lengden with 278 (-10).

Daniel Hillier, results

Bitter expedition for the blue colors, with none of the Italians in the race who managed to overcome the cut.

Matteo Manassero finished 62 / o with 146 (74 72, +2), Stefano Mazzoli 100 / o with 149 (76 73, +5), Lorenzo Scalise 112 / o with 151 (75 76, +7), Aron Zemmer 124 / o with 154 (76 78, +10) and Giulio Castagnara 129 / o with 161 (84 77, +17).

Second career success on the Challenge Tour for Daniel Hillier, after the one obtained in 2021 the Challenge Costa Brava. This victory allowed the 24-year-old to cash a check for 40,000 euros out of a total prize pool of 250,000.

The Challenge Tour is a European professional men's golf circuit which acts as the 2nd European division, behind the European PGA Tour. This circuit was created in 1986 and was named Satellite Tour. The top fifteen in the season standings qualify for the following year's PGA European Tour.

Some tournaments are played outside of Europe. In addition, the player who wins three tournaments during the same season automatically passes to the European tour for the current season and keeps his card on this circuit for the following season.

The lower circuits are the Alps Tour, EPD Tour and PGA EuroPro Tour. Each season, the top five from each circuit qualify for the Challenge Tour. The ranking is calculated in Euros since 1999. Prior to this date, the ranking is calculated in pounds sterling.

The Challenge Tour is an annual series of golf tournaments and is the second level of the PGA European Tour. It is mainly held in Europe, but also in other parts of the world, except in North America - there there is the corresponding Nationwide Tour of the US PGA TOUR.

The tournament series was introduced in 1986 and was originally called the Satellite Tour. The 15 best players in the annual ranking will be eligible to play in the 1st league, the PGA European Tour, for the coming year, while the next 30 will be granted a more or less limited entitlement to participate.

If you win three tournaments in one season, you can immediately start the "big" tour. You qualify for the Challenge Tour via the Satellite Tour (formerly Third Level Tours), consisting of the Alps Tour, Pro Golf Tour, Nordic League and PGA EuroPro Tour, namely the first 5 of the respective annual rankings.

However, you can also obtain the right to participate through annual qualifying tournaments – the Qualifying School.