Thomas Bjørn
Following his recent win in Qatar and match play defeat of Tiger Woods, Thomas Björn has shown there is still plenty of life left in the great Dane, but as he prepares to enter the twilight of an illustrious career the 40 year old is also turning his attention to developing the next generation of golfers.
Björn, who won the Challenge Tour Rankings in 1995 and has since captured 11 European Tour titles, will lend his support to the ECCO Tour Championship hosted by Thomas Björn and Mercedes-Benz, which will be played at Lübker Golf Resort in his homeland from August 17-20.
Last year the tournament helped to launch the career of 22 year old Danish amateur Andreas Hartø, who subsequently turned professional and captured his second Challenge Tour title just two months later, at the Roma Golf Open presented by REZZA.
Along with his compatriot and fellow Challenge Tour champion Thorbjørn Olesen, Hartø is now plying his trade on The European Tour, having earned his card by finishing eighth at last year’s Qualifying School Final Stage.
Without the grounding the Challenge Tour provided them with, Björn believes there is a fair chance that neither player would be where they are today.
Björn said: “Having a Challenge Tour event in Denmark is a great thing for the young players in the country, and it’s something I’m very proud to support. The Challenge Tour played a big part in my career – I was able to win four times in 1995 and the get onto The European Tour as a result, so I’m very happy to be able to give something back to the Tour.
“We have some good young Danish players at the moment such as Andreas and Thorbjørn , who have both played and won on the Challenge Tour, and hopefully events such as this one will help even more young players come through. Thorbjørn in particular has taken to life on the main Tour very well, and there’s no doubt his education on the Challenge Tour helped greatly in that regard.
“Mark Haastrup is beginning to fulfil his potential after managing to keep his card on the main Tour last season, and Thomas Norret also earned his card through the Qualifying School last year. So the future’s looking bright for Danish golf at the moment, which is why it’s so important to build on the foundations by having a Challenge Tour event in Denmark.”
Following Martin Kaymer’s ascent to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, the Challenge Tour’s stock has arguably never been higher.
After reaching the final of last week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Kaymer became the first Challenge Tour graduate to hold the Number One position, thereby capping a meteoric rise since his victory on his professional Challenge Tour debut at the 2006 Vodafone Challenge; and Björn believes the German’s career path should serve as a blueprint for all aspiring young golfers.
He said: “The Challenge Tour is a great way for you players to learn how to play the professional game, and to compete against each other in four-round tournaments in different conditions. The experience is crucial, and you only have to see how well Martin’s done since coming through the Challenge Tour to realise that. There’s every chance he still would’ve become World Number One without the Challenge Tour, but there’s no doubt the Tour played a crucial role in helping speed up the process by giving him the opportunities to learn and develop as a player from a young age.”
