The European Challenge Tour is set to write golfing history with a journey to the Republic of Kazakhstan for the first professional golf tournament in the country's history, the Kazakhstan Open, to be played at the Nurtau Golf Club, Almaty, Kazakhstan, from September 25-28.

Nurtau Golf Club was opened by seven time European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, who played with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazabraev on his visit to the country in 2003.

The Kazakhstan Open will carry an excellent prize fund of €250,000 and is symbolic of the 2005 Challenge Tour Schedule. The tour's visit to Kazakhstan represents both the pioneering spirit of the Challenge Tour and the fact that in 2005, the Challenge Tour is set to offer its Membership the largest total prize fund in its 17 year history, with the players contesting over €5,000,000 across 31 confirmed events.

A large portion of that prize money will be won at the four dual ranking events between The European Tour and the Challenge Tour on the 2005 Schedule. The Madeira Island Open, from April 7-10, with its purse of €600,000, will play a huge role in the race for the 2005 Rankings, as will the Aa St Omer Open (June 16-19) and Russian Open (August 11-14), alongside the newly established Abama Open de Canarias at the Abama GC, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, from October 6-9.

There are currently five new events on the Schedule – the Kazakhstan Open, the Abama Open de Canarias, the Thomas Björn Open presented by Multidata, the Open de Mahou de Madrid and the Rotterdam International Open – all of which are welcome additions to the 2005 Challenge Tour.

Thomas Björn of Denmark won the Challenge Tour Rankings in 1995 and has decided this year to repay the tour that launched his career by financially supporting the Thomas Björn Open presented by Multidata, while the Rotterdam International Open makes way for a happy return to Holland for the Challenge Tour, having last visited the Netherlands in 1997.

With new tournaments on the Canary Islands and in Madrid set alongside the Peugeot Challenge R.C.G El Prat, the Challenge Tour's presence in Spain is as strong as ever. Similarly in Italy, where the Tessali Metaponto Open di Puglia e Basilicata and the Texbond Challenge in giving the 2005 Schedule a touch of Italian flair.

Having already visited Central and South America, as well as Kenya, for the first seven tournaments of the season, the 2005 Challenge Tour has managed to hold onto its pioneering spirit while maintaining strong European roots.

The Challenge Tour strives to provide The European Tour's next generation of golfers with a comprehensive education in preparation for The Tour, and with venues like Garda Golf (home of this year's Texbond Challenge as well as The European Tour's Italian Open in 1997 and 2003), the new, Greg Norman designed, Real Club de Golf El Prat, and the delightful Fontana GC (home of the BA CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria), the 2005 Schedule can offer its Membership a stiff test as they do battle for the top 15 places on the Rankings – and the ultimate prize of a place on The 2006 European Tour.

Source - European Tour