Dec. 8, 2004 – The European Challenge Tour continues its global voyage of discovery with an inaugural visit to Peru this weekend, as the players prepare for the final part of the three leg journey to Latin America at the Peru Open.
Peru is one of Latin America’s most intriguing countries with a rich and varied history of some great civilizations – from the Incas to the Spanish Conquistadors.
Those Challenge Tour Members who make the pilgrimage to the Los Incas Country Club, Lima, Peru, will be hoping that they can conquer all before them and return to Europe having secured an early victory on the 2005 Challenge Tour Schedule.
Richard McEvoy is one man who will arrive in Peru knowing that his Latin American adventure has already been a success. The 25 year old Englishman secured his maiden Challenge Tour victory at last week’s Panasonic Panama Open and now lies second on the 2005 Rankings with earnings of €27,757.
McEvoy finished 19th on the 2003 Challenge Tour Rankings – just four places away from winning a European Tour Card – before going onto win the 2003 Qualifying School Finals. He played on Tour last season but had a disappointing rookie year and finished 150th on the Volvo Order of Merit.
With his brilliant victory in Panama, which saw him play the closing eight holes of the tournament in five under par to win by one stroke, McEvoy can banish the memory of losing his European Tour card and concentrate on winning back his place Tour over the next season on the Challenge Tour.
He is already well on the way, and, having scored his first Challenge Tour win last week, will be confident of making a serious impression on the 2005 Rankings.
The only man to have made a better impression than McEvoy is Argentina’s Rafael Gomez, whose sixth place finish in Panama – coupled with his victory at the season opening 47th Abierto Mexicano de Golf – have elevated him to Number One on the Rankings.
Gomez has amassed €42,776 in just two events, and, like so many of his fellow players from the Tour de las Americas have done over the past three seasons, is sure to be making an impression in and around the top 15 come the end of the 2005 Schedule.
Source: The PGA European Tour
