ANOTHER YANKEE DOODLE DANDY LOOKING TO STEP UP FROM CHALLENGE TOUR

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

With Brooks Koepka and Peter Uihlein now mixing it with some of the best players in the world, having begun their respective seasons on the Challenge Tour, Daniel Im is the latest young American looking to follow them onto The European Tour and he is hoping to take a big step towards that goal this week at the Open Blue Green Cotes d’Armor Bretagne. 
The 28 year old is playing his first full season on the Challenge Tour in 2013, thanks to a tie for 44^th place in last year’s Qualifying School Final Stage at PGA Catalunya Resort, and Im comes to Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André off the back of three top ten finishes so far this year. 
A tie for fourth in India at the Gujarat Kensville Challenge was a fine way to start the year, and he followed that with a tie for fifth a few months later at the Challenge de España in the picturesque island resort of La Gomera.

However, his best result so far came just four weeks ago at the 

Norwegian Challenge where he finished three strokes adrift of 

winner Jens Fahrbring in a tie for second alongside Pontus Widegren, a result which propelled Im up to 13^th position in the 

Challenge Tour Rankings.

The top 15 at the end of the season will gain their European Tour 

card and, while the American comes to north western France in a 

strong position, he is reluctant to get too excited with so many 

important tournaments still to come.

“There are a lot of big tournaments left,” said the 28 year old. “I 

just need to keep playing the way I have been, especially as I am 

heading home after Kazakhstan, before coming back for China. 

That means I’ve got six events remaining, so I’m just looking 

forward to those.

“My game feels alright, but it feels OK every week, it just depends 

on how I’m putting. Last week I started well in Northern Ireland, I 

was in the top ten after two rounds, but I didn’t play too well at the 

weekend. It was pretty tough, and obviously the scores weren’t as 

low as they have been the last few tournaments.

“For me the goal is to just keep the Rankings out of my head, they 

don’t mean too much at this point, but in my current position I just 

need to keep playing well and I think I’ll be OK. That’s all I’m 

focussing on.”

Im will be joined in France by compatriot Brinson Paolini, who has 

settled into life on the Challenge Tour more quickly than most, 

picking up a maiden title at Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in just his 

third start as a professional back in July.

There will also be plenty of home talent too, spearheaded by 

Rankings number three François Calmels, who will once again be 

on the lookout for a third title of the year that would earn him an 

automatic ascent to The European Tour.

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS