ITALIAN PAVAN LEADS BY THREE AT HALFWAY IN CHALLENGE TOUR GRAND FINAL

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Andrea Pavan soared into a three-shot lead at the Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club, thanks a six-under-par second round of 66, leaving him right on course to become the first multiple winner of the prestigious event.

The Italian entered the week as the man to catch in the race to be 

crowned European Challenge Tour Number One and, having shared 

the first round lead overnight at the splendid Al Badia Golf Club by 

InterContinental, his relentless charge to a season-ending double 

only gathered pace on day two.

Pavan started as he meant to continue, with a birdie at the first, but 

after reaching the turn in one under, it was the back nine where his 

round caught fire in the scorching Dubai heat.

A birdie at the tenth kicked things off before he picked up another shot at the par five 13^th and just as the likes of Shiv Kapur, Tyrrell 

Hatton and José-Filipe Lima began to close the gap on the 24 year 

old, he slammed it shut to finish with three consecutive birdies and 

move three clear on 12 under par.

Nobody has ever won the Challenge Tour’s finale twice and, 

having claimed the title on his home course in Italy in 2011, 

Pavan is relishing the opportunity to create history and better 

his second place finish in the Rankings two years ago.

“It would be fantastic to finish off the season in style,” he said. “But 

I have two rounds to go. I know what I need to do but I can’t 

control what the other guys do, and if someone goes low on the 

weekend then hats off to them. I just have to play my best, be right 

there towards the end, and finish it off.

“There is still a lot of golf to play, and even if someone else wins 

and I finish second I’ll still be the Number One so I’m in a great 

spot and I can’t complain.

“If I keep playing like this it is just a matter of being patient and 

waiting for the birdies to come because you get a lot of 

opportunities. But you need to play smart out here because if you 

get too aggressive and miss a few shots, you get punished.”

Kapur, meanwhile, is in need of a strong finish this week if he is to 

claim one of the 15 European Tour cards on offer at the end of the 

finale and he is right on course for a return to The Race to Dubai 

next season after a six under 66 moved him to outright second on 

nine under par.

“I knew going into China and this week that I needed a good 

finish,” said the Indian, who won the 2013 Challenge Tour 

season opener in his home country. “The focus was on trying to 

win and if you try to win or contend that will take care of 

anything else.

“I don’t think the goals will change for the weekend, I want to put 

myself in a position where I can have a chance to win and that’s all I 

want to do and we’ll look at the money list at the end of that.”

Englishman Hatton and Lima of Portugal were one shot further 

back on eight under par, having both enjoyed strong finishes to their 

rounds to mount a title push.

Hatton finished with three birdies to card a five under par 67 while 

Lima posted an eagle at the par five last hole to sign for a six under 

66.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

132 A Pavan (Ita) 66 66,

135 S Kapur (Ind) 69 66,

136 T Hatton (Eng) 69 67, J Lima  (Por) 70 66,

138 N Elvira  (Esp) 70 68, J Guerrier  (Fra) 69 69, O Wilson (Eng) 71 67, S Tiley (Eng) 73 65, W Besseling  (Ned) 70 68, R Davies (Wal) 69 69, J McLeary  (Sco) 68 70, J Carlsson (Swe) 68 70,

139 A McArthur  (Sco) 70 69,

140 E Dubois (Fra) 68 72, T Nørret (Den) 71 69, D Stewart (Sco) 72 68, S Manley (Wal) 73 67,

141 T Sluiter  (Ned) 70 71, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 70,

142 S Kim (SKor) 73 69, A Gee  (Eng) 73 69,

143 J Elson  (Eng) 72 71, N Lemke (Swe) 70 73, B Ritthammer (Ger) 74 69, J Dantorp (Swe) 70 73, B Paolini (USA) 66 77,

144 R Kakko  (Fin) 73 71, D Gaunt (Aus) 72 72, J Fahrbring (Swe) 73 71, V Riu  (Fra) 72 72,

145 S Walker (Eng) 77 68, J Huldahl (Den) 73 72, B An (Kor) 74 71

146 L Kennedy  (Eng) 68 78, P Archer (Eng) 74 72, M Crespi  (Ita) 73 73

147 A Otaegui  (Esp) 69 78

148 D Frittelli (RSA) 72 76, R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 76 72,

149 D Huizing (Ned) 76 73,

150 L Bjerregaard  (Den) 73 77, D Im (USA) 74 76, F Calmels  (Fra) 72 78

151 A Domingo (Esp) 77 74

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS