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**truebluefan** · 05-26-2008, 03:37 AM

Golf du Governeur, Monthieux, France

**truebluefan** · 07-05-2008, 10:08 PM

Sweden’s Christian Nilsson will attempt to re-claim his place at the head of the European Challenge Tour Rankings this week when he tees up at the inaugural AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon in Monthieux, France.

Having played seven events on The European Tour, a tied seventh at the Methorios Capital Italian Open being his best effort until he shot to the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings with his runner-up finish at the dual ranking SAINT OMER OPEN presented by NEUFLIZE OBC.

For the remainder of the season, Nilsson will now devote most of his attention to the Challenge Tour in a bid to guarantee a full-time return to The European Tour.

The Swede is currently second in the Rankings on €55,550, having been overtaken by Seve Benson after the Englishman finished tied second at last week’s Scottish Challenge.

Benson is not in the field for France but one man who is, is Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon, who withdrew from this week’s Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles to concentrate on enhancing his Challenge Tour credentials.

Hutcheon said: “I was fortunate enough to be invited to France, so I have to go really. It put me in a bit of a quandary, because it meant missing out on the Scottish PGA Championship, which I really wanted to play. But after making the cut and playing well at the Scottish Challenge, my decision was made for me.

“I’d be foolish to decline an invitation for a Challenge Tour event. It’s just a shame I had to call Gleneagles with the bad news, but hopefully it might let a youngster in who otherwise wouldn’t have got the chance to play. I had no real intentions of playing on the Challenge Tour at the start of the season, but it’s just kind of turned out that way.

“I knew some of the guys from Tusker who sponsor the Kenya Open, and because of the political situation at the time not many players were particularly keen to go over there, so I offered to play. I ended up finishing fifth, and then went over to the Moroccan Classic, where I finished second. So it’s come out of the blue a bit, and I’ve had to re-think my plans.”

Another player who will be heading straight from Versailles to Monthieux is Sébastien Delagrange. Along with compatriot Jean Pierre Cixous, who finished tied tenth at the Telenet Trophy, Delagrange will bid to become the first Frenchman to triumph on this season’s Challenge Tour Schedule.

The latest player to claim a Challenge Tour title is Taco Remkes of the Netherlands, who heads to France in fine fettle after his superb five-shot victory at the Scottish Challenge.

Remkes said: “It’s a great feeling to win in my first season on the Challenge Tour. I came close in Argentina, and that experienced helped me. Now I look forward to the rest of the season with great confidence."

**truebluefan** · 07-05-2008, 10:08 PM

Chris Gane led the English charge at the top of the leaderboard at the AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon with a superb nine-under par 63 in the protracted first round.

The Londoner produced a flawless display on the greens to card seven birdies and an eagle three on the third hole in perfect conditions at the Golf du Gouverneur.

Gane equalled his previous lowest European Challenge Tour score, set at the Rolex Trophy in 2001, to overtake fellow Londoner Andrew Butterfield by one stroke at the top of the leaderboard in Monthieux, France.

The 34 year old, without a top 20 finish in 2008, was in one of the final groups to complete their first round, which was severely delayed by torrential rain that limitied play to just four-and-a-half hours on Thursday.

Flooding at the Golf du Gouverneur meant that Gane’s section of the draw did not hit a ball at all on the opening day and will play their second round immediately following on from their first.

Gane will be hoping to carry his momentum forward after a sensational opening round display, which he said was his best of the season so far.

He said: “That’s my lowest score of the year and I was really pleased with it. I putted really well today and got lucky with a couple of shots.

“I hit some really close shots and took my good luck and my chances. I think our side of the draw was quite lucky really as we knew early on yesterday that we were not playing at all so we relaxed and then practiced in the afternoon.

“The greens were then really good for us and some of the tees were brought forward because the landing areas were wet so the course was playing short, especially the par fives.

“It’s sometimes nice not to have a break between rounds as otherwise you mull things over. It’s going to be a long day but hopefully I can do the same again. I’ve been playing well lately but just not putting much. The course is giving us plenty of chances so hopefully if I can putt like that again I will take some of them.”

Butterfield put a nightmare start behind him, when he three-putted his first hole for a bogey, to card an eight under par 64.

He said: “When I three putted the first I thought it was going to be a long day. It was typical of the starts I have been making this year. The flooding yesterday meant the tees have been brought forward so the course is playing shorter and I’m quite straight off the tee.

“I haven’t been putting well this year but I did today. I was very pleased with the round. It’s a great start.

“Sometimes it is easier to just keep going and play 36 holes. The course and conditions will be pretty much the same. Sometimes when you go to sleep on a good round you don’t know what you will wake up to.”

The English contingent at the top of the leaderboard was completed by David Horsey and Gary Lockerbie who both carded seven under par rounds of 65 to join European trio Roope Kakko, Jan-Are Larsen and Bernd Wiesberger for a share of third place after round one.

**truebluefan** · 07-05-2008, 10:09 PM

England’s John E Morgan will aim to put six difficult years behind him when he takes a one stroke lead into the final round of AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon.

Morgan claimed his maiden European Challenge Tour win at the Charles Church Challenge Tour Championship three months after he overcame dyslexia and epilepsy to turn professional in April 2002 but admits he has found the interim period difficult, including losing his European Tour card.

Those struggles could be wiped away with a win in Monthieux after the 30 year old shot a 66 at the Golf du Gouverneur to move to 18 under par, a shot clear of Switzerland’s Raphaёl De Sousa and England’s Marcus Higley.

Morgan’s lead might have been more had it not been for a mobile phone going off in the crowd which he said distracted him on the seventh hole, contributing to a wayward drive en route to a double bogey six.

That came after an eagle on the third hole and the man from Bristol also eagled the par four 13th after a holing a superb 117 yard two iron second shot from the rough.

He said: “The shot on 13 was an absolute beaut. I was in some rough and I’m not a big hitter but as soon as I hit it I knew I had caught it well then I just saw it disappear. There was a bit of pelvic thrusts for the crowd after that one.”

After four top ten finishes so far this season, Morgan feels he has a good chance of landing that elusive victory and helping him towards winning his European Tour card back.

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**truebluefan** · 07-06-2008, 07:53 PM

England’s David Horsey became the first double winner on the European Challenge Tour this season after holing a crucial 36ft birdie on the final hole to clinch the tightly contested AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon by one stroke.

In driving rain more akin to his home town of Manchester than Monthieux, Horsey carded six birdies on the back nine to come home in 30 and move ahead of countryman Seve Benson in the Challenge Tour Rankings.

Horsey finished on a 22 under par total of 266 – the lowest 72 hole total to par on the Challenge Tour this season - after a flawless final round 65 at the Golf du Gouverneur for his second title in three weeks following his victory at the Telenet Trophy.

After starting the day in sixth position and three shots behind leader John E Morgan, Horsey carded four straight birdies starting on the 13th hole to give him the outright lead for the first time on the 16th.

His huge birdie putt on the 18th hole came after he thought he might have blown his chance of victory when he three putted the penultimate hole to miss another birdie chance.

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