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**truebluefan** · 06-16-2008, 10:03 AM

G&CC An der Elfrather Mühle, Dusseldorf, Germany

**truebluefan** · 08-15-2008, 02:42 PM

An illustrious list of former winners will serve as inspiration for the field at this week’s Vodafone Challenge on the European Challenge Tour.

European Tour Members Martin Kaymer and Joost Luiten can both count the Vodafone Challenge amongst their Challenge Tour titles, with the German claiming victory at the inaugural event in 2006, and the Dutchman following suit 12 months later.

Indeed, Luiten’s triumph at the Golf and Country Club An der Elfrather Mühle in Dusseldorf, Germany, last year was a record-breaking one, as the flying Dutchman produced the lowest final round by a winner in Challenge Tour history – an 11 under par 61.

Kaymer’s victory, his maiden Challenge Tour success, was perhaps less spectacular, but was made all the more emotive as the youngster hails from Dusseldorf.

Runner-up behind Kaymer in 2006 was England’s Matthew King, who will be aiming to go one better when he tees up this year at the 6,859 yards par 72 course, situated 30km north of Dusseldorf.

But King will face a strong home contingent in his pursuit of the €140,000 prize fund, with Kariem Baraka, Benjamin Miarka, Christian Reimbold and Richard Treis all hoping to emulate Kaymer’s success.

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**truebluefan** · 08-15-2008, 02:43 PM

Carlos del Moral Spain and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay produced a pair of seven under par 65s to take the first round lead of the Vodafone Challenge at the G&CC An der Elfrather Mühle.

Both men kept mistakes to a minimum as they shot to the top of the leaderboard, two strokes clear of another Scotsman, George Murray, with four players – including the 20 year old German amateur Stephan Gross – in a tie for fourth place on four under.

Indeed, del Moral and Ramsay had strikingly similar cards that included one bad hole and 17 very good ones. Del Moral’s sole aberration came on the par five fourth, where poor club selection from the tee led the 22 year old to make a double bogey seven.

Ramsay’s single dropped shot – on the par three 14th – could not dampen an otherwise excellent day’s work.

The former US Amateur Champion, who is looking for his maiden professional success in Germany this week, is playi9ng with a new putter in the bag and was delighted with how he performed on the greens.

“I kept my game steady today and hit a lot of greens, which gave me a lot of chances,” said Ramsay. I hit every green in regulation or better on my back nine today.

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**truebluefan** · 08-15-2008, 02:44 PM

Germany’s Stephan Gross continued to make a mockery of his ‘amateur’ status at the Vodafone Challenge by outplaying the 150 professionals, as well as his five fellow amateurs in the field, to take the outright lead.

The 20 year old added a brilliant second round of six under par 66 to his opening 68 at the G&CC An der Elfrather Mühle in Dusseldorf to lead Scotland’s Richie Ramsay by one, and Germany’s Kariem Baraka, Denmark’s Soren Juul and Scotland’s George Murray by two heading into the final 36 holes.

He may still have an amateur status, but Gross has been the personification of many of the attributes required to succeed on the European Challenge Tour: talent, confidence and fearlessness.

“It was an almost perfect round today, I missed just one short putt, but holed two long putts,” said Gross after signing for his ten under par 134 aggregate score.

“I am striking the ball very well at the moment and my putter is getting hit as well, so it’s a good combination. I have confidence in my ability – my results on the first two rounds here are more or less as I expected them!”

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**truebluefan** · 08-17-2008, 08:59 PM

Germany’s Stephan Gross Jnr remained on course to become only the third amateur in history to claim a Challenge Tour title after establishing a one shot lead on day three of the Vodafone Challenge.

On the final hole at G&CC An der Elfrather Muhler in Dusseldorf, Germany, the youngster made birdie – his fifth of the day – to move to 13 under par and maintain a one shot advantage over a trio of players including Norway’s Lars Brovold, who shot the lowest round of the day, a 65.

Joining Brovold on 12 under par were the Scottish duo of George Murray and Richie Ramsay, who shot rounds of 68 and 69 respectively.

But the man they have to catch is Gross Jnr, who is bidding to follow Sweden’s Eric Carlberg and Finland’s Roope Kakko into the record books and become the third player to win on the Challenge Tour as an amateur.

He said: “I started the round well with nine pars on the front nine. On the back nine I played really well, but unlike yesterday the putts fell just short of the hole. But that’s golf – you can’t force it.

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**truebluefan** · 08-17-2008, 08:59 PM

An astonishing comeback at the Vodafone Challenge saw Scotland’s Richie Ramsay claim his first Challenge Tour title at the expense of his close friend and compatriot George Murray.

Murray’s missed putt from eight feet on the last hole at G&CC An der Elfrather Muhlein Germany effectively handed the title to Ramsay, who had looked dead and buried after dropping three shots in his first five holes.

But Ramsay roared back with five birdies and an eagle to finish on 16 under par and take the title by one shot from Murray and amateur ace Stephan Gross Jnr of Germany, who had led going into the final round.

Ramsay, who picked up €22,400, said: “It’s my first win as a professional after years and years of hard work, and I’m just so happy. My Grandfather taught me golf when I was six years old, so a lot of credit goes to him. I talked to [fellow Scot] Andrew Coltart earlier this week, and he told me to keep believing in myself. I kept that in mind when I bogeyed three of the first five holes.

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