12 Challenge Tour competitors make the grade at Qualifying School

Two weeks after the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, which saw 15 players graduate to the European Tour, a further 12 secured their cards for 2019 at Qualifying School Final Stage.

Of the top 27 who sealed their places on Europe’s top tier next season, 12 where plying their trade on the Challenge Tour in 2018.

France’s<strong>Romain Langasque </strong>and Sweden’s<strong>Niklas Lemke</strong>were both inside the projected top 15 at points during the Grand Final, but after both narrowly missing out the pair dusted themselves off and took their good form to Lumine Golf Club in Spain – where they came through six rounds to earn playing rights for next season's European Tour.

Lemke’s countryman<strong>Anton Karlsson</strong>, who finished in 31<span style="font-size: 10px;">st</span>place in this year’s Rankings, secured a second season on the European Tour, while Germany’s<strong>Bernd Ritthammer</strong>– a three-time Challenge Tour champion in 2016 – also progressed through Final Stage.

Joining Ritthammer is his fellow German<strong>Max Schmitt</strong>– the youngest Q-School graduate this season at just 20 years old – who will be a European Tour rookie in 2019, along with<strong>Ivan Cantero Gutierrez, Guido Migliozzi, Kristian Krogh Johannessen, Hugo Leon, Filippo Bergamaschi, Nick Cullen,</strong><strong>Scott Gregory</strong>and<strong>Lemke</strong>.

In addition to those 12 players, along with the top 15 on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah, both<strong>Richard McEvoy</strong>and<strong>Tom Lewis</strong>progressed from the Challenge Tour to the European Tour this year after winning the<strong>Porsche European Open</strong>and<strong>Portugal Masters</strong>respectively.

As a result a total of 29 players made the step up from the Challenge Tour to Europe’s top tier this season – a fantastic achievement by all!