Holding out for heroics - top 15 profiles
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<em>Heroes will be made when the dust settles on this week's NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. The top 15 players in the Road to Oman Rankings by this time next week will be safe in the knowledge that they will be playing among the golfing elite on The European Tour in 2016. We profile our heroes in waiting, the men currently occupying those coveted spots...</em>
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<strong>Ricardo Gouveia</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>1
<strong>Age: </strong>24
<strong>Nationality:</strong>Portuguese
<strong>CT wins: </strong>Two (one in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>11
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€157,592
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Gouveia is the highest-ranked Portuguese golfer in history, currently in 113th position
<strong>Sebastien Gros</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>2
<strong>Age: </strong>25
<strong>Nationality: </strong>French
<strong>CT wins: </strong>2 (both in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>5
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€153,612
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Gros’ six-shot win at the Najeti Open Presented by Neuflize OBC is the biggest winning margin this season
<strong>Borja Virto Astudillo</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>3
<strong>Age: </strong>24
<strong>Nationality:</strong>Spanish
<strong>CT wins: </strong>2 (both in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens:</strong>6
<strong>2015 winnings:</strong>€135,432
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Hails from Pamplona, the home of the famous annual bull run
<strong>Bjӧrn Åkesson</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>4
<strong>Age: </strong>26
<strong>Nationality: </strong>Swedish
<strong>CT wins: 0</strong>
<strong>2015 top tens: 5</strong>
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€101,101
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Played for Arizona State University, whose alumni include Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey
<strong>Nacho Elvira</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>5
<strong>Age: </strong>28
<strong>Nationality: </strong>Spanish
<strong>CT wins:</strong>4 (3 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: 3</strong>
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€94,545
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Elvira’s victory in the ROLEX Trophy, his third of the season, earned him immediate promotion to The European Tour
<strong>Gary Boyd</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>6
<strong>Age: </strong>29
<strong>Nationality: </strong>English
<strong>CT wins:</strong>1 (0 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens:</strong>6
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€93,682
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Boyd is a close friend of clubmate at Woburn, Ian Poulter, and credits advice from the Englishman and his fellow Ryder Cup heroes Henrik Stenson and Graeme McDowell for sparking his return to form
<strong>Jens Fahrbring</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>7
<strong>Age: </strong>31
<strong>Nationality: </strong>Swedish
<strong>CT wins:</strong>2 (1 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens:</strong>3
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€83,356
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Shared the lead after round three of last month’s 72° OPEN D'ITALIA presented by DAMIANI, alongside Martin Kaymer and Romain Wattel, eventually finishing in a share of third
<strong>Rhys Davies</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>8
<strong>Age: </strong>30
<strong>Nationality: </strong>Welsh
<strong>CT wins:</strong>4 (2 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>3
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€82,992
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Had to choose between playing cricket or golf professionally as a teenager, having represented Glamorgan and Wales in the former
<strong>Thomas Linard</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>9
<strong>Age: </strong>27
<strong>Nationality: </strong>French
<strong>CT wins: </strong>1 (0 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>4
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€82,958
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Has not finished outside of the top 25 in his last seven Challenge Tour appearances, while both of his runner-up finishes this year have come on home soil
<strong>Andrew McArthur</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>10
<strong>Age: </strong>36
<strong>Nationality: </strong>Scottish
<strong>CT wins: </strong>2 (0 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>3
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€79,485
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Beat Scott Jamieson in the final to win the 2002 Scottish Amateur Championship, joining the likes of Colin Montgomerie and Stephen Gallacher on the famous trophy
<strong>Jamie McLeary</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>11
<strong>Age: </strong>34
<strong>Nationality: </strong>Scottish
<strong>CT wins: </strong>2 (1 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>5
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€77,993
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Is a die-hard Arsenal fan as well as a self-confessed petrol head, claiming that if he had the money he would spend more on cars than Ian Poulter
<strong>Ryan Fox</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>12
<strong>Age: </strong>28
<strong>Nationality: </strong>New Zealander
<strong>CT wins: 1 </strong>(1 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>5
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€74,565
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Is the son of former All Blacks rugby legend, Grant, who won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987
<strong>Haydn Porteous</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>13
<strong>Age: </strong>21
<strong>Nationality: </strong>South African
<strong>CT wins: </strong>1 (1 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>4
<strong>2015 winnings:</strong>€74,033
<strong>Did you know? </strong>As an amateur in South Africa, Porteous won the South African Stroke Play in 2012 before retaining it with victory the following year
<strong>Daniel Im</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>14
<strong>Age: </strong>30
<strong>Nationality: </strong>American
<strong>CT wins: </strong>1 (1 in 2015)
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>2
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€72,806
<strong>Did you know? </strong>Proposed to his fiancée at Rome’s Spanish Steps ahead of this year’s EMC Challenge Open
<strong>John Hahn</strong>
<strong>RtO Ranking: </strong>15
<strong>Age: </strong>26
<strong>Nationality: </strong>American
<strong>CT wins: </strong>0
<strong>2015 top tens: </strong>4
<strong>2015 winnings: </strong>€72,720
<strong>Did you know? </strong>
Shot an incredible round of 58 at the Final Qualifying Stage at PGA Catalunya Resort last year, although it did not officially count due to the use of preferred lies
