View source for Challenge Tour

{{Short description|Professional golf tour in Europe}}
{{About|the golf event series|the second-tier snooker tour|Q Tour}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title          = Challenge Tour
| current_season = 2025 Challenge Tour
| logo           = PGA European Challenge Tour logo.png
| pixels         = 200px
| caption        =
| Formerly       = 
| sport          = Golf
| founded        = 1986
| fame           =
| motto          =
| inaugural      = 1989
| teams          =
| countries      = Based in Europe{{efn|Schedules have also included events in Asia, Africa, South America and North America.}}
| venue          =
| champion       =
| most_champs    = '''Tournament wins''':<br>{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Iain Pyman]] (8)
| qualification  =
| folded         =
| website        = http://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/
| singles        =
| ceo            = 
| Director       = Alain de Soultrait
| TV             = 
| related_comps  = [[European Tour]]
| Founder        = [[PGA European Tour]]
}}
The '''Challenge Tour''', currently titled as the '''HotelPlanner Tour''' for sponsorship reasons and also sometimes referred to as the '''European Challenge Tour''', is the second-tier men's professional [[golf]] tour in [[Europe]]. It is operated by the [[PGA European Tour]] and similarly with the main [[European Tour]] and the [[European Senior Tour]], some of the events are played outside Europe.

==History==
The tour was introduced in 1986, when the national tours of Sweden, France and Italy became open to foreign players, and was initially called the '''Satellite Tour'''. The Order of Merit was introduced in 1989, with the top five players on it winning membership of the European Tour for the following season.<ref name=svenskrank>{{cite magazine |date=December 1989 |title=Challenge Tour 1989 |url=http://www.e-magin.se/paper/j0btbf03/paper/1#/paper/pr35c39r/70 |magazine=Svensk Golf |language=sv |page=71 |access-date=15 February 2021 |number=12 |quote=De fem första erhåller ET kortet utan kvalspel i La Manga. |trans-quote=The first five receive an ET [European Tour] card without going to qualifying school at La Manga.}}</ref> The following year the tour was renamed the Challenge Tour, a name already used in 1989. Up to 1993 the Challenge Tour rankings were based on each player's best several results, but since 1994 it has been a straightforward money list, with all results counting.

Players who are successful on the Challenge Tour qualify for membership of the European Tour the following year. Twenty players earn direct promotion to the European Tour. Players finishing 21–45 may also gain qualification for occasional low-prize-money European Tour events, but can improve their status through European Tour Qualifying School. Players who win three Challenge Tour events in a season are fast-tracked onto the main tour immediately and are fully exempt the following season, similar to that of the US-based [[Korn Ferry Tour]].

==World ranking points==
[[Official World Golf Ranking]] points are awarded for high finishes in Challenge Tour events. Formerly, most events awarded 12 points to the winner, with European Tour dual-ranking events awarding 18 points. The [[Challenge Tour Grand Final]] gave 17 points to the winner. 

In 2014, a number of events received slightly higher points totals, with three events earning a minimum of 13 points and the Challenge Tour Grand Final winner receiving 17 points, up from 16.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.owgr.com/news/2014/august/press-release |title=OWGR Board Announces Adjustments To Ranking System |publisher=Official World Golf Ranking |date=6 August 2014 |access-date=29 August 2023 |quote=The European Challenge Tour is introducing a "final series" of events this year and the Board agreed that the minimum ranking points for these events would be increased.}}</ref>

In January 2025, it was announced that the tour had signed a title sponsorship agreement with [[HotelPlanner]], being renamed as the '''HotelPlanner Tour'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/news/articles/detail/challenge-tour-welcomes-hotelplanner-as-title-partner/ |title=Challenge Tour welcomes HotelPlanner as Title Partner |publisher=European Tour |date=17 January 2025 |access-date=20 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/hotelplanners-title-deal-elevates-challenge-tour/ |title=HotelPlanner's title deal 'elevates' Challenge Tour |work=SportBusiness |first=Matthew |last=Glendinning |date=20 January 2025 |access-date=20 January 2025}}</ref>

==Satellite tours==
One competitive level down from the Challenge Tour are five third-level developmental tours, the [[Alps Tour]], the [[Pro Golf Tour]], the [[PGA EuroPro Tour]] (ceased in 2022;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://europrotour.com/europro-tour-news/pga-europro-tour-final-season/ |title=PGA EuroPro Tour Final Season |publisher=PGA EuroPro Tour |date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208003852/https://europrotour.com/europro-tour-news/pga-europro-tour-final-season/ |archive-date=8 December 2022 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> replaced by the [[Clutch Pro Tour]] and the [[Tartan Pro Tour]]) and the [[Nordic Golf League]], each of which is based in a different part of Europe. These circuits are known as the satellite tours. The top players not otherwise exempt (five each from the Alps, Pro Golf, and Nordic Golf League, three from the Clutch Tour, two from the Tartan Pro Tour) from the Order of Merit of each of these tours earn status on the Challenge Tour for the following season. The Challenge Tour also offers status to players competing in the [[European Tour Qualifying School]], giving privileges to those who make the 72-hole cut at the final stage but fail to place in the top 20.

In December 2022, it was announced that the Clutch Pro Tour and the Tartan Pro Tour would become official feeder tours to the Challenge Tour; in place of the now defunct PGA EuroPro Tour. The Tartan Pro Tour would offer Challenge Tour status to the leading player on the Order of Merit, whereas the Clutch Pro Tour would offer Challenge Tour status to the top two players on the Order of Merit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Farmfoods Tartan Pro Tour to become Official Feeder Tour to the Challenge Tour |url=https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/news/articles/detail/farmfoods-tartan-pro-tour-to-become-official-feeder-tour-to-the-challenge-tour/ |date=20 December 2022 |access-date=22 December 2022 |publisher=European Tour}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Clutch Pro Tour to become Official Feeder Tour to the Challenge Tour |url=https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/news/articles/detail/clutch-pro-tour-to-become-official-feeder-tour-to-the-challenge-tour/ |date=21 December 2022 |access-date=22 December 2022 |publisher=European Tour}}</ref> In 2024, with inclusion into the OWGR, the Clutch Pro Tour increased the number of Challenge Tour cards to three, with the Tartan Pro Tour increasing the number of cards to two.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/paul-lawrie-delighted-to-see-tartan-pro-tour-offer-two-challenge-tour-cards-in-2024-4443579 |title=Paul Lawrie delighted to see Tartan Pro Tour offer two Challenge Tour cards in 2024 |newspaper=The Scotsman |first=Martin |last=Dempster |date=13 December 2023 |access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref> In 2024, the [[China Tour]] offered a Challenge Tour card to the player second in the rankings.

One can also earn immediate access to the Challenge Tour for a three-win season on The Tartan Tour, Alps Tour, Pro Golf Tour, and Nordic Golf League.

==Schedules==
{{Main|2024 Challenge Tour}}

Originally, the Challenge Tour events were held in Western Europe. In 1991, the five [[Safari Circuit]] events in Africa were added. Only the [[Kenya Open]] (until 2018) remained a regular event on the tour for more than a few years, although the [[Zambia Open]] returned to the tour between 2001 and 2004 as the first [[Sunshine Tour]] co-sanctioned event. In 2020, the tour re-entered into South Africa, again co-sanctioning events with the Sunshine Tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://voyagesafriq.com/2020/01/23/limpopo-championship-receives-european-challenge-tour-approval/ |title=Limpopo Championship receives European Challenge Tour approval |work=Voyages Afriq |first=Kojo |last=Bentum-Williams |date=23 January 2020 |access-date=29 August 2023}}</ref> Another African tournament, the [[Moroccan Golf Classic]], was held from 2002 to 2010. The Challenge Tour featured tournaments co-sanctioned with the [[Tour de las Américas]] in [[Latin America]] from 2003 to 2011.

In 2011, the tour added its first events in Asia, the [[Gujarat Kensville Challenge]] in India and the [[Kazakhstan Open]]. In 2023, the tour re-expanded their schedule into India, playing two events co-sanctioned alongside the [[Professional Golf Tour of India]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/sponsorship-and-events/challenge-tour-unveils-2023-schedule-with-record-breaking-prize-fund-and-29-events/ |title=Challenge Tour unveils 2023 schedule with record-breaking prize fund and 29 events |work=Golf Business News |date=15 December 2022 |access-date=29 August 2023 |quote=India returns as a host country for the first time since 2013 with two events in March, the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge followed by The Challenge presented by KGA.}}</ref> This came after the [[European Tour]] had entered into a partnership with the PGTI.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/news/articles/detail/professional-golf-tour-of-india-partners-with-dp-world-tour-pga-tour/ |title=Professional Golf Tour of India partners with DP World Tour, PGA Tour |publisher=European Tour |date=16 December 2022 |access-date=16 December 2022}}</ref>

==Rankings winners==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year!!Winner!!Points
|-
| [[2024 Challenge Tour|2024]] || {{flagicon|DNK}} [[Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen]] || align=center|1,826
|-
|[[2023 Challenge Tour|2023]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Marco Penge]] || align=center|1,285
|-
|[[2022 Challenge Tour|2022]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Nathan Kimsey]] || align=center|208,918
|-
|[[2021 Challenge Tour|2021]] || {{flagicon|DNK}} [[Marcus Helligkilde]] || align=center|222,628
|-
|[[2020 Challenge Tour|2020]] || {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Ondřej Lieser]] || align=center|116,345
|-
|[[2019 Challenge Tour|2019]] || {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Francesco Laporta]] || align=center|210,132
|-
|[[2018 Challenge Tour|2018]] || {{flagicon|DNK}} [[Joachim B. Hansen]] || align=center|222,320
|-
|[[2017 Challenge Tour|2017]] || {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Tapio Pulkkanen]] || align=center|210,799
|-
|[[2016 Challenge Tour|2016]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jordan Smith (golfer)|Jordan Smith]] || align=center|239,985
|-
!Year!!Winner!!Prize money ([[Euro|€]])
|-
|[[2015 Challenge Tour|2015]] || {{flagicon|PRT}} [[Ricardo Gouveia (golfer)|Ricardo Gouveia]] || align=center|251,952
|-
|[[2014 Challenge Tour|2014]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Andrew Johnston (golfer)|Andrew Johnston]] || align=center|190,856
|-
|[[2013 Challenge Tour|2013]] || {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Andrea Pavan]] || align=center|147,811
|-
|[[2012 Challenge Tour|2012]] || {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Espen Kofstad]] || align=center|131,099
|-
|[[2011 Challenge Tour|2011]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Tommy Fleetwood]] || align=center|148,913
|-
|[[2010 Challenge Tour|2010]] || {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Álvaro Velasco (golfer)|Álvaro Velasco]] || align=center|134,297
|-
|[[2009 Challenge Tour|2009]] || {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Edoardo Molinari]] || align=center|242,980
|-
|[[2008 Challenge Tour|2008]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[David Horsey (golfer)|David Horsey]] || align=center|144,118
|-
|[[2007 Challenge Tour|2007]] || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Mike Lorenzo-Vera]] || align=center|128,927
|-
|[[2006 Challenge Tour|2006]] || {{flagicon|WAL}} [[Mark Pilkington (golfer)|Mark Pilkington]] || align=center|119,152
|-
|[[2005 Challenge Tour|2005]] || {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Marc Warren (golfer)|Marc Warren]] || align=center|103,577
|-
|[[2004 Challenge Tour|2004]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Lee Slattery]] || align=center|95,980
|-
|[[2003 Challenge Tour|2003]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Johan Edfors]] || align=center|94,509
|-
|[[2002 Challenge Tour|2002]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Lee S. James]] || align=center|121,531
|-
|[[2001 Challenge Tour|2001]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Mark Foster (golfer)|Mark Foster]] || align=center|97,737
|-
|[[2000 Challenge Tour|2000]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Henrik Stenson]] || align=center|108,710
|-
|[[1999 Challenge Tour|1999]] || {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carl Suneson]] || align=center|69,641
|-
!Year!!Winner!!Prize money ([[Pound sterling|£]])
|-
|[[1998 Challenge Tour|1998]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Warren Bennett]] || align=center|81,053
|-
|[[1997 Challenge Tour|1997]] || {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Michele Reale]] || align=center|51,679
|-
|[[1996 Challenge Tour|1996]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ian Garbutt]] || align=center|37,661
|-
|[[1995 Challenge Tour|1995]] || {{flagicon|DNK}} [[Thomas Bjørn]] || align=center|46,471
|-
|[[1994 Challenge Tour|1994]] || {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Raymond Burns (golfer)|Raymond Burns]] || align=center|43,583
|-
|[[1993 Challenge Tour|1993]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Klas Eriksson]] || align=center|48,365
|-
|[[1992 Challenge Tour|1992]] || {{flagicon|WAL}} [[Paul Affleck]] || align=center|39,768
|-
|[[1991 Challenge Tour|1991]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[David R. Jones (golfer)|David R. Jones]] || align=center|35,533
|-
|[[1990 Challenge Tour|1990]] || {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Giuseppe Calì (golfer)|Giuseppe Calì]] || align=center|28,383
|-
!Year!!Winner!!Points
|-
|[[1989 Challenge Tour|1989]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Neal Briggs]] || align=center|9,464
|}

==See also==
*[[List of golfers with most Challenge Tour wins]]
*[[List of golfers to achieve a three-win promotion from the Challenge Tour]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official site|http://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/}}

{{Challenge Tour seasons}}
{{Challenge Tour Events}}
{{Men's Professional Golf Tours}}
[[Category:Challenge Tour]]
[[Category:Professional golf tours]]
[[Category:European international sports competitions]]