Ben Coley profiles Challenge Tour graduates ahead of new DP World Tour season

As well as fellow champions Todd Clements, Matthew Baldwin and Daniel Hillier, the likes of Nathan Kimsey, Alexander Knappe, Jens Dantorp and Jeong-Weon Ko found themselves in contention, Kimsey losing a play-off on the PGA Tour.

Down the years, the likes of Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood have come through the Challenge Tour, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer before them, and it remains a rich source of talent.

This year's class is 21-strong after Alex Fitzpatrick earned his DP World Tour card via the Race to Dubai. It features potential stars like Fitzpatrick, younger brother of Matt, plus some former class-acts hoping to reignite their careers.

Marco Penge

Youngster who stormed to Road to Mallorca victory after two wins in his final five starts of the season, first in Portugal and then in neighbouring Spain. Was out in a class of his own in the Grand Final and the penny really has dropped for this exceptional driver, who qualified for the Open in July and began to press on about a month later. Exciting prospect who will likely rank among the top 20 drivers on the circuit.

Casey Jarvis

Second in the Road to Mallorca and this 20-year-old, who turned pro last summer having been a borderline elite amateur, should feel it's onwards and upwards now. Has already contended on the DP World Tour in his homeland and little wonder he's been a popular bet for the Joburg Open, where he was ninth last year. Patchy form but did finish strongly in Spain.

Manuel Elvira

Younger brother of Nacho and a model of consistency on the Challenge Tour in 2023, leading the Road to Mallorca until the final event despite failing to win. Seems to be getting better with every passing year but does lack experience, though his brother, who is almost 10 years older than he is, will be there to guide him along. Still quite early days all things considered and will be interesting to learn more about his skills, which appear to include above-average distance and putting.

Ugo Coussaud

Frenchman who tailed off a bit towards the end of the season having all but locked up his card by summer. Had been on the fringes in each of the previous two seasons so has certainly paid his dues having turned pro at the age of 18 but taken five years to begin playing tour events. Now 31, he might lack a bit of scope but strikes me as a rock-solid ball-striker who will make plenty of cuts.

Jesper Svensson

Capitalised on a late mistake from Brandon Stone to win the B-NL Challenge Trophy in May, a performance notable for the fact that it was his first start of the season having earned status via the NGL. Didn't look back after that, contending twice in the following weeks, making all bar one cut, and coming close to winning twice more in September; could argue he was the best player on the circuit on balance. Amateur pedigree includes playing on the same team as Ludvig Aberg.

Adam Blomme

Bespectacled Swede who beat best friend and former teammate Svensson in a play-off for the Swiss Challenge in September, a deserved win after two full seasons of generally solid golf. Good form in South Africa bodes well given how many opportunities there are there but if it all goes wrong, perhaps a career in recruitment might work out: his endorsement was one of the reasons Aberg chose Texas Tech.

Lorenzo Scalise

The first of four Italian graduates on the Road to Mallorca, having been inspired by victories for two of them in the weeks before his breakthrough. That came out of nowhere but he continued to play well for a few weeks thereafter, and looking through his form book it's noticeable how often he batches together good performances. Throws in the odd big number but get the sense he's still improving and has played a fair bit of DP World Tour golf, with some success.

Andrea Pavan

Back to the DP World Tour after suffering from what you might call the driving yips, his inability to keep the ball on the course resulting in a dramatic fall down the rankings from the highs of beating Matt Fitzpatrick to win his second title in 2019. Changed coach in 2022 in search of something and has found it, coming through the Challenge Tour 10 years after he topped the money list. Still has to show he can compete again at this level but eight top-20s in succession to end a back-to-form campaign bodes really well for a precision iron player and deadly putter.

Matteo Manassero

Everyone's favourite storyline as a former BMW PGA champion who had to go all the way down to the Alps Tour before beginning the journey back to where he belongs. Clearly hasn't lost the winning touch which made him so promising at the turn of the previous decade, having captured two titles this year, and after admitting to a slight loss of focus was back playing well again at the end of the season. Bread and butter used to be from 150 yards and in so look for him on shorter courses, or by the coast given his Open exploits of 2008 and 2009.

Ricardo Gouveia

Pro for almost a decade now and did bridge the gap between Challenge and DP World Tour when finishing 54th on the Race to Dubai in 2016. Generally though has been under pressure either to keep or win back his card yet he's plainly a bit too good for the Challenge Tour, where he's now a seven-time winner all across Europe and Asia. If pushed would think the Indian Open might be a good fit but that's not currently on the schedule. Look for tricky courses where driver isn't necessarily the most important club.

Alex Fitzpatrick

The obvious potential star among this group, not just because of his brother – Alex was a fine amateur in his own right and, already, looks comfortable on the DP World Tour and beyond, having been 17th in the Open back in July. No surprise he built on that with a Challenge Tour win soon after and was able to focus on the big league from August, almost winning a couple of times and only suffering a hiccup in Qatar. Big brother says Alex's strengths are approach play and short-game, whereas his are driver and putter, which could one day make them a fearsome pairing. For now, little brother ought to be set on making the DP World Tour Championship, which he wasn't far off doing in 2023, and emulating Matt with a win in his first full season on the circuit.

Tom Vaillant

One of the best French amateurs of recent years, winning a couple of Alps Tour events back-to-back before turning pro in 2022. Captured the highly competitive French Championship earlier this year, getting the better of a host of DP World Tour regulars, and it's a case of so far, so good. That also applies to his DP World Tour efforts, having made the cut in both appearances and closed with a round of 64 in Kenya. Hard to know where his ceiling is except somewhere quite high.

Frederic Lacroix

Looks a little bit too good for the Challenge Tour despite not winning in 2023, and signed off as one of the form players on the circuit. Has produced a handful of really good DP World Tour efforts already and was a tad unfortunate to lose full status at the end of a decent 2022 season, finishing 121st on the Race to Dubai. Would think he'll be better for that experience and expect to see him contending somewhere along the way, perhaps on a parkland course in continental Europe if not before. Bar Fitzpatrick would say he might be the most likely to win something.

Francesco Laporta

Comfortably topped the rankings in 2019 when the likes of Adrian Meronk and Antoine Rozner were in behind, and ended his first full season at DP World Tour level chasing home Rozner in Dubai. Best golf came in 2021 when he was in the mix several times en route to the Tour Championship but just one top-10 finish since then at this level. Had options in 2023 but focused on Challenge Tour from summer onwards and it paid off. Strong off the tee and much may depend on a putter that had become problematic when last he played at this level.

Will Enefer

Started the year with just limited status on the Challenge Tour, ended it with his DP World Tour card. That's some effort and reflects four top-three finishes before he played beautifully over the final three rounds of the Grand Final. This is undoubtedly a big step up and only DP World Tour experience came in a couple of events during the Covid autumn of 2020, but his apparent ability to make it pay when making the cut will help.

Ivan Cantero-Gutierrez

Missed just one cut in the final 17 events of the season to return to the DP World Tour having struggled badly in 2019. Once the top-ranked amateur in Spain so has pedigree and last appearance at this level, in Wales last year, was just about his best yet. Stats say he actually does have those Spanish hands that not all Spaniards appear to have, and very solid off the tee, too. Hard to know what to expect but might just do better than his ranking would suggest.

Joel Girrbach

Joins fellow Swiss player Benjamin Rusch on the circuit after a strong finish to the campaign, including when bagging the biggest cheque of his career in China. Yet to finish better than 48th at this level, a performance that came in South Africa five years ago.

Sam Bairstow

Yorkshire lefty who lost the final of the Amateur Championship in 2022 but went on to qualify for the Open, where he made the cut. Earned Challenge Tour status soon after turning pro and, after taking a while to find his feet, won the Scottish Challenge in August. Largely solid thereafter to complete the job, showing likeable resilience in the Grand Final, and seems very comfortable in the wind as you might expect. Promising all-rounder.

Brandon Stone

Clung on in the end but back where he belongs at the age of 30. Pleasingly consistent throughout the season, too, so while you'd perhaps have expected him to finish higher on the Road to Mallorca, certainly deserves his card. One bad round keeps holding him back and will feel he should've won the B-NL Challenge Trophy, but hopefully things are looking up for this sweet-swinging, likeable South African who once looked like he might have major potential. Eyes out for what the stats tell us about his short-game, which, like Lewis, has been a big issue at times.

Maximilian Rottluff

Impressive winner of the Indoor Golf Group Challenge having previously captured the UAE Challenge and would've been hard done by had he not earned a card given those two victories. Well-travelled which will help and still lives in the US, where he was once Jon Rahm's teammate at ASU – in fact coach Tim Mickelson called the 'the best 1-2 punch in the country'. Teammate Nicolo Galletti also joins him on the DP World Tour via Q-School.

Stuart Manley

Welsh veteran who was the last man in following a poor finish to an otherwise good season. No surprise both win and runner-up finish came at fiddly courses and best chances will come in places like Kenya, where he was eighth last year. It's a big ask given his lack of form at this level but can take great pride in earning back card, and will know there are courses where he can compete.