With two victories this year on the Challenge Tour, including a recent win at the Hangzhou Open in China, 27-year-old Dubliner Conor Purcell is accelerating his career in professional golf. He is set to embark on the DP World Tour with full card access next season, and his success has increased his order of merit to fourth place, enhancing his future card prospects.
During the Hangzhou Open, his final round 67 score led to a magnificent victory – by a margin of four strokes from Spain’s Angel Ayora and England’s Jack Senior. A formidable 18-under-par 266 was achieved, marking the event as Purcell’s second win on the Challenge Tour this year. The strong end he made with three birdies in his last four holes attests to his resilience and determination, sealing not just the victory but an encouraging lead into his stance into the Black Desert NI Open at Galgorm Castle in July.
Purcell is heading for the Rolex Grand Final in Mallorca in two weeks where the top 20 players from the rank list can earn their DP world Tour cards. He noted that while victories like this are precious, he looks forward to enjoying the Grand Final in Mallorca. Also, with his family accompanying him, he plans to celebrate the uplift in his career so far.
Purcell carries with him the potential of becoming the first Irish golfer since Raymond Burns in 1997 to win the Challenge Tour order of merit. Fellow Irishmen Dermot McElroy and Gary Hurley have also secured their slots in the restricted 45-man field for the Rolex Grand Final. However, they still need to elevate their ranking to secure their DP World Tour cards.