Tournament: Rosa Challenge Tour
Venue: Rosa Golf Club, Konopiska, Poland
Hashtag: #RosaChallengeTour
Rosa Challenge Tour preview
Mateusz Gradecki is hoping to find form on home soil when he tees it up in the Rosa Challenge Tour at Rosa Golf Club.
The 30-year-old takes his place in the field this week as the Challenge Tour returns to the country for the first time in 15 years.
Gradecki narrowly missed out on promotion to the DP World Tour in 2022, and after returning from injury last week following three months out, is looking to impress in the remaining events on the 2024 Road to Mallorca, starting this week in front of home support.
“I’ve played one Challenge Tour event in Poland before, and I was too young to really compete at the top of the leaderboard then, but this week could be different,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to this week. It’s a great venue, the course looks amazing and I know it well from my amateur days.
“I think my ceiling is way higher than what I’ve achieved so far. There aren’t too many events left this season, but hopefully I can improve my Ranking to at least guarantee playing opportunities for next year.
“I’m just focussing on each week, hoping that I can keep my card on the Challenge Tour but also move up the Rankings. There are still opportunities for that. This week is going to be good and it’s exciting, for sure.”
Gradecki recorded his best result of the season to date at last week’s Indoor Golf Group Challenge, finishing tied 24th, and he admits he felt stronger following an intense period of rehab that has seen him return to the tee sooner than expected.
“Last week I felt much better than before my operation, which is a huge positive,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of rehab and I felt better than I did before my injury.
“The work I’ve put in through the rehab process got me back quicker than I expected, and it’s paid off because I’m in good shape now.
“This week is a big deal for sure for the golfing community in Poland, so it’s great that I’m back for it.”
Gradecki is part of a strong field in Poland that includes multiple DP World Tour winners Alvaro Quiros from Spain and Frenchman Alexander Levy, as well as Road to Mallorca Number Four Hamish Brown.
Round one gets under way at 7:30am local time tomorrow with Gradecki teeing off alongside Frenchman Benjamin Hébert and Spaniard Joel Moscatel at 1:30pm.
