If Nick Cullen is to secure a European Tour card for 2018 the next fortnight in China will be key as the Challenge Tour season winds down.

Cullen sits 35^th on the season long Road to Oman standings with the top-15 to graduate to the European Tour in the first week of November.

Between now and then, though, are four vital tournaments beginning with this week’s Hainan Open in China.

Cullen is one of seven Australasians in the field this week, the other six gaining a start courtesy of their position on the China Tour money list.

This event and next week’s Foshan Open are both co-sanctioned by the Challenge and China Tours offering a great opportunity for those Australians plying their trade in China.

Bryden Macpherson, Deyen Lawson, Maverick Antcliff, Max McCardle and New Zealanders Josh Geary and Matthew Perry have all earned their way into the field, Macpherson and Geary among the favourites as winners in China already this year.

While those from the China Tour will be glad of the opportunity it is Cullen who has all to play for after a consistent season which has seen him miss only two cuts and post four top-10 finishes.

With just over 45,000 points for the season Cullen likely needs to double his total to get into the top-15, meaning the pressure is on this week.

Cullen teed up here last year and opened with rounds of 72-73 though never got to improve from his T49 position as the tournament was reduced to 36 holes because of weather.

However, he showed a liking for the conditions in China at the Foshan Open the following week with a T6 finish and if he can emulate that this year should make a move up the rankings.