Ryan Fox and Nick Cullen enter the final event of the European Challenge Tour season with their destiny in their own hands, both needing victory to achieve their goals for the year.
Ryan Fox and Nick Cullen enter the final event of the European Challenge Tour season with their destiny in their own hands, both needing victory to achieve their goals for the year.![""]("https://www.pga.org.au/__data/assets/image/0003/36777/varieties/list.jpg")
For Fox, a full European Tour card is within reach if he can secure a second victory of the season at the NBO Classic Grand Final in Oman while for Cullen the opportunity of gaining one of the 16 cards on offer beckons if he can finish on top.
Since joining the secondary Tour last year, Fox has proved a force to be reckoned with and after a gut wrenching 16th place finish in 2015, one outside the number earning European Tour status, he has fought back with a vengeance this year.
Presently third on the Road to Oman standings, he mathematically has a chance to claim the top spot and coveted full European Tour card if he wins and current leader, Jordan Smith, finishes outside the top-14.
While there is little he can do about Smith’s play, Fox will give all to achieve his part of the equation on a course he knows well enough.
A disastrous third round 81 last year at the Al Mouj course relegated the New Zealander to a second year on the Challenge Tour and he will be keen to exact revenge.
Cullen makes his first appearance at the tournament but after struggling to find a home on one of the game’s major tours since winning the 2014 Australian Masters motivation won’t be an issue.
The talented left hander has played just 10 events for the year but amassed enough points and money to qualify for the Grand Final.
While the calculations for him to earn a place in the top-16 and advance to the European Tour are complex, Cullen knows he will need to finish top-3 at worst to have a chance.
His form on the secondary European Tour in the second half of the year has been impressive and as a proven tournament winner the task is difficult but not beyond him.
