His high finish on the 2017 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit earned Adam Bland a ticket to the European Tour but a continuation of his consistent early season form will be the key in keeping it.

One of 12 Australians teeing it up in the Made in Denmark tournament at the Silkeborg Ry Golf Club, Bland enters the week ranked 100th in the Race to Dubai standings with the top 110 at season’s end to keep their status for 2019.

Most encouraging for the big-hitting South Australian is that his performances in his first full season on the European Tour have gotten better as the season has progressed.

The 36-year-old has been top 20 in his two most recent starts at the Nordea Masters (tied 13th) and the D+D Real Czech Masters (tied 18th) to go with his tie for third to commence the season at the Australian PGA Championship and top-20 finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

It was Bland’s performance at RACV Royal Pines last November that propelled him into second position behind Brett Rumford on the Order of Merit, Rumford’s existing status in Europe opening the door for Bland to join one of world golf’s elite tours.

Played at the Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort for the past four years, the Made in Denmark tournament breaks new ground this week at the home of European Ryder Cup captain, Thomas Bjorn.

Wade Orsmby was the best performed Aussie 12 months ago but is not in the field this week, our strongest hopes lying with Scott Hend and youngster Lucas Herbert.

Hend and Herbert are both making their first appearance in the event and do so on the back of recent good form, Hend top 20 in two of his past four starts and Herbert inching his way inside the top 100 in the Race to Dubai rankings courtesy of a fifth-place finish at the Nordea Masters two weeks ago.

Veteran Richard Green has made the cut in each of the four previous Made in Denmark tournaments with a best result of tied for sixth in 2015 while Marcus Fraser missed the cut in his first start last year.

The remaining Australian contingent consists of Sam Brazel, Jason Norris, Rumford, Andrew Dodt, Jason Scrivener, Nick Cullen, Matthew Millar along with New Zealander Josh Geary.

The European Challenge Tour is in France this week for the Cordon Golf Open where Victorian Ben Eccles is the sole Australian in the field.

The 23-year-old has missed the cut in each of his past five tournaments and is sitting in 118th position on the moneylist, his best result a tie for 11th at the Scottish Hydro Challenge in June.