Reigning NSW Open champion Ben Eccles will get to test his game at the top level after being one of four Australians to earn a sponsor’s invite to this week’s European Tour event in Morocco.

Eccles, who was still an amateur when he claimed the NSW Open title in November last year, had been slated for a start at the Challenge Tour event in Egypt in April but withdrew after fracturing his finger.

Having recovered from that injury he will now join Todd Sinnott, Kristopher Mueck and Ryan Lynch on the invite list with seven other Australasians also teeing up.

2014 Australian Masters winner Nick Cullen makes his second consecutive European Tour start after a decent week at the China Open while Dimi Papadatos will also back up from China where he missed the cut.

Terry Pilkadaris, Richard Green, Jason Scrivener, Daniel Gaunt and Ryan Fox are also in the field for the Trophee Hassan II tournament, which is hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid who is second in line to the Moroccan throne.

Richard Green, Daniel Gaunt and Jason Scrivener are the only three of the group who have played the tournament previously though none have teed up at the host course this week.

The Royal Golf Dar Es Salam hosted the event the first year it joined the European Tour, in 2010, but the last five editions have been played at the exclusive Golf du Palais Royal, a personal course of the Moroccan Royal family.

While the venue has changed the opportunity hasn’t for some of Australia’s most promising young players, as most of the European Tour’s top players will not be in the field this week.

A high finish or even a win could be a life changer for several of the Australians teeing up this week, as many don’t hold full privileges on any of the world’s tours outside Australia.

Related Links

What’s on this week 4th – 10th May