After a week off Ryan Fox returns to action at this week’s Challenge Tour event in Ireland looking to make up lost ground in his bid to gain a full European Tour card.

The talented New Zealander was as high as second on the Road to Oman rankings in recent weeks where the top finisher will be awarded a fully exempt card for the main circuit in 2017.

But Fox has fallen to fourth after not teeing up last week and while he only needs to finish in the top-15 to earn some status will be motivated to grab top spot.

The 29-year-old has been in rare form in 2016 to be one of only two players inside the top-15 in earnings to have played less than 10 events.

Fox has teed up seven times for five top-10’s, one of those a victory and another a T2.

Joining Fox in the field this week are Daniel Gaunt and Nick Cullen, the latter also performing well in limited appearances in 2016.

The former Australian Masters winner has played just four events but has two top-10’s, including a T9 last week in France.

He currently sits two places outside an automatic exemption for the 2017 Challenge Tour season but with six full field events remaining a spot in the top-15, and a ticket to the main Tour, is not out of the question.