Espen

Kofstad

The Norwegian posted a 14-for-18 record on the Challenge Tour last season. Highlights included a return to the winner’s circle (Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge) and a third-place finish at the Range Servant Challenge. Kofstag is no stranger to winning as he now owns four CT wins on his resume. He is looking forward to the challenge that comes with making the leap back to the big stage, “I feel so much more prepared this time around. Last time I played on the European Tour was the 2019 season, and I hadn’t played much golf the previous year. This time I have had a full season playing tournament golf and working on the mental side of my game, I can give it a proper go.” The 34-year-old likely won’t maintain last year’s cuts-made ratio but his proven ability to finish a tournament does make him a high-upside option for gamers.

The aim today was to be in the top 32 on his side of the draw (early/late) and he achieved that with eight shots to spare, finishing runner-up by three strokes to Chris Paisley in Section A. The Norwegian had a cushion after his opening 66 and quickly added two more birdies today (2 and 3). A double bogey-6 caused a brief flutter but he responded in style with eagle-3 at the next. Kofstad made no further mistakes, adding red numbers at 11 and 17. Now a weekend of nine-hole knockout medal match play for the top 64.

The Norwegian is on a medical exemption this season but it’s been a struggle with just three cuts made from ten starts until last week when he found some form via tied 12th spot in Denmark. Playing in the first group out from No. 10 tee today, Kofstad kept the momentum going with a round featuring five birdies and 13 pars. He did his best work early with four birdies (12, 13, 16 and 17) in an outward 31. Coming home, he kept it together with a string of pars along with a final red circle of the day at No. 5. A fine start on Kofstad’s first ever lap of Rinkven International.

The number one ranked player on the 2012 Challenge Tour, the golf life has been tough since for the Norwegian. He didn’t keep his card the following year, regained it via the Qualifying School in 2016 after injury and then got a wrist injury all over again. In early 2017 he announced surgery was over and he hoped to soon be back. Alas he managed only two late efforts in the Mauritius Open and South African Open then had to give up again. Now on medical extension he played in Mauritius last week (81-76) and now returns to the South African Open. A weekend of action would appear to be a success for him as he looks to rebuild a promising career.

The Norwegian scraped his 2017 card at Q School with a strong finish (including birdie on the 108th hole) and a bit of help from others who dropped shots to claw him into a tie for the final place. He’s a three-time winner at Challenge Tour level, indeed he topped the circuit’s rankings in 2012, but injury has twice curtailed his career. The University of Denver grad represented his country in the Olympics last summer and is keen to get back to business on the main tour. He missed the cut at Glendower two years ago, but was T20 on seasonal debut at Leopard Creek before Christmas. His career best finish is T8 at the 2013 Open de Espana.

The Norwegian had opened the 2017 season hopeful of finally putting the bad luck behind him, but after a solid start to the year, making cuts in both the Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open, he wrote on Twitter: “My wrist surgery was a success last night! Hope for a quick recovery, I want to play golf!!” and added a photo of himself waving the bandaged arm. There is no word on his likely return date.

Finally, a return to the European Tour for the unfortunate Norwegian whose latest injury (wrist) allowed him just two starts in 2017 (T31-T20), and none since January. He’s playing on a medical exemption having finished T25 at last year’s Q School so he’ll be under pressure with few starts. He won the Challenge Tour in 2012 and has three wins in 65 starts at that level. But he missed pretty much all off 2014 and 2015 to injury, never mind just last year. He’s due a break (and not of a bone). Will he get it in Domaine de Bel Ombre? It’s difficult to judge on his past form. His wins have come in Italy (twice) and Slovakia.