Gloria rises to the challenge

Gloria Golf Club in Belek, Turkey will provide the stage for the stars of tomorrow when it hosts the Turkish Airlines Challenge in May.

With Ryder Cup stars and major champions of the calibre of Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson, Thomas Bjorn, Edoardo Molinari and Jamie Donaldson having gone on to big things after gaining promotion from the Challenge Tour, there are sure to be some future golfing superstars battling for a lucrative prize pot of 175,000 euros.

The four-day tournament (May 5-8) will attract ambitious professionals from across the globe in the fourth event of the European Challenge Tour season with the top-15 on the money list at the end of the campaign earning their place on the European Tour for 2017.

It’s a gruelling process with 28 tournaments in 22 different countries over eight months of intense competition as players attempt to claim the highest possible finish on the Road to Oman rankings.

And it will be the second time the luxurious Gloria venue has staged a Challenge event after Rhys Davies lifted the trophy last year.

The Welshman took the honours with a four-stroke win in an exciting event with a winning total of 14 under par, which helped him secure his eventual return to the European Tour for this year.

Last year was the first time Gloria had staged the tournament at the Old Course – the Michel Gayon-designed par-72 course, which measures up at 6,529m and is regarded as one of the top golf venues in Turkey since it opened in 1997.

The New Course was added to the resort in 2005 and has previously hosted the European Seniors Tour Classic and the World Amateur Team Championship.

There is also a nine-hole academy course and outstanding practice facilities – ideal for professionals and amateurs alike.

Spectators and holidaymakers can enjoy the huge range of facilities the resort has to offer at one of the nearby five-star hotels of the Gloria Hotels & Resorts: Gloria Serenity Resort, Gloria Golf Resort and Gloria Verde Resort.

For more information, visit www.gloria.com/tr.