Haydn Porteous, one of the Sunshine Tour’s rising stars, is looking to consolidate his position on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. He is currently sitting in 12th position and needs to finish in the top 15 when the tour concludes at the Grand Final in Oman in order to get his European Tour card.
The world number 276 has had a promising season so far, accumulating €65,145 in prize money. His dramatic win at the Barclays Kenya Open earlier this year, where he made an eagle two on the first playoff hole to beat Brandon Stone, set him up for a successful season.
Porteous’ other performances this year include Top 10 finishes at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, Northern Ireland Open and the Rolex Trophy.
He is an exciting prospect for South African golf and has also enjoyed success in Southern Africa this year, placing fourth at the Zambia Sugar Open and 24th at the Joburg Open.
The 2014 Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year has entered into the upcoming EMC Challenge Open taking place in early October in an attempt to secure his place on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit.
The past would suggest that Porteous is in a good position to do so, because over the last three years an average of €75,460 has been needed to qualify for the European Tour.
Three regular season events remain in the Race to Oman, all of which carry big prize funds. The 21-year-old will look to string together some consistent performances, which should be enough for the youngster to make his debut in Europe.