Worldwide Golf columnist Adri Arnaus is returning to his Alps Tour roots this week as he prepares for the Euram Bank Open and his first appearance at the picturesque Golf Club Adamstal.
Arnaus burst on to the professional golf scene in 2017, winning two events on the Alps Tour as an amateur and topping the Order of Merit that same year to earn his place on the European Challenge Tour.
The following season he graduated to the European Tour after finishing inside the Top 15 on the Challenge Tour Rankings, winning the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final.
Golf Club Adamstal is situated in a valley in the Lower Austrian Alps, and after hosting the Euram Bank Open on the Challenge Tour since 2018, this week it is the venue for the second of two dual-ranking events. After missing out on the tournament two years ago, Arnaus is pleased to have made the trip to Ramsau as the 2020 season continues.
“I definitely missed out on playing a beautiful golf course a couple of years ago,” said the Spaniard. “I love any course which is different to what we are used to – being here in the mountains with the tree lines is very special.
“It’s one of the coolest places I’ve been to so far this year. It’s so different. You can breathe in the nature everywhere you turn. I’m going to remember a lot of holes on this golf course.”
The 25 year old enjoyed a fine maiden campaign on the Race to Dubai where he secured a place at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship following three runner-up finishes throughout 2019 and he’s hoping to build on that for the remainder of 2020 despite the reduced schedule.
“I’ve tried to make a schedule which looks good for the rest of the year,” he said. “It’s great we can get back to competition and hopefully play for titles on Sundays. Last year I wanted to get to the DP World Tour Championship and hopefully I can get a bit higher up on the Rankings this year.
“I had a good year last year and started pretty well this season, so I had some momentum (before the break). We had to reschedule everything and find new things to do. Golf is a game where you don’t have to be on the range all the time, you can improve other aspects of your game. I’ve been focusing on the physical and mental aspects, then when we were allowed to play golf in Spain again. I did that and got back in shape.”
As per all events for the remainder of the 2020 season, the Euram Bank Open will be governed by the European Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy, which will see healthcare specialists Cignpost deliver rapid on-site COVID-19 screening.
In order to help mitigate risk, all players, caddies and on-site personnel will be tested, and participants will operate within national public health guidelines, including social distancing and following enhanced hygiene directives.
