Bryce Easton took a step closer to a chance of earning his DP World Tour card on Friday with his level-par 72 in the second round of the Challenge Tour’s Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A at Club de Golf Alcanada in Port d’Alcúdia, Mallorca, Spain.
His round in conditions that got windier and more difficult as the day wore on took him inside the top-10 at the halfway stage of the tournament at one-under-par, and, critically, it lifted him eight places on the Challenge Tour rankings to 30th. Easton knows that a strong finish – perhaps even a win – is needed to get him into the top 20, all of whom will earn their playing privileges for the 2023 season.
Easton was just four shots off the lead which was held by Matthew Baldwin of England and France’s Adrien Saddier. They led by one from Nick Bachem of Germany, with another Frenchman, Jeong weon Ko, in fourth on three-under. John Parry of England was fifth on two-under, and four other players shared sixth with Easton.
Behind Easton, it was a tough day for Deon Germishuys and JC Ritchie. Gernishuys, who was inside the top 20 at the start of the tournament, carded a three-over 75 to slip to three-over for the tournament and a share of 29th. That projects him to drop seven places in the rankings to 24th.
Ritchie had a four-over 76 to move to four-over ahead of the weekend and a share of 32nd. Having started the week in second place, he is certain of winning his card, but a projected drop to fifth would see him miss out on some of the top tournaments on the DP World Tour schedule next year.