BlackStar Golf News

Dan Erickson succesfully gained his DP World Tour card for the 2025 season. Erickson shot 64-71-74-68-69-63 to gain the 12th card.

This week the notoriously tough DP World Q School is played in Spain, 6 rounds and just 20 cards available. Jamie Rutherford, Stuart Manley , Jack Davidson and Dan Erickson are all playing at the Infinitum Golf in Taragona.

The 2024 Challenge Tour season is coming to a close with the biggest 3 events happening in the next month. Jamie Rutherford, who is currently 27th in the rankings will play 2 events in China before heading to Majorca for the Challenge Tour Grand Final.- all three of these events carry the largest amount of ranking points.

The leading players after the Challenge Tour Grand Final secure a full ranking for the 2025 DP World season

                                Cleeve Hill Pro Am - July 8th 2024

Delighted to team up with Mashie Golf to stage a Pro Am on Monday July 8th at the historic Cleeve Hill GC in the heart of the Cotswolds .

The course is ranked in the top 100 English Golf Courses by National Club Golfer, and was designed by Old Tom Morris and later adapted by Dr Alastair Mackenzie. Cleeve’s stunning surroundings resemble some of Scotland’s oldest and finest links courses with views over Cheltenham and out towards the Black Mountains in Wales.

We will be also raising funds on the day for the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust.

Team cost is £300 for 3 amateurs and a Pro.  There will be generous amateur team prizes and a Pro prize fund.

We will also be joined by former Ryder Cup players Paul Way and Steve Richardson who who will be doing a “ lighthearted “ Q & A in the evening.

Stuart Manley who successfully retained his DP World Tour Card for 2024 having finished 21st on the 2023 Challenge Tour rankings returns to action this week at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. Stuart will be playing 3 events back to back in the Middle East, with Bahrain and Qatar on the schedule. Follow Stuart's progress through Blackstar Golf Social media channels and through https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/ 

Stuart Manley, 44, from the Mountain Ash Golf Club in Wales has successfully regained his full  DP World Tour card for 2024 by finishing 21st on the Race To Majorca ranking list.

The 2023 Challenge Tour started in February and concluded in Majorca in November, in between Stuart played in 27 events, visiting South Africa, the Middle East, China and Europe. 

Those events yielded 4 top ten finishes , including winning the Open De Bretagne in June, and a second place at St Mellion in August at the British Challenge.

Although Manley finished T41 in the season ending Road To Majorca Tour Championship at the Alcanada Golf Club this was enough to return back to the main tour for the 2024 season.

Stuart said after a long week in windy conditions " This means everything to me to return to the DP World Tour, my goal at the start of the season was to be back on the main tour in 2024, and although it has been very close for the final few spots I am delighted to be playing in some great events next year "

Follow the link to hear more of Stuart's thoughts

:

The 2024 DP World Tour actually starts in South Africa on November 26th for Stuart at the Joburg Open at Houghton Golf Club. Click on the link to see the full DP World Tour schedule, and follow Stuart's progress over the next 12 months via the DP World Tour and Blackstar Golf's channels,

 https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/schedule/2024/

The Challenge Tour is now down to one remaining event, and 45 players still have a chance to gain full playing status on the 2024 DP World Tour.

The top 21 players after the Grand Final in Majorca in 2 weeks time will graduate to the main tour. Presently Stuart Manley is in 14 position and Woburn's Jamie Rutherford is in 19th place.

The Race To Majorca Roles Grand Final takes place at the Club de Golf Alcanada from Nov 2nd-5th.and will be televisde live on Sky Sports Golf

Blackstar Golf are delighted to announce the launch of the Blackstar Golf Winter Matchplay Championship, where the winner will receive 4 invites on the 2024 Challenge Tour.

• Entries Open November 1st 2023, via www.blackstargolf.net 
• Entries Close December 24th 2023.
• January 5th – Draw published to all the players via email and on www.blackstargolf.net

Format:

The Blackstar Golf Winter Matchplay championship is a classical knockout format competition; Rounds 1, 2 and 3 will be organised by the players themselves and will be  played at neutral venues  from the beginning of January 2024 until mid April. Following the completion of Round 3, the competition will then progress to 'Finals Day'; Finals Day will be the round of 16 matches and onwards and is to played over two days at a Midlands venue (TBC) at the begining of May 2024. All players who are succesful in progressing to Finals Day (Last 16) will recieve prize money, the winner of the overall competition will receive prize money and 4 invitations to European Challenge Tour events in 2024.

Prize fund (based upon 128 entries):

Winner - £2000 and 4 European Challenge Tour Invitations

Runner up - £1000

Losing semi-finalist - £750

Losing quarter-finalist - £500

Losing in the last 16 - £400

If you have any questions, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via instagram @blackstargolf. 

Jamie Rutherford finished with a round of 69, which included a hole in one, to finish T14 at the latest event on the Challenge Tour, this result takes him to 15 on the latest Challenge Tour rankings. The top 21 on the final list are rewarded with a full category on the 2024 DP World Tour. 

Although Stuart Manley unfortunately missed the cut he remains in 11th place on the rankings. 

The Challenge Tour has a week off this week with the Ryder Cup been on, but returns for the final 3 events ,starting in Marseille on October 5th.

Stuart Manley finished T4 in Portugal and moved to 10th in the latest Challenge Tour ranking list to virtually confirm his return to the 2024 DP World Tour . Manley finished on 11 under par for the event following a final round of 70.

David Boote also shot a final round of 70 to finish 10th , while Jamie Rutherford also remains in the top 21 in the rankings at 17 after finishing T44. The top 21 players after the Grand Final in Majorca automatically get a full card on the DP World Tour. 

4 events remain this year, this week the Challenge Tour is scheduled to play the Swiss Challenge.

Jamie Rutherford  shot 1 under par on the back nine on Friday afternoon to make the cut by 1, then shot 64 and 66 at the weekend to finish T4 at the Challenge De Espana in Almeria, and move up 3 places to 16th on the Race To Majorca, the top 21 players gain a full card on to the 2024 DP World Tour. Jamie has now had 9 top 15 finishes in 2023.

Stuart Manley shot 7 under par to finish T19 and continues to remain in 11th place in the Race To Majorca rankings.

This Challenge Tour has 5 events left this season, with the tour moving to Portugal this week for the Open De Portugal.

Blackwell Golf Club will host the final Blackstar Pro Am Supported by the Legends Tour on September 28th. We are delighted to have 6 former Ryder Cup players coming to play, which certainly adds to the event as the Pro Am takes place the day before the Ryder Cup starts in Italy.

As with the other events this year we will be raising money for Variety Golf.

Stuart Manley shot rounds of 69,68,68 and 76 to finish on 7 under par and tied 2nd at the British Challenge at St Mellion. The event was won by Alex Fitzpatrick. Stuart's runner up position moves him up to 9th in the latest Challenge Tour rankings, with the top 20 at the end of the season gaining full playing status on the 2024 DP World Tour. In addition Stuart has also moved up to 544 in the latest World Rankings.

Jamie Rutherford continued his excellent season on the Challenge Tour with a third place finish in France. With this result he moves to 16th on the Challenge Tour rankings, and moves back in to the top 500 in the Official World Rankings. Jamie has played in 14 events this season and has finished in the top 20 eight times with a stroke average of 70.

Stuart Manley birdied the 72nd hole to win the latest Challenge Tour in France. A brilliant 62 in Rd 2 set up the victory. 

“It feels amazing, awesome. I’m lost for words,” he said. “It’s been a long, tiring week. I was really pleased with my 62 in the second round. That is probably my lowest round on the Challenge Tour and DP World Tour.

“To have the lead at the start of the third round is always quite tough and I didn’t have my game during the last few rounds. I managed to keep the ball in play and stayed close to the guys and managed to hole the odd putt, and then I’ve hit the best shot I’ve hit all year at the last which I’m chuffed about.

“I didn’t have my game today. I was really struggling with my irons, but I managed to hit the fairways, which actually is the toughest thing on this golf course.

“Fingers crossed I can get it done for the rest of the season. It gives me some confidence and puts me inside the top 20 on the Rankings.”

Jamie Rutherford continued his excellent run of form with a T 14 position to take him up to 26th in the latest rankings.

Jamie Rutherford continued his good form in 2024 with a T11 in Spain, the event was won by Sam Hutsby. That is now four top 20 finishes in his last five events.

David Boote finished on 6 under par for the event and T37.

The Challenge Tour returns to Czech Republic next week

66 in the final round for Jamie Rutherford saw him finish T7 and move upto 26th in the latest Challenge Tour rankings.

Very much looking forward to hosting our second Blackstar Golf Pro Am supported by the Legends Tour at South Staffs GC this Friday, we have 4 former Ryder Cup players playing along with former DP World Tour winners.

Full report and pictures will follow post event.

This week the Challenge Tour heads to Abu Dhabi for for back to back events, the first event, the Abu Dhabi Challenge is at the Abu Dhabi GC and Blackstar are reprented by Jamie Rutherford, David Boote, Dan Erickson and Stuart Manley. The event starts on Thursday, live scoring is available on www.europeantour.com 

The Challenge Tour remains in India this week, actually the event is at the same course as last week. The event starts tomorrow and Jamie Rutherford, David Boote and Stuart Manley are again all playing prior to a 3 week break before the Challenge Tour moves to Abu Dhabi in April.