Tim Sluiter manages 2nd win in a row and is now No. 5

The EPD Tour is moving towards probably the most exciting season finale in its history: With his second victory in a row, the Dutchman Tim Sluiter has catapulted himself up to 5th in the EPD Tour Order of Merit and now has every chance of booking himself a ticket for the 2011 Challenge Tour. The 21-year-old took the victory at the Hardenberg GolfResort in Northeim, the second last tournament of the season, after three rounds with a total card of 5 under par, with Benjamin Miarka (-2) from Hannover finishing in second.

by Matthias Lettenbichler

Northeim – Tim Sluiter is the man of the moment on the EPD Tour. With his second victory in a row, the professional from Enschede in the Netherlands once again proved his exceptional form: after his clear victory at the Chronos Cup in mid-August, he has now secured victory at the 2010 Hardenberg GolfResort tournament. With rounds of 67, 70 and 71, he once again dominated the competition, leading the field right from the off, and took home the winner's prize money of €4,814. As a result, Sluiter has improved his position on the EPD Tour Order of Merit, rising from 12th to 5th, and is now on course to secure one of the five tickets guaranteeing a place on the 2011 Challenge Tour.

But this season is guaranteed to remain exciting right till the very end: "Everyone in the top 5 played well in Northeim," said Sluiter. However; nothing has been decided yet in terms of which golfers secure a ticket for the 2011 Challenge Tour, or who will take the overall 2010 EPD Tour victory. Benjamin Miarka, previously 5th in the ranking list, is now in 4th after rounds of 70, 74 and a final round 67 gave him second place in the tournament. Max Kramer, finishing in joint 7th at the Hardenberg course, remains at the top of the rankings list, but Daniel Wünsche who finished in joint 4th narrowed the gap between them - only € 943 now separates the two. Miarka is only € 3 behind the third-placed Englishman Grant Jackson, with there being another € 1,500 between him and Daniel Wünsche. Dennis Küpper fell from 4th place in the rankings list to 6th after a 13th-placed finish at the Hardenberg tournament. € 22.67 separates him from fifth-placed Tim Sluiter.

For Sluiter, the victory at the Hardenberg GolfResort tournament was his second in a row - and his second ever as a golf professional. "The course really is fantastic - an awesome challenge," he said, praising the par-71 course around the Levershausen manor in Northeim. "My short game saved me today, I made some sensational chips," said the victor. He doesn't see anything wrong with only finding his top form late in the season: "The qualifying school is also late in the season - so it's definitely a good thing that I am only now starting to play really well." He sees the reason for his good performances as generally getting used to professional life. "It's definitely a change. I moved out of home - now I have to organise everything for myself and that takes time. But I think I have managed very well."

Now attention is turning to the Fulda EPD Tour Championship, the last tournament of the 2010 season. And as if the excitement of the current rankings situation wasn't enough, the finale, which takes place from 24th until 26th September on the championship course at the GC Hofgut Praforst in Hünfeld near Fulda, has a prize purse of € 40,000 - the largest purse of the whole season. The winner alone pockets € 6,099. Second place takes home € 3,526.40, with third place being rewarded with € 2,055.80. In purely mathematical terms, it is possible for Maximilian Glauert, currently lying in 15th position in the EPD Tour Order of Merit and who finished 3rd in Northeim, to push into the top 5 of the final tour rankings with a victory in Hünfeld. Realistically, the top 10 positions in the rankings are still in the hunt for one of the Challenge Tour places. Marcel Harezma is currently in 10th place. "I am going to try my best to take the victory in Hünhfeld as well," says Sluiter. "Who knows - maybe I can even win the whole championship." That scenario is also still possible, mathematically at least. It will definitely be a question of nerves in terms of who performs well at the Fulda EPD Tour Championship 2010, and who guarantees a ticket for the 2011 Challenge Tour.

Two Dutchmen share the lead at Hardenberg GolfResort

Northeim/Germany (mat) – Dutchmen Tim Sluiter and Jurrian van der Vaart share the lead at the Preis des Hardenberg GolfResort, the second last tournament of the 2010 season. After the first round they took pole position with 4 under par on the par 71 golf course in Northeim/Germany.

Both do urgently need a very good result in Northeim - ranked 6th and 12th on the EPD Tour Order of Merit van der Vaart as well as Sluiter do have a chance to reach one of the 5 top positions that will guarantee playing rights on the 2011 Challenge Tour.