Liam Nolan isn’t paying attention to rankings as he enters the business end of the HotelPlanner Tour season. Despite last week’s win boosting his hopes of earning a DP World Tour card he has put it firmly behind him and is focused on the Hainan Open in China.
Nolan’s maiden professional win at the Abu Dhabi Challenge vaulted him from 43rd to 12th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings with two larger points events in China and the Grand Final – where 15 DP World Tour cards will be earned – to come. The course of his season has changed but he is determined to keep his feet on the ground after the dizzying high of victory.
“It’s not like the Premier League. It is if you want to look at rankings, but every single week everyone starts at level par. If you came last the week before you can win this week. It can change very quickly. I am obviously delighted about last week and it was a dream but it starts again now Thursday and we will see what happens.”
Nolan made it to the Grand Final last year meaning that he would have come through the two Chinese events. So after an energy sapping week in Abu Dhabi where he battled over 40 degree heat and the pressure of winning, he has been able to take things slightly easier in preparation this week at Sanya Luhuitou GC having played the course last season.
“I played the back nine and front nine different days. I played it last year and it is just nice to be going back to somewhere that is familiar because last year everything was new. It’s a great course, it’s like a tropical island. The conditions are soft, it is a really strong second shot golf course. My irons were good last week so I am just going to go through my routines and what I do before tournaments and get out there and see where we are at.
“I know my swing is in a good place and just going to go out and enjoy it again.”
The 26-year-old from Galway is joined in China by Gary Hurley who needs to make use of the extra points on offer to force his way into the top-45 and join Nolan in Mallorca.
Hurley is ranked 53rd and a top-10 would go a long way to stamping his ticket to the Grand Final.
Mark Power who missed out on the top-70 to get through to China by three spots on the rankings, is second reserve.
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