One of the country’s top golf professionals Ben Follett-Smith has set his sights on graduating to the DP World Tour formerly known as the European Tour next year as he competes in the Challenge Tour.
The Challenge Tour is the second-tier men's professional golf tour in Europe, which falls under the PGA European Tour.
The 30-year-old Zimbabwean golfer is currently having a good season on the Challenge Tour where he has a top-20 finish as well as a top 30 in the past six weeks to sit just above the top 50 on the order of merit.
Follett-Smith is back home on a short break and will leave the country next weekend for the next competition on the Tour.
“Obviously my target playing on the Challenge Tour is to graduate to the DP World Tour.
“I want to finish top 20 in the Order of Merit and then move on to the DP World Tour. Currently I am ranked about 53rd, but I am moving upwards which is good.
“So we will keep going because we have about 15 tournaments left, so we will hopefully manage to get inside the top 20 and then keep the DP World Tour card for next year,” he said.
Since his impressive showing at the FBC Zimbabwe Open where he shot rounds of 70 71 65 and 71 to tie for sixth place on 11-under par 277, Follett-Smith has gone on to make three cuts out of five tournaments on the Challenge Tour.
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Follett-Smith missed the cut at the Danish Golf Challenge at Odense Eventyr Golf at the end of May before finishing in a six-way tie for 33rd at Challenge de Cadiz in Spain after shooting rounds of 68 72 70 and 73 for a 5-under par 283 total two weeks later.
The Zimbabwean golfer then missed the cut at CZE Kaskáda Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic mid-June before recording impressive results in France in the following two weeks.
At the Blot Open de Bretagn in Pléneuf, Follett-Smith carded 67 66 70 and 71 to tie for 17th on 6- under par 274 two weeks ago and also tied for 29th on overall 5-under par at Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge after shooting 71 70 69 and 73 last week.
The former St. John's College student was ranked as Zimbabwe's number one amateur golfer and won the 2012 All-Africa Junior Championship, and represented Zimbabwe at the All-Africa Team Championships.
He then attended Mississippi State University between 2013 and 2017, majoring in marketing while playing golf for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Follett-Smith turned pro in 2018 and has won four tournaments, two on the Sunshine Tour as well as on the Big Easy Tour and Clutch Pro Tour.
He reflects on his golf journey as well as his ultimate dream.
"Obviously my father and grandfather played golf and they kind of got me into it and I just played ever since," he said.
"And when you are good at something or when you are told you are good at something you kind of keep going and keep doing it,” he said.
“Obviously the dream is to win a major and get inside the top 30 in the world, make some good money and win every week if you get a chance. So that is pretty much the dream, to try and stay competitive and compete every week. Overall I think it was dad and my grandfather who just motivated me to play golf and then now it’s just the thrill to win and the challenge that comes with it that keeps me going.”
