Decision to postpone Tour was the right call – Richard Mansell

The Challenge Tour had planned to begin its season with the ‘South African Swing’, which was to feature three events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour throughout February. But following consultation with the medical teams from both tours, it was agreed to reschedule the events for April and May.

“We had an email warning us that they were going to make an announcement,”

“All of the players expected it but it didn’t make it any less disappointing when the news did come through. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable going at the moment,” said Burntwood ace Mansell, who finished fourth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings last year.

“Tournaments can happen if it’s in places where it is safe and it’s easy to bubble. In South Africa, it’s really hard to bubble at the minute. There are no hotels open. That’s one of the biggest problems.”

Mansell, who qualified for the European Tour but will still play in a number of Challenge Tour events, has personal experience of the virus having tested positive back in November and says that his mindset during this pandemic has changed as a result.

“Before, I was quite naïve to it, like a lot of young people,” he added. “Since having it, I’m still not right now and I’m fit and healthy, so it’s made me realise that for people who are vulnerable this actually is quite serious.

“When I had it, I didn’t have symptoms at all. It was when I got home from the grand final when I started to feel the after effects. When I got home, things like walking up the stairs became a challenge. I was short of breath and would have to stop. I definitely don’t feel right and still don’t feel normal.”

The run of events will now begin from April 22-25, with the tournament name and venue yet to be announced, before the Cape Town Open takes place at Royal Cape Golf Club the week after. The Dimension Data Pro-Am will then round off the swing at Fancourt Golf Estate from May 6-9.

With the Challenge Tour’s full Road to Mallorca schedule still to be announced for 2021, 25-year-old Mansell believes there could be some financial difficulties for some of his Challenge Tour colleagues.

“I think it’s definitely going to be tough for people but the bottom line is it is the same for everyone and we are lucky that we are able to go and play golf,” he added. “You only have to look at last year. I played 10 events last year and I think there was 11 in total.

“You had some guys who were ready to play a full Challenge Tour season and ended up only playing six events, which is nothing. When that is their job and they are trying to earn a living, it would have been a tough year for many people.”

Staffordshire golfer Richard Mansell admitted adrenaline helped secure his coveted European Tour qualification after returning to competition just a day after leaving coronavirus isolation.

Mansell nailed down his place in the top tier of European golf after finishing fourth in the order of merit on the Challenge Tour following a tied-21st place overall at the Grand Final in Majorca on Sunday.

But the Burntwood 25-year-old admitted his relief to finish in the qualifying top five after testing positive for Covid-19 just before the penultimate tournament of the season days after he finished second in the previous contest, in Cadiz, Spain.

That meant he had to stay in a hotel room for 10 days and face an anxious wait as others tried to leapfrog him into the top five overall and potentially grab his European Tour card for 2021.

However, it transpired that he had enough points in the bank to secure his passage.

“It all worked out well in the end,” said Mansell, a member at Beau Desert Golf Club, near Cannock.

“I had a really good week a couple of weeks ago finishing second at the Andalucia Challenge then I tested positive.

“That meant I couldn’t play that week – and it was on the same course in Cadiz and I was just finding a bit of form.

“Then I was obviously stuck in a hotel room for 10 days and from there I went straight to the Grand Final and got there the night before teeing off for the first round.”

Mansell arrived at the Grand Final in Majorca a week ago – the night before the tournament teed off at the T-Golf & Country Club – and had to rely on the preparation done by caddie Connor Winstanley.

However, he hit the ground running and was tied for the lead after day one and briefly had the lead to himself during the second round

But it was over the weekend’s final two rounds that the after-effects of coronavirus caught up with the former Chase Terrace Technology College pupil.

“I was kind of playing on adrenaline for the first two days, playing really well somehow but then I just ran out of steam,” he told the Express & Star.

“It was a good week, I just ran out of energy to be honest.

“When I was in isolation, I felt I didn’t really have any symptoms but it was early stages. I wasn’t doing anything stuck in a hotel room so I wasn’t using any energy – but when I started playing and walking it caught up on me.

“I was finding it hard to breathe and, as the days went on, it was getting harder so I was glad to see the week finish – to not finish out of the top five and then get home to be honest.”

He was relieved to have secured enough points to see him through – but admitted a few anxious moments when he was forced to isolate.

“I had enough, but you never know how that week goes. I could have had three people finish one, two and three in the final weeks who could have overtaken me and I’d have ended up finishing sixth, so you never know,” he said.

Now he is focusing on taking some time off to recover fully from Covid-19.

“I could have gone out to South Africa and I think I may have got an invite to Dubai next week on the European Tour but I said ‘No, I need to get better’,” he added

“I’m just going to put my focus thing into 2021.”

And with one lifetime’s ambition realised with a place on the European Tour, Mansell is resetting his sights for the coming season.

He added: “With me, it’s a case of every year I’ve got better and moved up the ranks, so it shows that it doesn’t happen overnight and you have to pay your dues.

“That’s what I try to pride myself on and it’s working. When you’re working to get on to the European Tour and it’s then a reality it’s a case of ‘Right, what’s next?’.

“I’m in the top 250 in the world now so now I want to get in the top 200, then the top 100 and top 50 and I want to be playing on the PGA Tour as well and all the Majors.

“If I keep doing what I’m doing then it will happen.”