Road to Oman: Challenge Tour stars chase European Tour card for 2018

The Challenge Tour season reaches its climax at this week’s NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, where the leading 45 players on the Road to Oman chase promotion on to the European Tour.

Only the top-15 players in the standings after this week's tournament make the step up to the higher level, with every player

We take a look at how last year's alumni have fared on a strong tour and see who is in contention to make the step up this time around…

The class of 2016

Six of last year's 16 graduates from the 2016 Road to Oman standings have finished in the Race to Dubai's top 101 this campaign and retained their European Tour status for 2018.

Last year's order of merit champion Jordan Smith is one of two graduates to have reached the winner's circle in their rookie season, with the Englishman inside the world's top 100 after following play-off victory at the Porsche European Open with a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship.

Dylan Frittelli let a three-shot advantage slip to lose out in a play-off at Volvo China Open, only to claim a European Tour title six weeks later with a one-shot win at the Lyoness Open.

Three consecutive top-six finishes on the Rolex Series saw New Zealand's Ryan Fox secure his card, while finishing in a share of third at the Open de France helped Alexander Bjork hold on to his playing privileges.

European Challenge Tour Golf

France's Matthew Pavon ended the third at the Scottish Open in one of three European Tour top-10s in 2017, as Thomas Detry moved inside the top 100 by finishing runner-up at the BMW International.

Chasing promotion

Kazakhstan Open champion Tapio Pulkkanen tops the standings after six top-10s during an impressive campaign, sitting over 44,000 points clear of Julien Guerrier - a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour this season.

Third place Aaron Rai received his automatic promotion to the top-tier after winning three events in the same season, with the Englishman since posting two-top 10s at the higher level.

British pair Oliver Farr and Ryan Evans are well-placed to secure their European Tour cards and both head to Oman inside the top-10 in the standings, while Chase Koepka - brother of US Open champion Brooks Koepka - sits in seventh spot.

European Challenge Tour Golf

Bradley Neil currently hovers just outside the top-15 despite four top-10s this season, with Richard McEvoy, Oscar Lengden and Estaniasio Goya among the winners this year requiring a big performance in the season finale to have a chance of securing a card.

Who will claim Road to Oman victory? Follow the conclusion to the Challenge Tour season on Sky Sports Golf!