It’s been a good year for Teesside’s Callum Tarren.
The Rockliffe Hall-based professional has been plying his trade with marked success in China, including a string of top 10 finishes and a maiden tour victory in the Jiangsu Open on his way to a third place finish in the China Tour Order of Merit with £88,360 in winnings.
It would have been the icing on the cake had he topped the order of merit and clinched a card for the European Tour, but third place is no mean feat.
Tarren took the bold move to head for the Far East to try to develop his career last season. “It’s tough being away for long stints at a time. China is a very different place to what we are used to. The golf courses are usually pretty good. Food can be difficult at times but you just have to adapt and get on with it all.
“I’m absolutely delighted with how things have gone. After having a strong 2016 out in China I was hungrier and wanted more success.”
That success came at the beginning of November when he won the Jiangsu Open. The win followed a third place finish at the Pure Pu’Er Tea Classic and second place finishes in the Shenzhou Peninsula Classic and the PGA Tour China Clearwater Bay Hong Kong.
“Over the last two seasons I’ve been knocking on the door for a win and it finally came at the Jiangsu Open which I was delighted with.”
A tied fourth place finish in the final China Tour event of the year saw Tarren clinch third place in the order of merit, but there was no resting on his laurels after a late call up to the co-sanctioned Asia & European Tour Joburg Open at Randpark in South Africa where he finished just outside the second round cut following rounds of 70 and 71 for a two under-par total before a planned return home for the Christmas break.
