Egypt is gearing up to host some of the best golfers on the European Challenge Tour when the Red Sea Egyptian Challenge Presented by Hassan Allam Properties begins in the country from on Wednesday.

It will be the first professional tournament in Egypt as the Challenge Tour returned for the first time since 2010 – the year when Rory McIlroy made a much-publicised appearance.

The second tournament in the 2016 schedule of the European Challenge Tour will be held at the Sokhna Golf Club in Ain Sokhna, a beautiful town on the western shore of the Red Sea’s Gulf of Suez.

It is situated 55km south of Suez and approximately 120 km east of Cairo. The Red Sea Egyptian Challenge will be the professional debut of decorated French amateur, Romain Langasque, who produced a wonderful performance at the Masters earlier this month.

The 20-year-old caught the eye in the final round when he made five birdies during a remarkable back nine as he closed with a fourunder par 68 in his last event as an amateur. That wasn’t enough to win him the prize for the leading amateur, but it was one of the best rounds of the day.

Langasque has already made his debut on the Challenge Tour, finishing second in the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open, where he played as an amateur.

The Frenchman received a Masters invite after winning the Amateur Championship at Carnoustie.

The Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA), who are supporting the tournament, feel it will help promote Egypt as a golfing destination.

Ahmed Ali Ismail, Tourism Counsellor in the Egyptian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, said: “It will be shown on many TV channels across the world. If after watching the event, golfers are inspired to book a trip to Egypt for a round or two, there are plenty of options in order to combine the sport with a holiday.”