Tag: European Tour Q-School

Highs and lows for Danish golf as 28 qualify for 2020 European Tour

Two Danish golfers earned cards for the 2020 European Tour including g.

There was good news and bad news for Danish golf at the conclusion of the European Tour Qualifying School. Danes earned two of the 28 cards awarded for the 2020 European Tour, but one Danish golfer missed out while his twin brother cashed in.

Copenhagen resident Benjamin Poke took the first card by six shots. Eighteen-year-old countryman Rasmus Højgaard joined him by finishing joint fifth. However, Rasmus’s twin brother, Nicolia, fell five shots short. The Rasmus boys were trying to become the first twin brothers to play on the European circuit.

Veteran Frenchman Gregory Havret, who finished second in the 2010 U.S. Open, finished second. Spain’s Alejandro Canizares, who won the 2003 NCAA Championship while at Arizona State, placed third.

Poke returned a 7-under 64 to finish the six-round marathon on 25 under par. The 27 year old should get enough tournaments next season to retain his playing rights for 2021.

“To play on the European Tour is something that you always dream about when you are young, so to finally stand here with my card is unbelievable,” Poke said.

Poke finished 29th on the European Challenge Tour money list this season in his rookie year on Europe’s junior circuit.

“I’m planning to celebrate this moment for a while,” Poke said. “You work so hard and then there are times when you are struggling and it’s not easy, but you’ve got to get up and carry on and celebrate the good times when they happen.”

Rasmus Højgaard closed out the six-round examination with consecutive 66s to finish 16 under. Nicolai could only manage a 1-over 72 to finish at 7-under when the mark was 12 under.

“It feels amazing to have my European Tour card,” Rasmus said. “I kind of knew once Nicolai was on the back nine that he wasn’t going to get his card. It’s sad that he isn’t going to get his card and that we won’t be together on the European Tour next year, but that’s just how it is sometimes.”

Other notables earning cards were former Tennessee player and 2013 British Amateur champion Garrick Porteous. The Englishman finished on 14 under.

Veteran Welsh player Bradley Dredge, a two-time European Tour winner, finished on 13 under to qualify.

Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Caldwell, who partnered Rory McIlroy in the 2007 Walker Cup, also finished on 13 under to join McIlroy on next year’s tour.

Sweden’s Niklas Lemke, another Arizona State grad, returned a closing 5-under 66 to qualify for the second straight year after nine failed attempts. He finished on 12 under to take one of the last four cards.

Americans Sihwan Kim and Johannes Veerman were among the 28, while first round leader John Catlin from Sacramento missed out.

The good news for those who failed is that any player who made the 72-hole cut automatically receives a 2020 Challenge Tour card.

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Benjamin Poke takes control of European Tour Q-School 

At the halfway point, Denmark’s Benjamin Poke leads European Tour Q-School after carding four birdies and a bogey Sunday to sit at 12 under.

Denmark’s Benjamin Poke is in control of the European Tour Qualifying School at the halfway stage. The 27-year-old takes a two-shot lead into the final three days at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain. The Danish professional is hoping to take the lead card of the 25 on offer for the 2020 European Tour.

Poke had four birdies and only one bogey in a 3-under par round of 69 on Lumine Golf Club’s Hills Course. He sits at 12-under par.

Lars van Meijel of The Netherlands lies in second place after a 7-under 65 that included six birdies and an eagle-two on the Hills Course’s par four 12th hole.

“It was nice to finish with a flurry of birdies at the end,” Poke said. “I was hitting greens from the start but leaving myself some long putts. By the time I got to the back nine, I was striking them better and hitting my approach shots a bit closer and I managed to take advantage of that over the closing holes.

“I haven’t really looked at the scoreboards this week or checked online after the round to see how I’m doing. I’ve been watching snooker over the last few days in the evening to take my mind off things.”

“It’s a new day tomorrow so I’m just going to try and approach things the same way, enjoy being out here playing. I’m looking forward to going out there and playing the next few days. I’m trying not to think about the top 25 at the moment as I can’t control what other players are doing. I can only try and control how I play, and we’ll see where it all ends up at the end of the week.”

Van Meijel is making his first appearance at Final stage, but looked comfortable in his surroundings on day three.

“It’s the first time I’ve played in Final Stage and it’s absurd to think there are still three rounds to go,” he said. “I’ll just keep playing one shot at a time, keep it relaxed and chilled, and then we’ll see.

“I feel confident. I’m just focussing on myself and trying to play the best golf I can. Then we’ll see where I end up.

“I made some small changes in the way I practice with a new coach and also, my childhood technical coach has made some small changes which have also clicked. I’m just trying to get better every day.”

First round leader John Catlin returned a second consecutive 73. The former University of New Mexico player sits on 4 under in a tie for 34th spot.

The top 70 and ties after the fourth round advance to the final two rounds, with the top 25 and ties after round six earning playing rights for the 2020 European Tour.

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Toby Tree and Benjamin Poke lead European Tour Q-School hopefuls

Toby Tree and Benjamin Poke head the list of hopefuls after 36 holes of the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage.

England’s Toby Tree and Benjamin Poke of Denmark head the list of hopefuls after 36 holes of the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage. Overnight leader John Catlin slipped down the leaderboard, but the former New Mexico player is still well placed to earn a European Tour card.

Tree and Poke returned matching 4-under 67s over the Lakes Course at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain. They moved to 9 under, one shot better than four-time European Tour winner S.S.P Chawrasia of India and Finland’s Sami Valimaki with four rounds still remaining at Lumine.

Former England amateur Tree is hoping to end a testing year by taking one of the 25 cards on offer for next year’s European Tour. The 25 year old got off to a good start this year after recovering from a broken bone in his leg. However, he missed six months of the summer with another injury, and could only place 79th on the Challenge Tour money list.

Tree has made four previous unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying School. Two bogeys in two rounds points to this visit being perhaps more fruitful.

Leaderboard: European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage

“I’m really pleased,” Tree said. “I played solidly on both days and gave myself plenty of chances. I made a couple of bogeys today but bounced right back, so that’s good for me, bouncing back.

“I thought the pins were a bit tricky, especially today. The breeze was up, it was cold and I thought it was playing quite long.

“I’m not really thinking about how long is left. I’m going through the process. There are four rounds to go and I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”

Poke finished 29th on this year’s Challenge Tour order of merit in his first season on Europe’s junior circuit.

“I struggled a bit more today, especially off the tee,” the 27 year old said. “I got off to a good start and hit some great iron shots and also managed to hole a few putts as well. I had bit of a bump in the middle of the back nine. I broke my eight iron on 13 – I came up against a tree and had to give it a bit of a hack and I made par there, so it was worth it.”

Catlin returned a 1-over 73 over the Hills Course to go with his opening 65. He is on 5 under par in joint 13th place.

Arizona State graduates Niklas Lemke and Alejandro Canizares share eighth place on 6 under. Lemke is making his 11th trip to the European Tour Qualifying School. The Swede is hoping to emulate last year’s performance when he successfully qualified for the main tour for the first time. Canizares, the 2003 NCAA individual champion, is a two-time European Tour winner who finds himself at the Q School after finishing 138th on this year’s Race to Dubai.

The field will be cut to the top 70 and ties after four rounds, with the top 25 and ties after six rounds earnings places on the 2020 European Tour.

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New Mexico alum John Catlin takes early lead at Euro Tour Q School

John Catlin took the early lead at European Tour Qualifying School, but there’s a lot of golf left at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain.

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New Mexico graduate John Catlin will take a one-shot lead into the second round of the final stage of the European Tour Qualifying School after returning a bogey-free 6-under 65 over the Lakes Course at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain.

Catlin needs another five good rounds to take one of the 25 cards on offer for the 2020 European Tour season.

“It’s only one of six rounds and it’s definitely a nice way to start, but there’s still a long way to go,” the Sacramento native said.

The 29-year-old switches to the Hills Course for Round 2. Catlin is in good form after winning last week’s Thailand Open on the Asian Tour.

“Winning my fourth title on the Asian Tour and to win in Thailand where I’ve been living for the past three years was a great feeling. I know if I can take care of what I can take care of then I’ve got every chance of contending, and I’ve given myself the best chance possible.”

Catlin is keen to find a permanent home on the European Tour after honing his skills in Europe. In 21 starts this year, Catlin made 13 cuts with a best finish of 12th in the Made in Denmark tournament. However, he finished the season 155th on the Race to Dubai.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic to compete in Europe,” Catlin said. “It’s made me a better golfer for sure. You can see the difference coming from the Asian Tour to the European Tour which is the next step up and the margin of error is just that much smaller.”

Spain’s Alejandro Canizares is one of a group of six in second place. Canizares, who won the 2003 NCAA individual title while at Arizona State, returned a 5-under 66.

France’s Gregory Havret is tied for eighth at 4 under after a 68. Havret, runner up to Graeme McDowell in the 2010 U.S. Open, is a three-time European Tour winner.

Matteo Manassero’s travails continued with an opening 78. The four-time European Tour winner sits in 155th place, next-to-last out of the 156-man field.

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Tait’s Take: European Tour Qualifying School hopefuls face ultimate pressure

There are just 25 European Tour cards available for the 156 competitors at final stage. That means 131 are going to fail.

There’s a lot of pressure riding on this week’s European Tour event. No, not the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge, but the European Tour Qualifying School.

There is no pressure in Sun City. These guys have made so much money this season even their caddies are probably looking forward to buying some nice Christmas presents for their loved ones.

Zander Lombard was the last man into the Nedbank field. He’s earned €516,066.22 this season, $586,671.44 on today’s dollar exchange rate. The guys playing the Final Qualifying Stage at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain November 15-20 dream of earning that sort of money.

Most of them won’t get the chance.

There are just 25 European Tour cards on offer for the 156 competitors at final stage. Put another way, 131 are going to fail.

Most Q-School rookies will already have frayed nerves at the prospect of trying to get a ticket for the world’s second-best tour. It might not pay them to look around at who they’re competing against.

There are multiple tour winners, players who flirted with major glory, seemingly can’t miss kids who made big noises in the amateur game still trying to find a European Tour foothold, and even a Ryder Cup player in the field.

Jamie Donaldson is the Ryder Cup player in question. He earned the winning point in the 2014 match at Gleneagles when he defeated Keegan Bradley 4-and-3. Those were halcyon days for the Welshman. He picked up his third European Tour victory that year and finished fourth on the Race to Dubai to better his fifth place the previous year.

The closest the affable Welshman has come to Ryder Cup action since Gleneagles is acting as an on-course commentator. To be fair, the 44-year-old has been hampered by a wrist injury that required surgery at the end of last year. However, he’s a salutary lesson that success in this game is ephemeral if your last name isn’t Woods, McIlroy, Koepka or Mickelson.

Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, Matteo Manassero, Darren Fichardt, Michael Hoey, Marc Warren, Gregory Havret and Lee Slattery are among those joining Donaldson as multiple European Tour winners. Fdez-Castano has seven victories. Fichardt and Hoey have five and 2009 British Amateur champion Manassero four, including the 2013 BMW PGA Championship.

Three-time winner Havret finished runner-up to Graeme McDowell in the 2010 U.S. Open.

Pitting their talents against this experienced group is a plethora of young talent that includes Ireland’s Paul Dunne, Scott Gregory of England, South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber and Australian David Micheluzzi. Dunne won the 2017 British Masters, returning a closing 61 to hold off a charging Rory McIlroy. That was supposed to be Dunne’s stepping stone to more wins and a possible 2018 Ryder Cup spot.

Gregory, like Manassero, is a recent British Amateur champion who played on the 2017 Walker Cup alongside Robert Macintyre, the player he defeated to win the 2016 British Amateur. Micheluzzi reached world number two on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and is a player to watch out for. So is Nienaber. He qualified for the match play stages of the 2018 British Amateur as leading qualifier, and is arguably a better prospect than compatriot and that year’s champion Jovan Rebula.

The survival of the fittest contest that is the Qualifying School not only means only 25 and ties can qualify for the European Tour, but those who do probably won’t survive. Just seven of the 27 card earners at last year’s Q-School kept their cards this year. Seven players of the 33 graduates in 2017 kept their cards in 2018.

U.S. citizen Kurt Kitayama is a seminal lesson that Q-School persistence can pay off. He came through all three stages last year and has two European Tour wins to his name. His playoff loss in last week’s Turkish Airlines Open saw him move to 11th on the Race to Dubai with €1.67 in earnings, approximately $1.8 million.

It costs €2,030, or $2,235, to enter Q-School. Twenty-two hundred dollars for the chance to win $1.8 million might seem like a good investment. However, for most it will just be more money spent chasing a dream that probably won’t come true.

Pressure? The ultimate pressure can be found every year at the Qualifying School.

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