The long, hard road towards Membership of the European Tour nears its end this week when 168 players gather at San Roque Club and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande for the 1999 Qualifying School Finals. The leading 35 and ties will graduate to compete on the 2000 European Tour.
Four years ago Padraig Harrington graduated from the European Tour Qualifying School Finals to earn Full Membership of the European Tour. Two months ago he made his Ryder Cup debut and this week he will be in Malaysia for the World Cup of Golf which he won with Paul McGinley two years ago when they became the first Irish pair to win the title in 39 years.
Also competing at the Mines Resort, Kuala Lumpur, will be Angel Cabrera, Anders Hansen, Alex Cejka, Emanuele Canonica, Dean Robertson, Santiago Luna, Miguel Angel Martin, Patrik Sjoland and Phillip Price, all graduates from the Qualifying School Finals. Indeed, it was only 12 months ago that Canonica and Hansen were both in Southern Spain playing for their place on the European Tour. Both survived the tough examination and went on to finish the season in 70th and 107th in the Volvo Order of Merit respectively.
Pedro Linhart was another of last year’s graduates who seized his opportunity in dramatic style, holding off the challenge from Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Mark James to win the Madeira Island Open at Santo de Serra. His first European Tour win moved him up to Category 3 and earned him a two-year exemption on the European Tour.
Australian Geoff Ogilvy turned professional upon entering the Qualifying School last year and earned his card by finishing 21st in the Finals. He secured his place among the game’s elite by finishing 65th in the Volvo Order of Merit after a string of good performances, notably his joint fifth finish in the Estoril Open and then joint third in the Volvo Scandinavian Masters. He has progressed this season through the re-rank system for Qualifying School graduates to be the leading player in Category 11.
Canonica enjoyed three top ten finishes in 1999 on his way to earning 163,590 euro (£116,850) and finishing 70th in the Volvo Order of Merit while two top ten finishes for both Diego Borrego and Andrew Mclardy helped them secure their cards after graduating last year.
Jeremy Robinson, who battled against a back injury for three days before birdieing the final hole to secure the last card from the 1998 Qualifying School Finals, was another player who made the most of his opportunity, finishing in 115th place in the Volvo Order of Merit to earn his place on the 2000 European Tour. Nine graduates from the 1998 European Tour Qualifying School Finals retained their cards during the 1999 season.
The rise of these players and many other Qualifying School graduates provides ample encouragement for the 168 players who are gathered in Spain’s Costa del Sol this week. The 1999 European Tour Qualifying School Finals will be played over six rounds. The field of 168 competitors will play two rounds on both the San Roque and Sotogrande courses. After 72 holes the field will be cut to the leading 75 players and ties who will play a further two rounds. The final two rounds will be played at San Roque Club.
All players who tie for 35th place or better will be ranked in Category 11 of the European Tour Membership for the 2000 season. The remainder of those making the cut will be ranked in Category 13 on the European Tour and in Category 8 on the Challenge Tour for the 2000 season. Players failing to make the cut will be ranked in Category 11 on the Challenge Tour for the 2000 season.
A total of 93 qualifiers from the Second Stage of Qualifying School join the 75 exempt players in the field this week. Among them are some familiar names, including former Ryder Cup players Gordon J Brand, Steven Richardson, Philip Walton and Paul Way. Roger Chapman, last year’s Qualifying School winner Ross Drummond, Mark Mouland, Andrew Sherbourne, Wayne Westner, Clinton Whitelaw, all of whom have spent many successful years on the European Tour, are also among the entries.
San Roque Club and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande hosted the Qualifying School Finals in 1996 and 1998 and -will once again offer demanding examinations of skill and temperament. San Roque Club – the Andalucian headquarters of the European Tour – has long been regarded as one of the finest courses in Spain and Club de Golf Sotogrande is another excellent example of the work of leading architect Robert Trent Jones. The conclusion is clear: the examination is exacting and the rewards enormous.
