European Challenge Tour final event of season

McARTHUR NEEDS TO IMPROVE BY ONE
PLACE TO CLINCH EUROPEAN TOUR CARD

From Michael Gibbons, Challenge Tour Press Officer
( mgibbons@europeantour.com)


Andrew McArthur has his golfing future in his own hands as he embarks on the final round of the European Challenge Tour’s Apulia San Domenico Grand Final at Salvalettri, Italy on Saturday.
The 26 year old Scottish amateur champion of 2002 at Western Gailes, needing a top-five finish at this final event of the season to win a European Tour card for next season, shot a third successive 69 at San Domenico Golf.
He is now at six-under-par 207 and joint sixth with 18 holes to play.
McArthur, pictured right, is five shots off the lead held by Englishman James Hepworth, but only two behind second-placed Shaun Webster of England and one behind the third-placed trio of James Heath and Lee James of England and Welshman Mark Pilkington.
“I suppose it is in my own hands and that’s what you are looking for going into the final round, especially this week,” said McArthur. “It is such a big week for everyone here but you can’t start thinking about all the possibilities on the rankings, you just have to go out and play.
“I think a top-five finish will get me the card, but that’s not taking into account the chance of tieing with other guys so I am just going to go out and try to win the thing. Then there will be no doubt about the card.”
While McArthur has control over his golfing future, fellow-Scot David Drysdale will be hoping that the golfing gods look upon him favourably after he failed to make an impression on the Grand Final leaderboard on the third day.
DRYSDALE PROSPECTS ARE BLEAK
The Dunbar tour professional needs to win or finish second in San Domenico to win his card through the Challenge Tour but, after a third round 72 left him on one over par, he seems too far off the pace to accomplish that.
Drysdale may still be a European Tour player next season if five of the players behind him on the European Tour Order of Merit don’t pass him by at the end of the Mallorca Classic on Sunday evening.
The 31 year old is 114th on the European Tour Order of Merit. The top 118 at the end of the season retain their playing rights for the new campaign.
After suffering the cruelest of luck to miss out on his card by one place last season, Drysdale will be praying for a change of fortune.

THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
7,009yd course. Par 71.
202 James Hepworth (Eng) 69 65 68.
205 Shaun P Webster (Eng) 67 70 68.
206 Mark Pilkington (Wal) 67 68 71, James Heath (Eng) 69 66 71, Lee S James (Eng) 71 66 69.
207 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 65 75 67, Marcus Higley (Eng) 69 69 69, Sam Walker (Eng) 68 70 69, Andrew McArthur (Sco) 69 69 69.
208 Jean Hugo (SAf) 68 71 69, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 66 70 72.
209 Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 69 72 68, Alexander Noren (Swe) 69 65 75.
210 Ivó Giner (Esp) 69 69 72, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 72 68 70, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 67 72.
211 Hernan Rey (Arg) 67 75 69, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 69 71 71, Rafael Gomez (Arg) 68 71 72.
212 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 67 72 73; Adrien Mörk (Fra) 73 68 71; Jesus Maria Arruti (Esp) 69 71 72; David Drysdale (Sco) 70 70 72.
213 Chris Gane (Eng) 73 72 68.
214 Anders Schmidt Hansen (Den) 69 75 70; Gareth Davies (Eng) 72 70 72; Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel) 71 69 74.
215 Juan Parron (Spa) 72 71 72, Denny Lucas (Eng) 70 73 72, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 68 71 76, Johan Sköld (Swe) 73 74 68, Oskar Bergman (Swe) 76 74 65, Sebastian Fernandez (Arg) 69 68 78.
216 Martin Maritz (Rsa) 71 74 71, Gustavo Rojas (Arg) 70 72 74, Kyron Sullivan (Wal) 71 71 74.
217 Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 72 72 73, Gary Lockerbie (Eng) 74 71 72.
218 Gareth Wright (Wal) 73 75 70, Sion E Bebb (Wal) 78 70 70.
219 Johan Axgren (Swe) 75 69 75.
221 Tim Milford (Eng) 74 72 75, Julien Foret (Fra) 70 73 78, Anthony Snobeck (Fra) 72 75 74.
223 Antonio Maldonado (Mex) 72 76 75.