ELLIOT SALTMAN'S PRO GAMBLE
FAILS TO PAY OFF AS HE MISSES
EUROPRO TOUR Q SCHOOL CUT
Elliot Saltman’s decision to turn professional on the eve of the PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School was, with hindsight, a big gamble. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old from Dalkeith, the gamble has come unstuck.
Elliot, pictured right, shot 77 and 74 at Frilford Heath over the past two days and an aggregate of 151 missed the cut which means he can’t play or will have very little opportunity to play on the 2007 PGA EuroPro circuit.
Elliot Saltman’s decision to turn professional on the eve of the PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School was, with hindsight, a big gamble. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old from Dalkeith, the gamble has come unstuck.
Elliot, pictured right, shot 77 and 74 at Frilford Heath over the past two days and an aggregate of 151 missed the cut which means he can’t play or will have very little opportunity to play on the 2007 PGA EuroPro circuit.
To continue playing golf competitively, he will have to turn to the Tamsel or Celtic Tours.
Saltman could have played in the Qualifying School as an amateur, as did Eyemouth’s Thomas Higson who failed to beat the 36-hole cut but is still free to play in amateur events.
As a professional Elliot has nowhere to go and he has cut himself off from the amateur ranks where his form this season, and his +3 handicap, might have led to a long overdue first cap for Scotland this year.
Christopher Campbell from Grantown on Spey, a staff professional at the Carnegie Club, Skibo Castle, has done best of the Scots at Frilford Heath so far. Christopher has has scores of 69 and 70 for 139. That puts him in joint second place, two shots off the pace being set by New Zealander Todd Nicholson.
Campbell had an eagle at the second and birdies at the sixth, ninth, 10th and 17th.
Banchory’s Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) had a 68, one of the best scores of the day, with birdies at the foufrth, fifth and 13th, to be in joint 30th place on145.
Murcar Links’ Neil Mitchell plummeted down the leaderboard after an 8 at the par-5 fourth on his way to a 79 for 150.
SCOREBOARD
137 Todd Nicholson (NZ) 70 67.
139 Christopher Campbell (Carnegie Club) 69 70, Mark Staunton (Black Bush)73 66, Mark O’Sullivan (Galway) 71 68, Colin Roope (Eng) 67 72.
Other Scottish scores:
145 Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 77 68 (jt 30th).
146 Chris Farr (Bransford) 75 71 (jt 38th).
147 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) 74 73, Freddy Valenti (Pryors Haynes) 73 74, Graeme Brown (Montrose) 74 73 (jt 49th).
148 Ricky Gray (Torrance House) 72 76, Alasdair Hay (Royal Winchester) 75 73, Callum Nicoll (Prestwick) 75 73 (jt 65th).
149 Chris Kelly (Cawder) 80 69.
150 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) 72 78, Neil Mitchell (Murcar Links) 71 79 (jt 110th).
MISSED CUT
151 Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) 77 74, Jay Taylor 76 75.
152 Stephen Lamb (Broomieknowe) 79 73.
154 Ian Simpson (Fulford) 81 73.
155 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 79 76.
156 Thomas Higson (Eyemouth) (am) 75 81.
Saltman could have played in the Qualifying School as an amateur, as did Eyemouth’s Thomas Higson who failed to beat the 36-hole cut but is still free to play in amateur events.
As a professional Elliot has nowhere to go and he has cut himself off from the amateur ranks where his form this season, and his +3 handicap, might have led to a long overdue first cap for Scotland this year.
Christopher Campbell from Grantown on Spey, a staff professional at the Carnegie Club, Skibo Castle, has done best of the Scots at Frilford Heath so far. Christopher has has scores of 69 and 70 for 139. That puts him in joint second place, two shots off the pace being set by New Zealander Todd Nicholson.
Campbell had an eagle at the second and birdies at the sixth, ninth, 10th and 17th.
Banchory’s Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) had a 68, one of the best scores of the day, with birdies at the foufrth, fifth and 13th, to be in joint 30th place on145.
Murcar Links’ Neil Mitchell plummeted down the leaderboard after an 8 at the par-5 fourth on his way to a 79 for 150.
SCOREBOARD
137 Todd Nicholson (NZ) 70 67.
139 Christopher Campbell (Carnegie Club) 69 70, Mark Staunton (Black Bush)73 66, Mark O’Sullivan (Galway) 71 68, Colin Roope (Eng) 67 72.
Other Scottish scores:
145 Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 77 68 (jt 30th).
146 Chris Farr (Bransford) 75 71 (jt 38th).
147 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) 74 73, Freddy Valenti (Pryors Haynes) 73 74, Graeme Brown (Montrose) 74 73 (jt 49th).
148 Ricky Gray (Torrance House) 72 76, Alasdair Hay (Royal Winchester) 75 73, Callum Nicoll (Prestwick) 75 73 (jt 65th).
149 Chris Kelly (Cawder) 80 69.
150 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) 72 78, Neil Mitchell (Murcar Links) 71 79 (jt 110th).
MISSED CUT
151 Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) 77 74, Jay Taylor 76 75.
152 Stephen Lamb (Broomieknowe) 79 73.
154 Ian Simpson (Fulford) 81 73.
155 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 79 76.
156 Thomas Higson (Eyemouth) (am) 75 81.
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, April 19, 2007
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