Coltart, Drysdale, Macaulay and Doak
earn European Tour players' cards

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
More than 900 hopefuls entered at the preliminary stage, but that number was whittled down to just 32 jubilant souls on the last day of the European Tour Qualifying School – Final Stage, which was won in some style by Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson.
Both Henningsson and his 31 fellow graduates will now progress to The European Tour after the six-round examination came to a close on another day of high drama at PGA Golf de Catalunya in Girona, Spain.
Henningsson again produced some mesmerising golf to finish on 21 under par and so take the title of No 1 qualifier by four shots from Australia’s Wade Ormsby and Spain’s Carlos Del Moral, whose late charge was not quite enough to take the €18,595 first prize.
The Swede, who is the first man to come through all three stages and win the Final Stage, said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to achieve this. It has been my main goal for the whole season, so to come here and actually win the Final Stage is amazing. I didn’t really think about winning the tournament, which is really a bonus, but it feels great.
“I think my eagle on the seventh was really the key moment in me winning, but I did feel really comfortable before that. In fact, I didn’t have any nerves at all today – not even on the first tee.
“To be the first guy to win the Qualifying School coming through all three stages in a great achievement, and it will give me a lot confidence going into the new season. I feel well prepared to go out on the main Tour and make an impression, so I’m delighted to have earned my card.”
Henningsson’s joy was shared by among others England’s John Mellor, who leapt into the top 30 on the back of a round of 68, which was bettered only by a 67 from Ireland’s Michael Hoey, who will join him in The Race to Dubai.
Mellor, who has suffered with a series of injuries in recent years, said: “I’m delighted, especially given everything I’ve been through in the last couple of years. It makes it all worthwhile, and shows that I do still belong out here.”
Among the players who scraped through on six under par was Italy’s Federico Colombo, who only turned professional last week.
Colombo was one of eight players to emerge successfully through all three rounds. As well as Colombo and Henningsson, Northern Ireland starlet Jonathan Caldwell, Tartan Tour Number One Chris Doak, Scottish amateur champion Callum Macaulay, Sweden’s Ake Nilsson, and rising stars Danny Willet and Chris Wood, the amateur silver medal winner in this year's Open at Royal Birkdale, all managed to successfully negotiate all three stages, which started back in September.
For much of the day Willett and Wood were locked in a private duel with one another near the top of the leaderboard, with Willett eventually prevailing over his friend and compatriot by one shot.
The youngster will now test himself against some of the world’s best players on The 2009 European Tour International Schedule.
Willett said: “It feels good – very good. I’ve played pretty scrappily over the past two days, but I’ve got myself a European Tour card, which is what I came here for. I’m looking forward to a few days off, because it’s been a long couple of weeks. Then I’ll get down to some serious practice in preparation for the two events in South Africa before Christmas.”
Wood, the winner of the Silver Medal at this year’s Open Championship, added: “I’ve worked really hard for this so I feel like I deserve everything I’ve achieved, but this does cap a pretty amazing year for me. I wouldn’t swap The Open for this or this for The Open – I would take both! At the time The Open was as good as golf can get, but knowing I have a full year on the Tour ahead of me is just as good. I’ll enjoy tonight now – the pressure is off at last. It’s just a horrible week with all the pressure and everything that comes with it – I never want to come back here again!”
Inevitably the day was interspersed with tales of woe, chief among them that of Ireland’s Michael McGeady, who bogeyed the last hole to drop to five under par and so miss out on the potential riches on offer in The Race to Dubai.
The same could be said of Germany’s Dennis Kupper and Spain’s Carl Suneson, both of whom started the day in the top 30 but subsequently dropped out after the pair carded rounds of 75.
England’s James Morrison was also left to rue dropping four shots in his final four holes to fall back from seven under to three under par.
Morrison will now return to Challenge Tour duty, whilst Henningsson and co can look forward to rubbing shoulders with the likes of World Number Two Sergio Garcia of Spain.
Golf is a cruel game at times, and the Qualifying School – Final Stage is perhaps the cruellest tournament of them all.
COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH. All four Scots who survived the fourth-round cut at the Q School will be playing on the European Tour in future - Andrew Coltart, David Drysdale, Callum Macaulay and Chris Doak.
Macaulay played as an amateur, which cost him £2,690 in prizemoney. He has now turned pro and should soon be adding to his bank account anyway.
No surprise that Drysdale, Macaulay and Doak, who has had such a great season on the Tartan Tour and won the PGA Play-offs title, should make it but all those who have watched with sadness the decline of Andrew Coltart, a player at one time of Ryder Cup status, over recent years will rejoice that he is back on the Big Stage.
His play in the Q School has been a revelation. He finished the top Scot and earned £3,343, which is probably his biggest payday for some time. Welcome back, Andrew!