SCOTT HENRY PIPPED IN EUROPRO TOUR


 PLAY-OFF BUT POCKETS £5,000

NICK McCarthy has claimed his first victory on the PGA EuroPro Tour after edging out Scott Henry in the second extra hole of a play-off.
McCarthy (Moortown) and Henry (The Carrick on Loch Lomond ) had both finished on ten-under after three rounds at the Formby Hall Classic in Merseyside.
But McCarthy triumphed to collect the £10,000 winner’s prize and move a step closer to advancing to the Challenge Tour.
“I’m a bit shocked and don’t know what to do but it just feels fantastic,” said 22-year-old McCarthy.
“I had a game plan for the week, stuck to it and that got me through.
“I came up here a few days before the tournament and had played Formby Hall last year so knew there were holes when you could attack and holes you had to settle for par.
“At the beginning of the year I had a target to be in the top five and this has just boosted me and brought me closer.
“There are four tournaments left and then the Tour Championships so I’m hoping for a good finish to the season.
“I’ve won £13,000 from the Tour so far this year and if I can get it to £20,000 that should be enough.”
Leeds-based McCarthy has played on the Tour since April 2009 and hopes to follow in the footsteps of former members Louis Oosthuizen and Ross Fisher, who recently won the Open and the Irish Open respectively.
McCarthy’s previous best finish came in August 2009 when he came tied fourth at Wychwood Park in Cheshire, although he had threatened to beat that earlier this campaign.
He had led going into the final day at Longhirst Hall, Northumberland but eventually finished sixth before he finished in the same position a week later at Bovey Castle , Devon .
“It makes a big difference moving from amateur golf to the EuroPro Tour and on the Tour you learn how to shoot low numbers,” added McCarthy.
“A couple of times in the past I have been in contention but not been able to finish it off.
“But winning this gives me a lot of confidence and then you look at the big names who have played on the Tour. You think if they can do it then why can’t I?”
Henry, who had a stellar career in Scotland as an amateur but whose pro career has hardly got him out of the starting blocks, picks up £5,000 for his second place, while Order of Merit leader Daniel Gaunt has extended his lead at the top of the money list after he came third.
Matt Allen finished fourth with four players – Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale), Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool), Graeme Clark (Doncaster GC) and Steve Uzzell (Hornsea GC) - all in tied fifth place.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 Nick McCarthy Moortown (p)  69 68 69 (won play-off; £10,000); Scott Henry (The Carrick on Loch Lomond) 71 68 67 (£5,000).
207 Daniel Gaunt (Australia) 71 67 69 (£2,500).
208 Matt Allen 68 69 71 (£1,700).
209 Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale) 72 69 68, Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool) 71 69 69, Graeme Clark (Doncaster) 73 66 70, Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) 67 69 73. (£1,125 each).
210 Robert Steele (Kenilworth/Forest of Arden) 69 74 67, Matthew Evans (Rotherham) 74 69 67, Ryan Brown (Worksop) 67 72 71 (£800 each).

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