SALTMAN BROTHERS BOTH WIN EUROPEAN TOUR CARDS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Simon Wakefield secured a return to The European Tour for 2011, shooting a final round 67 to lead the 34 graduates at the Qualifying School on a day of fluctuating emotions in Girona, north-east Spain.
The 36 year old, who finished 63rd in the Challenge Tour Rankings, finished on 21 under par at PGA Catalunya Resort, two strokes clear of Spaniard Carlos Del Moral, with Finn Mikko Korhonen a further two shots back in third.

Wakefield is the second consecutive Englishman called Simon to win the Qualifying School and he will be hoping to follow a similar path to last year’s champion Simon Khan, whose victory 12 months ago led to further glory in The European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in May.

“The first goal was to make the cut and then it was to finish top 30, but the position I’ve been in the last couple of days, it was like 2005 again, when I’d lost my card by a few thousand Euros and came out to Qualifying school not feeling like I deserved to be there but put it behind me and finished second,” said Wakefield.
“It was so nice to go one better this time. I’ve had two or three second placs on the Tour in recent times and lost in a play-off, and I know this isn’t a tournament effectively but I’ve still had to win and I’ve broken my duck. This is as good as a win for me and I cannot wait to get home.”
Wakefield’s 407 aggregate total for the six-round Qualifying School was one stroke lower than Khan’s winning score in 2009 and was secured with a superb birdie on the last, stopping his five iron approach within two feet from the pin.
After starting the final day level with Del Moral, Wakefield pulled clear with a hat-trick of birdies after the turn and while his Spanish rival reduced the margin to one stroke with an eagle on the 15th, the Englishman’s closing birdie put daylight between the pair.
“You watch the top boys, Westwood and McDowell and the rest, and they make birdies down the last to win the tournament and that was going through my head on the last, when if there was one time I needed to pull off a perfect shot it was then,” said Wakefield.
“I hit a perfect five iron which rolled up to about 15 inches, so it’s fantastic and I’m absolutely delighted. It means the world to me.
“I had about four hours’ sleep last night. I knew the mark was going to be about nine or ten under and I was on 16 overnight but I was thinking of the five or six tough holes you really need to concentrate on. The game plan went great.”
Del Moral was equally delighted to secure his card after finishing an agonising 21st in the Challenge Tour Rankings, missing out by a mere €538.
“This is the one week where I really don’t mind finishing second,” said the 25 year old, who gained the third card in 2008. “Near the end of the round I saw that Simon and I were a few shots ahead, so for the first time I thought about really going for it and winning. But I came up just short in the end, and he deserved to win because he played very well today.
“It’s been a long season, and after finishing 21st in the Rankings I thought the year might end in disappointment. But I took a few days off to recover, and then prepared for this week. I’m so proud of the way I played here, and I have to give credit to my fitness coach, because he’s done a great job with me. It’s such a long week, but even today I didn’t feel too tired.”
As always at Qualifying School there were contrasting fortunes further down the leaderboard, with England’s Adam Gee and fourth-round leader Florian Fritsch, of Germany, both posting seven under par rounds of 65 to secure their cards.
Englishman Matthew Nixon, winner of the British boys' championship at Royal Aberdeen in 2006 and a strong candidate for a place in the GBandI team for next year's Walker Cup match at the same venue, survived a double bogey on the last as he became the only amateur to gain his card this year in a share of 11th spot.
Dane Andreas Hartø and Frenchman Romain Wattel, who both recently turned professional after winning on the Challenge Tour as amateurs in 2010, also progressed at the first attempt. Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka and Spaniard Manuel Quiros both signed for rounds of 68 to finish on 10 under par and nine under par – the cut mark for cards – respectively.

There was also joy for Welshman Liam Bond, who gained his European Tour card for the first time on his 16th visit to Qualifying School, while it will be a happy festive period in the Saltman household in the Lothians after Scottish brothers Elliot and Lloyd, pictured right, both graduated.

After a stellar amateur career, Lloyd has at last made it to the big stage, a year or two behind his 2007 Walker Cup team-mates, Rory McIlroy and Rhys Davies. Lloyd, who at 25 is the younger of the pair, carded a 69 to finish in a share of 11th place on 12 under par, while 28 year old Elliot had a nerve-racking wait to see if he would be joining him, eventually making it on the limit mark of nine under par after a 70.
Elliot, pictured below, said: “Our mum texted me last night and said she hoped either both of us made it or neither of us, so we could travel together again next season. It feels awesome to make it on to The European Tour with my brother and it should be a good Christmas in our house this year after this.”

Lloyd added: “It feels unbelievable, and to have Elliot get his card makes it extra special. I hardly put a foot wrong today – to make only one bogey on that course was pretty good going – so it’s up there with the best rounds of my career, and certainly the most important.
“I’ve been in the top 30 most of the week, and just lost a few places yesterday, but I’m proud of the way I finished the job off and I’m sure my parents are proud of me too. I owe them a lot for the support they’ve shown us, so hopefully this goes some way towards repaying them.”
There was disappointment, however, for the Saltman’s fellow Scot Chris Doak. The Northern Open champion started the day in 12th place but lipped out on the last hole to miss out by one stroke as he carded a 75.
Jack Doherty, the last of the four Scots to make it to the final day, finished with three indifferent rounds after shooting a 63 on Day 3. He missed the cut by seven shots on 426.
English amateur Matthew Southgate dropped two shots in his last three holes to drop out of the card places with a 75, his worst score of the six rounds,  while Spaniard Jorge Campillo, who had started the sixth and final round in a share of fifth place, posted a nine over par 81 to slip to 55th position and miss out.
FINAL TOTALS
Six-round par 428
Leading 34 earn European Tour cards for 2011
Figures at end of lines are prize money won, first in Euros, then converted to Sterling.
1 Simon WAKEFIELD ENG 70 68 65 70 67 67 407 -21 17,814.00 £15,000.00
2 Carlos DEL MORAL ESP 68 72 64 71 65 69 409 -19 13,063.60 £11,000.00
3 Mikko KORHONEN FIN 73 67 65 66 71 69 411 -17 10,094.60 £8,500.00
4 Adam GEE ENG 66 71 65 73 72 65 412 -16 7,861.91 £6,620.00
5 Jaco VAN ZYL RSA 72 67 65 69 73 67 413 -15 6,793.07 £5,720.00
6 Florian FRITSCH GER 69 65 68 73 74 65 414 -14 5,645.06 £4,753.33
7 Liam BOND WAL 66 69 67 71 73 68 414 -14 5,645.06 £4,753.33
8 Andreas HARTØ DEN 68 76 66 65 70 69 414 -14 5,645.06 £4,753.33
9 Romain WATTEL FRA 71 68 65 72 68 71 415 -13 4,815.72 £4,055.00
10 Stuart MANLEY WAL 74 65 64 73 67 72 415 -13 4,815.72 £4,055.00
11 Tim SLUITER NED 72 70 68 68 69 69 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
12 Lloyd SALTMAN SCO 68 69 65 72 73 69 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
13 Joakim HAEGGMAN SWE 70 73 68 68 67 70 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
14 Shaun NORRIS RSA 68 71 68 68 71 70 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
15 Victor DUBUISSON FRA 69 74 69 65 68 71 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
16 Jason KNUTZON USA 69 68 66 73 69 71 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
17 Thomas NORRET DEN 69 69 66 72 68 72 416 -12 3,776.57 £3,180.00
18 Matthew NIXON (amateur) ENG 74 69 65 64 71 73 416 -12
19 George COETZEE RSA 72 63 70 73 69 70 417 -11 2,866.07 £2,413.33
20 Steve LEWTON ENG 63 72 66 70 72 74 417 -11 2,866.07 £2,413.33
21 Alfredo GARCIA-HEREDIA ESP 70 67 64 69 71 76 417 -11 2,866.07£2,413.33
22 Alexandre KALEKA FRA 69 73 67 70 71 68 418 -10 2,422.70 £2,040.00
23 Fredrik OHLSSON SWE 67 69 68 75 69 70 418 -10 2,422.70 £2,040.00
24 Pedro ORIOL ESP 71 69 67 68 70 73 418 -10 2,422.70 £2,040.00
25 Wade ORMSBY AUS 66 71 66 72 70 73 418 -10 2,422.70 £2,040.00
26 Manuel QUIROS ESP 74 67 68 72 70 68 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
27 Sebi GARCIA ESP 70 68 66 77 68 70 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
28 Elliot SALTMAN SCO 66 71 64 74 74 70 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
29 Eirik Tage JOHANSEN NOR 67 73 65 70 73 71 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
30 François DELAMONTAGNE FRA 75 66 66 72 68 72 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
31 Markus BRIER AUT 71 68 65 75 68 72 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
32 Borja ETCHART ESP 71 69 64 71 71 73 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
33 Steven TILEY ENG 73 71 68 65 68 74 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
34 Roope KAKKO FIN 71 68 64 71 69 76 419 -9 2,020.24 £1,701.11
FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR EUROPEAN TOUR
35 Espen KOFSTAD NOR 71 64 69 75 74 67 420 -8 831.32 £700.
36 Miles TUNNICLIFF ENG 70 74 68 66 74 68 420 -8 831.32 £700.
37 Marco RUIZ PAR 68 73 67 71 72 69 420 -8 831.32 £700.
38 Mikael LUNDBERG SWE 73 71 69 67 70 70 420 -8 831.32 £700.
39 Antti AHOKAS FIN 75 69 70 66 69 71 420 -8 831.32 £700.
40 Jesus Maria ARRUTI ESP 74 66 69 68 70 73 420 -8 831.32 £700.
41 Chris DOAK SCO 67 73 64 73 68 75 420 -8 831.32 £700.
42 Alessandro TADINI ITA 68 73 64 72 73 71 421 -7 831.32 £700.
43 Paul DWYER ENG 72 72 71 64 70 72 421 -7 831.32 £700.
44 Tom WHITEHOUSE ENG 73 67 66 72 71 72 421 -7 831.32 £700.
45 Bernd RITTHAMMER GER 70 70 67 72 68 74 421 -7 831.32 £700.
46 Matthew SOUTHGATE ENG (amateur) 74 69 69 67 67 75 421 -7
47 Andrew TAMPION AUS 64 72 69 72 75 70 422 -6 831.32 £700.
48 Peter GUSTAFSSON SWE 75 70 70 65 71 71 422 -6 831.32 £700.
49 Sam LITTLE ENG 71 71 65 71 73 71 422 -6 831.32 £700.
50 Daniel DENISON ENG 70 71 66 74 69 72 422 -6 831.32 £700.
51 Edouard DUBOIS FRA 70 72 62 71 72 75 422 -6 831.32 £700.
52 Emanuele CANONICA ITA 69 69 65 71 73 75 422 -6 831.32 £700.
53 Thomas FEYRSINGER AUT 70 71 65 75 72 70 423 -5 831.32 £700.
54 Maximilian KIEFFER GER 70 71 63 72 73 74 423 -5 831.32 £700.
55 Jorge CAMPILLO ESP 66 71 68 69 69 81 424 -4 831.32 £700.
56 Chris LLOYD ENG (amateur) 69 71 67 70 77 71 425 -3
57 Fredrik HENGE SWE 69 75 70 67 71 73 425 -3 831.32 £700.
58 Scott HEND AUS 74 69 66 71 72 73 425 -3 831.32 £700.
59 Joakim LAGERGREN SWE 78 64 67 72 74 71 426 -2 831.32 £700.
60 Francis VALERA ESP 69 73 66 73 73 72 426 -2 831.32 £700.
61 Anthony GRENIER FRA 71 72 72 65 74 72 426 -2 831.32 £700.
62 Jack DOHERTY SCO 66 73 63 77 73 74 426 -2 831.32 £700.
63 Cesar MONASTERIO ARG 66 73 68 72 68 79 426 -2 831.32 £700.
64 Daniel BROOKS ENG 77 67 70 66 75 72 427 -1 831.32 £700.
65 François CALMELS FRA 72 70 64 73 76 72 427 -1 831.32 £700.
66 Ben EVANS ENG 70 72 65 71 75 74 427 -1 831.32 £700.
67 Niall KEARNEY IRL 76 65 67 72 76 72 428 0 831.32 £700.
68 Jamie ELSON ENG 76 69 67 63 78 76 429 1 831.32 £700.
69 Leif WESTERBERG SWE 72 70 68 70 74 76 430 2 831.32 £700.
70 James ROBINSON ENG 69 73 66 73 75 76 432 4 831.32 £700.The Saltmans, who will join Italian’s Edoardo and Francesco Molinari as the only other brothers on Tour, became the first siblings to graduate from the same Qualifying School.