KRIS NICOL ONLY SCOT TO GAIN PASS MARKS FOR ALPS TOUR

    Joint winners of the Alps Tour Final Qualifying school: left to right - Stiggy Hodgson, Kris Nicol and Dominquie Nouailhac at Toscana GC, Italy today.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Kris Nicol, on the Fraserburgh Golf Club greenkeeping staff since he left school, today got a foot on the first rung of a tour pro golf career. The rookie pro from the North-east was the only Scot to gain full playing rights for the 2012 Alps Tour at the conclusion of the 54-hole Final Qualifying School over the Toscana course, Italy.
Nicol, who missed out of a Walker Cup place after playing in the GB and I practice matches at Balgownie, did it in style by finishing joint first on nine-under-par 205 with Walker Cup player Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale) and veteran Frenchman Dominique Nouailhac.
Kris, making his way in pro golf without a sponsor, had rounds of 78, 71 and 66.
The Buchan man showed absolutely no sign of last-day nerves by birdieing the first four holes and then the ninth, after b ogeys at the sixth and seventh, to be out in three-under 33.
After the turn, Nicol was flawless with birdies at the 13th and 14th surrounded by nothing but pars in an inward two-under 33.
In all four of the GB and I Walker Cup team who beat the Americans at Royal Aberdeen gained pass marks to the Alps Tour next season - Hodgson, Steven Brown (Wentworth), Jack Senior (Heysham) and Andy Sullivan (Nuneaton).
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and David Law (Hazlehead), named as reserves to the home Walker Cup squad back in September, failed to figure among the 35 qualifiers with totals of one-over-par 215 or better.
Kellett missed out by a single shot on full playing rights after rounds of 72, 76 and 68 to be joint 36th on 216. After nine bogeys over the first two rounds, the Motherwell man had a mistake-free closing round studded with birdies at the first, seventh and 18th.
Former British boys champion Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) missed the qualifying mark by two shots after bogeying the last two holes and scoring 67, 75 and 75 for 217. He had only one birdie on a day when he needed them most.
Ironically, Tom Sherreard (Maidstone), the player Findlay beat in the 2004 British boys' championship final, gained pass marks with a 210 total.
John Henry (Clydebank) and Philip McLean (Peterhead) finished on the same 217 mark as Findlay. McLean hit form too late - birdieing the 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th for a one-under 70, his best score of the three days. McLean still has a chance of making it to the European Tour. He is through to the Stage 2 series in Spain next month.
Northern Open champion David Law (Hazlehead) finished on six-over 220 with scores of 78, 69 and 73. He signed off with only one birdie on his card. The tragedy for Law is that on the top of the form that won him the Northern Open - the first amateur since the 1970s to beat the pros in that event - and the Scottish amateur match-play championship twice in the past three years, he would have sailed through the Alps Tour test and the earlier European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Dundoland Links.
All the players who made the last day of the Alps Tour Final Q School will gain some playing opportunities on the circuit next year but not as many as the leading 35.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 214 (2x71, 1x72)

+35 players with totals of 215 or better gained playing rights for next season's Alps Tour.

Leading qualifiers

205 Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 68 71 66, Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale) 69 67 69, Dominique Nouailhac (Fra) 72 66 67.

207 Jack Clarke (Chelmsford) 69 67 71.

208 Sebastien Gros (Fra) 72 74 62, Andrew Cooley (Eng) 69 73 66, Johan Lopez Lazaro (Fra) 72 68 68, Jesus Legarrea (Spa) 73 66 69.

Selected qualifiers:

210 Tom Sherreard (Maidstone) 71 70 69 (T10).

213 Jack Senior (Heysham) 75 71 67 (T17).

214 Steven Brown (Wentworth) 74 70 70 (T21).

215 Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle) 78 67 70, Andy Sullivan (Nuneaton) 73 72 70, Andy Smith (Tudor Park) 73 67 75 (T29).

MISSED THE CUT

216 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 72 76 68 (T36).

217 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 67 75 75, John Henry (Clydebank) 74 70 73, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 72 75 70 (T42).

219 Donald Stirling (Wien-Sussenbrunn)) 70 73 76 (T53).

220 David Law (Hazlehead) 78 69 73, Adam Gray (Eng) 73 75 72. (T56).

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