DODD WON'T GO BACK TO SCHOOL, BLAND FEELS HE MUST

The European Tour Final Qualifying School tees off at PGA Catalunya Golf Resort, Girona in north-east Spain on Saturday. It's six rounds of "pure torture," according to many who have endured it. Not many want to subject themselves to it more than once. But it happends.
This evening we highlight two players who have lost the right to play the European Tour in 2012 because they did not win enough money this season- Stephen Dodd and Richard Bland.
They have faced up to the situation in different ways. Dodd is not going to go back to the Tour School; Bland says he has gained pass marks at it before and he will try to stage a repeat performance.
Here's the STEPHEN DODD story first (from the BBC Sports website)
Stephen Dodd has lost his European Tour card for next season.
The Welshman, 45, failed to finish among the top 118 players on the money list who keep their cards for 2012.
Dodd has ruled out chasing one of the 30 additional places available through the European Tour Qualifying School.
"I've been to Tour School many times and it's not something I want to do now. I've been there and done that and I'll be quite happy just to play what I get in next year," Dodd said.
"I'm looking forward to spending a bit more time at home, to be honest. I've played a lot this year and consequently I've not played very well so I'll look forward to a break now.
"You never know at this game, it can change from week to week, month to month so we'll see what happens.
"Obviously I'm a bit disappointed, but I haven't played well enough.
"I'm going to play Thailand [The Thailand Open] in a couple of weeks, have Christmas at home and just play a bit next year."
Dodd is a three-time European Tour winner, taking titles at the 2006 European Open, the 2005 Irish Open and the 2005 China Open, and was the 2005 World Cup champion alongside Bradley Dredge.
+Stephen Dodd beat Cruden Bay's Craig Cassells by 5 and 3 in the 1989 final of the British amateur championship at Royal Birkdale. In August that year, both Dodd and Cassells played in the the GB and I team which won a Walker Cup match in the States! Peach Tree GC, Georgia was the venue and GB and I, captained by Geoff Marks, won 12.5-11.5. Dodd played No 1 in the second-day singles.
Cassells gave up the game after a few years of limited success as a pro. He went into his late father's fish business in Peterhead.

NOW THE RICHARD BLAND STORY:

Hampshire golfer Richard Bland has admitted that he has had a hugely disappointing year.

Bland, 38, finished 162nd in the order of merit meaning he has to compete over six harrowing (well, they can be!) rounds at PGA Catalunya, beginning on Saturday, with the pressure on him to finish in the top 30 to earn a place on the European Tour next year.
"This has probably been my worst season as a professional. I've had a lot of tournaments where I haven't been at the races," he said.
"I'd have hoped to have played better even with off-course issues."
Only the top 115 players gain automatic qualification for the following season.

Last season Bland, who lives in Southampton, finished 65th - just five places outside the race to Dubai.

Bland had to go through the same qualifying process in 2008 and believes that experience will stand him in good stead this time around.
"I finished the season strongly so I'm focussing on those positives," he added.
"In some ways it is harder than playing for a major, ultimately you are playing for your livelihood.
"I just need to draw on some of my experiences from my last 10 years on the Tour and try and use that to my advantage.
"I've been there and done it so I've got that to fall back on."

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