GARY ORR ON LAST-ROUND TIGHTROPE AT FINAL Q SCHOOL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Helensburgh's Gary Orr is the Scot who will be walking the tightrope in tomorrow's sixth and final round of what has been the lowest-scoring Final Qualifying School in European Tour history at PGA Catalunya, Girona in north-east Spain.

As far as the two other Scots qualifiers are concerned, perhaps tempting fate to say that Motherwell's Steven O'Hara is sitting pretty in 11th position - the top 30 at the end of play tomorrow will gain pass marks to the 2012 European Tour - while Chris Doak, in joint 39th spot, has the proverbial mountain to climb on the final circuit.

Orr, pictured above, went over par for the first time in 90 holes with a 73 for eight-under 348 and his joint 28th position leaves him precariously balanced as he goes into last day of this 108-hole golfing marathon.

It is unlikely that par golf will keep him inside the top 30 but chasing birdies is a risky business with no margin for error in this situation. Fortunately, Orr is a vastly experienced competitor at the age of 44. He will need nerves of steel in a round of golf where his future on the European Tour could boil down to one missed putt.

Today he cancelled out bogeys at the first and ninth with birdies at the 10th and short 11th but he slipped to a third bogey at the long 15th just when he looked to be giving himself a little bit more room for manoeuvre going into the final round.

O'Hara, after four consecutive sub-par rounds, looks set to resume his European Tour career in the New Year.

His five-birdie, two-under-par 70 in the fifth round leaves him only five shots behind the new leader, Englishman David Dixon who had seven birdies, including five inside a six-hole stretch, on his way to a 67 for 18-under-par tally of 338.

Former Northern Open champion Chris Doak has gone off the boil over the last two days with rounds of 72 and 73 to be joint 39th on 350. 

Beginning at the 10th, Doak birdied the long 12th but he covered the next 15 holes in two over par with bogeys at the 18th and short fifth - not the kind of scoring that holds out promise of a sub-par closing round to lift himself up the necessary nine placings in the standings.

There are 33 players on eight-under par 348 or better with a round to go.

LEADING FIFTH ROUND TOTALS

Par 356 (3x72, 2x70

338 David Dixon (Eng) 74 65 63 69 67.

339 Bernd Ritthammer (Ger) 65 71 68 68 67.

340 Sam Hutsby (Eng) 60 69 68 71 72.

341 Richard Bland (Eng) 67 72 65 68 69, Branden Grace (SAf) 68 68 65 70 70, Andy Sullivan (Eng) 65 66 67 72 71.

SCOTS' SCORES

343 Steven O'Hara 73 67 65 68 70 (11th).

348 Gary Or 68 69 69 69 73 (T28).

350 Chris Doak 71 68 66 72 73 (T39).

HUTSBY LOSES LEAD AT LAST - BUT COMPATRIOT

DIXON TAKES OVER POLE POSITION

By NEIL AHERN
European Tour assistant press officer
David Dixon stormed into the lead in The European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage after a five under par fifth round of 67, which included no fewer than seven birdies.
That score elevated him to the top spot, which English compatriot Sam Hutsby had occupied for the previous four days.
Dixon, whose sole European Tour win came at the Saint-Omer Open presented by Neuflize OBC in 2008, overcame a bogey on the second hole to card four consecutive birdies from the third hole, followed by another on the eighth to reach the turn in 32, four under par.
While the experienced Englishman did hold a three-shot lead at one point during the day, his five consecutive pars after the turn, followed by a birdie and a bogey at the 15th and 16th, opened the door for Bernd Ritthammer to join him at the top temporarily.
A gained shot at the 17th hole, however, handed him a single shot lead over the German heading into the final day of the gruelling six-day marathon at PGA Catalunya Resort, near Girona.
“I think the experience of having been here a few times before definitely helps because you tend to deal with the highs and lows a bit better,” said the 34 year old, who won the Silver Medal as leading amateur at The Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s in 2001.
“You’ve just got to try to hang in there, go steady and give yourself a chance of getting your card and possibly even winning. It’s been a funny old year so it’d be nice to finish it on a high note, but I’d be happy with a top ten finish.
“Tomorrow I’ve just got to go out there with the same mentality as today, and hope the putts continue to drop. My putting this year has been poor, which is why I’m here, so it’s about time I came good.
“I switched to the belly putter recently, and it’s starting to work well for me. I holed a monster putt from about 60 foot on the fifth hole, and holed a few good clutch putts, so that bodes well for tomorrow and for next season too.”
It was a stunning back nine performance which lifted Ritthammer into the mix, after an up-and-down front nine, and having signed for a five under par 67, he is now setting his sights on victory in northern Spain.
“It was like a rollercoaster on the front nine,” said the Nuremburg-born player. “I started well with an eagle on the third and a birdie on the fourth, but then had two bogeys. The fifth could easily have been a double bogey though, so I did well there.
“I made another birdie on the eighth but bogeyed the ninth, so I was actually pretty happy to reach the turn in one under. Then I started to play really well on the back nine, I didn’t make any mistakes.
“This is the first time I’ve been in this position and it feels pretty good. Last year here I was in the top 30 after five rounds, but this position is much more comfortable. I just want to win the tournament now; I don’t have to worry too much about not getting a card. I just need to play a solid round.
“I started the week playing quite aggressively and it has paid off until now, so there is no reason to change it or play more defensively tomorrow. It’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”
Overnight leader Hutsby relinquished his lead early in the day after starting with a bogey, before three more dropped shots were offset by one birdie to reach the turn in 39. But the resurgent 23 year old clawed his way back to third place with a level par 72 thanks to a superb three under back nine which included birdies at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th.
“I’m so happy at the minute,” said the 23 year old afterwards. “If you’d told me on the tenth that I’d end up with level par I wouldn’t have believed you. I just dug in deep and my short game kept me in it. I hit a couple of nice putts in the last few holes, and I’m absolutely chuffed to bits to still be in the mix.
“I bogeyed the ninth and tenth to go four over. I just couldn’t find my rhythm. I hit it really well on the range. Every time I’ve hit it well on the range I haven’t played that well, which just goes to show what a mental game this is.
“It’s given me confidence, because if I can play that poorly and still get round in 72 I’m doing well. If I don’t get off to a great start tomorrow, I can look back and use this round to give me more self-belief, because I can come back from it.”
Adrien Bernadet, meanwhile, carded the third hole in one of the week, his five iron on the 208-yard fifth hole dropping in to add an eagle to his five birdies in a round of 67, which elevated him to tied seventh place.
“That was the seventh hole-in-one of my career and probably the best one,” said the Frenchman.
With just one round remaining in the testing marathon of golf in northern Spain, the race for the European Tour cards on offer, to the top 30 and ties, was beginning to take shape.
Teetering on the brink were Peter Gustafsson, Lloyd Kennedy (both tied 22nd), Gary Orr and Tim Sluiter (both tied 28th), while the youngest player in the field, 19 year old Adrien Otaegui, last year's British boys champion from Spain,  was also tied 22nd.
Those just outside the parapet included Alessandro Tadini (tied 34th), Seve Benson and Chris Doak (both tied 39th).

ALL THE FIFTH ROUND TOTALS
Par 356 (3x72, 2x70)
338 D Dixon (Eng) 74 65 63 69 67
339 B Ritthammer (Ger) 65 71 68 68 67
340 S Hutsby (Eng) 60 69 68 71 72
341 B Grace (RSA) 68 68 65 70 70; R Bland (Eng) 67 72 65 68 69; A Sullivan (Eng) 65 66 67 72 71
342 G Cambis (Fra) 66 69 68 69 70; J Garcia (Esp) 71 64 66 73 68; A Bernadet (Fra) 68 69 69 69 67; K Borsheim (Nor) 66 71 69 68 68
343 S O'Hara (Sco) 73 67 65 68 70
344 E Grillo (Arg) 73 68 70 68 65; T Nørret (Den) 71 67 62 74 70
345 R Saxton (Ned) 70 66 65 78 66
346 J Lagergren (Swe) 66 71 67 71 71; M Lafeber (Ned) 69 67 69 70 71; A Marshall (Eng) 68 71 68 69 70; J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 63 72 72 68; A Ahokas (Fin) 74 66 64 72 70; V Riu (Fra) 67 69 66 69 75; D Fichardt (RSA) 66 73 66 68 73
347 L Kennedy (Eng) 68 66 70 69 74; P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 63 66 75 73; D McKenzie (Aus) 69 64 68 71 75; A Otaegui (Esp) 68 69 69 66 75; M Nixon (Eng) 68 69 67 72 71; J Guerrier (Fra) 68 66 71 73 69
348 M Carlsson (Swe) 66 70 66 75 71; M Southgate (Eng) 70 68 71 71 68; G Orr (Sco) 68 69 69 69 73; C Brazillier (Fra) 65 74 67 73 69; T Sluiter (Ned) 63 75 68 70 72; M Lundberg (Swe) 70 68 66 73 71 (T28)

====== PROJECTED CUT-OFF MARK AFTER SIX ROUNDS ===

349 W Abery (RSA) 69 65 67 75 73; A Byeong-Hun (Kor) 70 70 65 72 72; J Hugo (RSA) 65 71 70 69 74; E Kofstad (Nor) 66 68 70 72 73; A Tadini (Ita) 69 70 70 69 71
350 C Doak (Sco) 71 68 66 72 73; W Besseling (Ned) 74 63 69 72 72; S Benson (Eng) 72 71 70 66 71; J Gibb (Eng) 69 68 67 69 77; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 69 74 72 64 71; A Parr (Can) 72 66 67 72 73; H Soon-Sang (Kor) 68 72 65 71 74
351 A Domingo (Esp) 71 67 67 74 72; A Snobeck (Fra) 67 72 66 72 74; R Quiros (Esp) 65 69 72 74 71; J Elson (Eng) 74 67 74 63 73; J Hansen (Den) 67 67 71 73 73; H Bacher (Aut) 71 68 70 70 72
352 J Walters (RSA) 73 70 70 66 73; J Wahlqvist (Swe) 71 69 68 71 73; T Remkes (Ned) 73 69 72 65 73; B Parker (Eng) 69 67 70 72 74; A Tampion (Aus) 65 73 68 70 76
353 S Buhl (Ger) 68 72 66 74 73; B Barham (Eng) 65 70 66 73 79; S Kim (Kor) 68 71 68 73 73; R Dinwiddie (Eng) 67 71 67 75 73; P Dwyer (Eng) 67 69 68 72 77; A Haindl (RSA) 71 67 70 70 75
354 M Madsen (Den) 71 71 71 67 74; M Haastrup (Den) 74 67 72 64 77; B Chapellan (Fra) 70 69 69 72 74
355 S Jeppesen (Swe) 73 70 70 67 75; S Pinckney (USA) 66 73 70 71 75
356 D Vancsik (Arg) 68 68 69 73 78
357 F McGuirk (Eng) 76 69 68 66 78; M Tullo (Chi) 73 69 72 66 77