MICHAEL STEWART NOT NOW GOING TO ASIAN TOUR Q SCHOOL

Seven Scots bound for Thailand  

By COLIN FARQUHARSON 
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The withdrawal of rookie pro Michael Stewart, pictured, formerly ranked the 12th best amateur in the world, leaves seven Scots bound for the two-part Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand.
Five of them, Greg Nicolson, Derek McKenzie, Graeme Stewart, Clarke Lutton and Lee Harper, the 1999 Scottish boys' match-play champion, have to survive a 72-hole pre-qualifier at three venues, Majestic Creek, Imperial Lakeview and Springfield Royal, fromn January 11 to 14.
There are over 440 entrants at this stage and only the top 20 percent after four rounds will go forward to the Final Stage from January 18 to 21.
Walker Cup hero James Byrne and Dubai-based Simon Dunn are able to skip the pre-qualifier as they are among the 150-odd exempt players who go straight into the 72-hole competition that willl decide the leading 40 (and ties) who will earn playing rights for the 2012 Asian Tour.
Stewart's Walker Cup team status would have put the 21-year-old from Ayrshire through to the Final Stage alongside Byrne and Dunn but he has decided to withdraw on the grounds that he is neither mentally nor physically in good enough shape to cope with the pressure and the heat and humidty which makes the Asian Tour Q School such a gruelling test for Europeans.
Stewart, who failed to advance past Stage 1 of the European Tour School and missed the cut at the Alps Tour School, is nursing a recurring wrist injury as well as trying to sort out a swing that served him so well in his amateur career but saw him shoot a pair of 79s to miss the cut on his pro debut in the Thailand Championship.
He will have eight starts on the Challenge Tour and also plans to play intermittently on the PGA EuroPro and Alps Tours.

BRITISH AND IRISH PLAYERS FOR ASIAN TOUR SCHOOL
FIRST STAGE
January 11 to 14 - 72 holes at three venues
Imperial Lakeview, Springfield Royal and Majestic Creek
Leading 20 per cent go forward to Final Stage
SCOTLAND
GREG NICOLSON
DEREK MCKENZIE
GRAEME STEWART
CLARKE LUTTON
LEE HARPER


ENGLAND
CHRIS GILL
CAE MENAI DAVIS
PETER FITZPATRICK
NICK PUGH
ANDREW BELL
WARREN GODDARD
PAUL GRANNELL
GUY WOODMAN
KEVIN TILBURY
LUKE BRIARS
NEIL REILLY
CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
JAMES SHEFFIELD
PATRICK KELLY
NEIL CHAUDHURI
STEVE PARRY
CALUM MILLS
EMIKIEL TCHOBANIAN (amateur)
MATT DALEY (amateur)
LAWRENCE WARNE
GEORGE THACKER
DANIEL OWEN
MATTHEW HOUGH
IAN BROWN
SAM BRIARS
ALEX BELT
TED INNESKER
M DOWNES
JOEL NEALE
GRANT JACKSON
STEPHEN LEWTON
OLIVER BATES
RYAN ADAIR
LLEWELLYN MATTHEWS
BEN ANDREW
MARTYN PROCTOR
STEVEN SHARP


IRELAND
NIALL KEARNEY
STEPHEN GRANT
SHANE NOEL COMER


WALES
CHARLES DAVIES


FINAL STAGE
January 19 to 22: 72 holes at two venues (Springfield Royal and Imperial Lakeview)
Top 40 and ties gain playing rights on 2012 Asian Tour
ENGLAND
STEVE BROWN
PETER RICHARDSON
SIMON GRIFFITHS
MILES TUNNICLIFF
CHRIS RODGERS
DALE MARMION
NICK REDFERN
YASIN ALI
JAKE SHEPHERD
ROSS CANAVAN


SCOTLAND
JAMES BYRNE
SIMON DUNN