DOAK AND HENRY CLAIM EUROPEAN TOUR CARDS

  FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

The European Tour will have at least two more Scottish players next year after Chris Doak and Scott Henry both clinched their cards for The 2013 Race to Dubai at the European Challenge Tour’s season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final.

Both managed to finish in the top 11 in the Rankings, which receive a more favourable category for The European Tour next year, with Henry dropping to 11th and Doak remaining in tenth place.

Doak finished with a flourish in the season finale at San Domenico Golf inPuglia, Italy, carding three birdies on the back nine to sign for a two under par 69 to share seventh place on 13 under par.

It brings to an end a superb season for the Greenock man, who claimed his first victory at the ALLIANZ Open de Lyon, and he is now looking forward to returning to The European Tour a much better player than in 2009.

“I was confident going into the final round,” said the 34 year old. “I got off to a good start and birdied the second, and then the rain came in. It affected the whole group but I managed to get around that one over, and then three under on the back nine.

“I can’t ask for more that than. It has been a really pleasing year. It’s taken me a few years to get my card back and I have learned a lot in those four years, working with Bob Torrance all the way through and I put it all down to him.

“I’m definitely a better player now and I feel like I can compete. My first year on The European Tour I was a little bit wet behind the ears but I am looking forward to next year.”

Henry, meanwhile, was disappointed with his performance in Italy after a three over par 74 left him tied 39th, but it was still enough to hang on to a top 11 spot.

“I'm really looking forward to next year, whatever happened this week,” said the 25 year old Glasgow man, whose win at the lucrative Kazakhstan Open was crucial in his Rankings position. “To be competing against the best players is a very exciting thing for me.

“It is good to back up the fact that I know I can finish well under pressure. At the time in Kazakhstan I didn’t feel like there was pressure because I just wanted to do my best but winninghas given me a lot of confidence for the next time I get into that situation in any tournament.

“To be honest I'm glad to be finished playing now for the week,” he continued. “On the course it has not been much fun because I haven’t played well.

“It was almost lethargic golf today. I was hitting some great shots and then hitting some nothing shots. I have not really putted well, and you need to do that here because there are so many chances and the scoring was going to be low.

“My putting is one of the things I'm going to have to work on next year. I have to see how I can get more out of my game. I need to become a more consistent putter.

“I have a strong game. I drive well and if you do that you can almost overpower difficult courses on The European Tour.

“That is a big advantage but I know the things I have to work on. I am looking forward to having some time off and then working hard on building my game fornext season.”

Raymond Russell, meanwhile, suffered the disappointment of missing out on a card by just one place as he ended the season in 22nd spot in the Rankings.

The 40 year old rallied with four birdies in the back nine to card a two under par 69, but that was not enough as he finished tied 14th for the tournament.

 

FINAL TOTALS

Par 284 (4x71)

265 E Kofstad (Nor) 65 66 67 67,

 266 J Hansen  (Den) 67 62 67 70, J Busby (Eng) 66 67 67 66,

 267 E De La Riva  (Esp) 66 66 67 68,

 270 J Walters (RSA) 71 67 65 67, S Benson (Eng) 68 69 65 68,

 271 A Hartø  (Den) 72 70 66 63, C Doak (Sco) 69 66 67 69, K Broberg (Swe) 69 67 67 68, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 66 69 68, E Pepperell (Eng) 70 67 69 65,

 272 M Korhonen (Fin) 66 71 67 68, P Uihlein  (USA) 69 67 66 70,

 273 W Besseling  (Ned) 65 68 69 71, R Russell (Sco) 66 68 70 69, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 66 68 68 71,

 274 M Carlsson  (Swe) 71 65 69 69, M Crespi  (Ita) 64 68 67 75,

 275 N Dougherty  (Eng) 70 66 69 70, R Kakko  (Fin) 69 67 67 72, J Parry (Eng) 68 69 69 69, A Tadini (Ita) 69 66 71 69,

 276 H Bacher (Aut) 66 68 70 72,

 277 S Walker (Eng) 72 68 68 69, A Levy (Fra) 69 66 70 72,

 278 C Aguilar  (Esp) 69 65 71 73, M Delpodio  (Ita) 65 72 67 74, S Wakefield (Eng) 71 69 69 69, C Lloyd (Eng) 65 66 71 76, C Paisley  (Eng) 71 66 72 69,

 279 A Kaleka  (Fra) 72 71 69 67, B Koepka  (USA) 71 68 71 69, M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 64 74 72 69,

 280 S Kim (Kor) 69 72 69 70, A McArthur  (Sco) 72 71 67 70, M Tullo (Chi) 67 72 69 72,

 282 L Jensen (Den) 68 65 78 71,

 283 J Huldahl (Den) 69 70 67 77,

 284 S Henry  (Sco) 70 68 72 74, D Vancsik (Arg) 65 68 79 72,

 285 B Åkesson (Swe) 71 71 71 72, G Stal  (Fra) 67 72 73 73,

 287 P Archer (Eng) 71 74 67 75,

 288 D Brooks (Eng) 74 69 71 74, M Madsen  (Den) 71 70 75 72,

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS