EUROPEAN OVER-50S FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL

ARNOTT, JAMES STILL HAVE CHANCE

OF GAINING SENIOR PASS MARKS

Only one round to go in the European Senior Tour Final Qualifying School and only two Scots, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) and David James from Dumfries have a serious chance of making the top 14 who will gain playing rights on the over-50s circuit in the coming season.
Ideally, they are aiming for a top-six finish which would get them into all the tournaments but they would probably settle for the a place among the leading 14 who will gain limited access to the senior schedule.
Arnott is on the right side of the border in joint 13th place on two-over 215 with scores of 71, 70 and 74. He was going along nicely until he had a double bogey 7 at the long 16th and a bogey at the 17th - three shots he could ill-afford to squander at this stage.
James, who won the Senior Q School 12 months ago but failed to keep his card at the end of the season is joint 16th on 216 with scores of 71, 73 and 73.
James started badly - and finished badly. He bogeyed the first and third the, having rallied to birdied the fifth, sixth and 14th, he let it slip again with bogeys at the16th and 17th.
The hopes of Albert Mackenzie (Saunton), Kenny Hutton (Downfield), Stephen McAllister (Renaissance Club) and Terry Burgoyne (Glencruitten) look to be over for another year.
Mackenzie is joint 38th on 220 after his best round yet, a 71.
Hutton is joint 43rd on 222 after starting the third round with a double bogey 6 and dropped further hsots at the fourth, sixth and eighth on his way to a five-over-par 76.
McAllister is sharing 48th place on 223 after a 74 while Burgoyne is joint 60th in a field of 71 players after a 73 for 227.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE SCORES

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS REPORT

Super Cipa faces Q-School battle with mint Murray over final round

Friendships will be put aside in the final day of the 

European Senior Tour’s Qualifying School Final 

Stage as leader Steve Cipa battles it out with 

English compatriot Andrew Murray in the final 

group, both spurred on by ambitious young up and 

coming golf professionals on their respective bags.

Cipa produced a stunning performance at Pestana 

Golf Resorts’s Pinta Course in the Algarve region 

of Portugal as he carded a bogey-free five under 

par 66, the best round of the week, to move to the 

top of the leaderboard on eight under par.

The 53 year old was one shot clear of second 

round leader and playing partner Murray after a 

third day in which they traded blows at the top of 

the leaderboard while trading stories and jokes on 

the pristine fairways of the picturesque resort.

The caddies for both players have plenty common 

as they are both in the early stages of their own 

burgeoning pro careers. 

Cipa’s caddie, Katy McNicoll from Carnoustie, 

plays on the Ladies European Tour’s 

developmental Access Series and the Paul 

Lawrie Scottish Ladies Tour, while Murray’s 

son Tom is chasing his dream on the Challenge 

Tour.

Cipa admitted that the friendly rivalry between the 

players on the course has been a welcome 

distraction from the pressure, while the presence of 

the young caddies has also had a positive effect on 

the standard of golf.

“I putted nicely today and played really solid all 

three rounds,” said the Londoner. “My only 

objective this week was to be patient, keep it 

simple and smile.

“I have kept it in play off the tee, hit nice iron 

shots to the green and I have only had one bogey 

in three rounds so it’s all going nicely.

“I have to thank my caddie Katy - she’s been 

fantastic and helped me with everything - and also 

the Senior Tour physio Orla Buckley. I've had 

some problems with my back and she’s worked on 

it every day and it has really helped. We’re very 

fortunate to have her at our events.

“I've known Andrew all my career and he’s a 

great player. We both like football so we had 

some good chats, he’s a good friend of mine and 

we both wanted each other to do well.

“His son is a great lad too so between him and 

Katy, we both have great caddies. When you have 

a younger person, their outlook can be a little less 

cynical! But I really enjoyed it and hopefully it will 

be the same for tomorrow, I just need to keep it 

simple and enjoy it.”

Murray, who signed for a three under par round of 

68 to move to seven under in outright second 

place, also thoroughly enjoyed the day and is 

looking forward to chasing down Cipa’s lead 

tomorrow.

“I played nicely again today but just hit a couple of 

poor shots out there,” said the former European 

Tour winner, who fired four birdies in the space of 

five holes on the back nine.

“Steve and I are big mates and we egged each 

other on a bit. He’s one of the true gents on tour 

and I’ve known him for 35 years so we had a bit of 

football banter, his West Ham are struggling and 

so are my Man United.

“It’s a good lesson for the two caddies too. Tom 

was fantastic again and very positive. I’d like 

to give Steve a run for it tomorrow. We’ll see 

what happens and if we both keep playing like 

that it will be there for one of us.”

American Barry Conser and Englishman Gary 

Marks were four shots off second place on three 

under par while Mark Roper of England was in 

fifth place on his own on one under.

There were five players tied in sixth spot and it 

will no doubt be an almighty battle for the six 

unconditional cards on offer. Those who finish in seventh to 14^th position will receive conditional 

cards for the 2014 Senior Tour season.

 

 THIRD ROUND TOTALS

Par 213 (3x71)

 

205 S Cipa (Eng) 70 69 66,

206 A Murray (Eng) 69 69 68,

210 G Marks (Eng) 69 72 69, B Conser (USA) 70 69 71,

212 R Roper (Eng) 72 70 70,

213 M Belsham (Eng) 70 71 72, E Kocs (USA) 75 70 68, G Ryall (Eng) 73 70 70, M Bianco (Ita) 71 73 69, G Rusnak (USA) 76 69 68,

214 J Smith (USA) 72 69 73, J Gould (Eng) 71 69 74,

215 R Arnott (Sco) 71 70 74, T Lawrence (Eng) 74 72 69, J Sallat (Fra) 68 78 69,

216 D James (Sco) 71 72 73, T Elliott (Aus) 73 74 69, J Hall (Eng) 73 74 69, W Grant (Eng) 74 71 71, M Wharton (Eng) 70 77 69, R Sabarros (Fra) 72 71 73,

217 P Mayo (Wal) 69 72 76, G Joyner (Aus) 69 75 73, K Smith (Can) 70 71 76, M Stokes (Eng) 72 70 75, J Murphy (Eng) 73 73 71, S Mondshine (am) (USA) 68 74 75,

218 G Bell (Eng) 71 73 74, J Lovell (Eng) 74 73 71, J Laforce (Can) 74 73 71, G Banister (Aus) 71 73 74,

219 K Tarling (Can) 73 76 70, J McHenry (Irl) 72 71 76, J Buendia (Esp) 76 73 70, D Morito (Esp) 74 69 76, C Milne (USA) 76 71 72, Y Nilsson (Swe) 76 74 69,

220 A Mackenzie (Sco) 74 75 71, A Fernandez (Chi) 74 74 72,

221 D Wettlaufer (Can) 75 74 72, T Dodds (Nam) 74 73 74, J Harrison (Eng) 76 69 76,

222 P Gresswell (Eng) 76 73 73, S Bennett (Eng) 75 72 75, K Hutton (Sco) 74 72 76, J Nougues (Arg) 77 73 72, J O'Brien (am) (Irl) 76 72 74,

223 B James (USA) 78 75 70, J Ryström (Swe) 72 72 79, S McAllister (Sco) 78 71 74,

224 A George (Eng) 76 74 74, C Grenier (Aut) 80 73 71, P Burke (USA) 73 72 79, S McNally (Eng) 76 74 74, R Thompson (USA) 76 77 71,

225 G Norquist (USA) 72 75 78, R Tlhabanyane (RSA) 71 78 76,

226 B Lincoln (RSA) 75 73 78, B White (Eng) 79 75 72,

227 T Burgoyne (Sco) 75 79 73, J Lindberg  (Swe) 73 80 74, K Tenmark (Swe) 76 75 76,

228 P Carman (Eng) 76 76 76, M Deboub (Alg) 79 73 76,

229 R Masters (Eng) 75 74 80,

231 D Ray (Eng) 78 73 80,

232 T Giles (Eng) 77 77 78, A Israelsson (Swe) 82 78 72, L Warder (am) (Aus) 82 74 76,

236 J Saxton (USA) 75 83 78, G Litschka (Aut) 85 73 78,

** G Ralph (Eng) 76 78 WD,

** P Martinez (Par) 70 DQ  0, M Buchter (Sui) 87 WD  0,

 

ENDS

 

EUROPEAN SENIOR TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Pestana Golf Resort, Pinta course, Lagoa, Algarve, Portugal.
LEADING THIRD-ROUND SCORES
Par 213 (3x71)
205 Steve Cipa (Eng) 70 69 66
206 Andrew Murray (Eng) 69 69 68.
210 Gary Marks (Eng) 69 72 69, Barry Conser (USA) 70 69 71
SCOTS' SCORES
215 Robert Arnott 71 70 74 (T13)
216 David James 71 72 73 (T16)
220 Albert Mackenzie 74 75 71 (T38))
222 Kenny Hutton 74 72 76 (T43)
223 Stephen McAllister 78 71 74 (T48)
227 Terry Burgoyne 75 79 73 (T60).
Field of 71 players