Scots do well on last day of PGA EuroPro Tour Final Q School

Michael Stewart finishes with a 64 to be runner-up to Martin Sell

NEWS RELEASE

with a few additional words by Colin Farquharson

Englishman Martin Sell won the Final Stage of HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School by two strokes from Ayrshire's former Walker Cup player Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) with a 54-hole score of 14 under par. 

A final-round 70, two under, consolidated Sell's first-round 65 and second-round 67 to see Sell (Wrag Barn Golf Club) retain the grip he had taken on the leaderboard from the opening morning, when he came home in 29 to sign for a seven under.

By the turn in the final round his tournament score had progressed to -14 with birdies at 5 and 9, and despite a bogey on 13 he returned to two under for the round with a birdie four on the 15^th. 

Sell, a EuroPro member in 2009 and 2012, played Challenge Tour golf in 2013 and has his sights set on a return to European golf’s second tier by next summer.

“I played good golf considering the long layoff through the winter,” he said after collecting his Q School trophy. “I hit a lot of shots close on the first two days and coming in with a 29 on the first day really set up the week.  I had been hitting it ok but not really scoring but starting flagging it and that was it, I went from there. 

“I have my sights set on trying to win a couple of EuroPro events and get into the top five; that is my aim to try and secure a Challenge Tour card for next year. That’s what I am playing for. I played Challenge Tour in 2013 and want to get back there.

“I played some mini tours last summer and that worked out well, but as good as it was I still went to European Tour Q School with nothing so it was all eggs in one basket. In the ideal scenario I will go to Q School with a Challenge Tour category already, so the pressure will be off slightly.” 

Stewart, a former beaten finalist in the British amateur championship,  shot a fantastic eight-under-par 64 to finish second on -12 (72, 68, 64), while Sam Crowther (St. Annes Old Links) came third with a tournament score of -11 (69, 69, 67).
Welshman Gareth Wright (West Linton) finished joint ffith on 207 with a closing round of 69
Apart from Stewart, other Scots who did well in the final standings included the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre pair of Craig Lawrie and young Sam Kiloh from Portlethen.
Lawrie, wih a final round of 68 for six-under 208, finished joint seventh and is guaranteed a start in every EuroPro Tour event on te 2015 schedule.
Same goes for Kiloh who closed with a 69 for 210 and a share of 15th place.
Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) finished T38 on 213 with a 70 in the final round.
Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm) and Carnoustie's Eric Ramsay tied for 54th place on 215. Patterson signed off with a 73, Ramsay with a 72.
Scott Borrowman from Dollar, who won his pro tour debut on the PGA Mediterranean Tour in Egypt, will be disappointed that he finished as low in the final standings as T65 with a final round of 72 for level par 216.
Below him were Danny Kay (Renaissance) and Jordan McColl (Kingscarns), T75 on 218, Kay with a last-round 76 and McColl with a 74.
Bringing up the rear for the Scots who made the last day were Paul Robinson finished T79 with a 76 for 219 whild Mark Rae (Aberdeen) shot a closing 78 for 222 and a share of 84th place

The HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour season commences on Wednesday, May 13 at Celtic Manor. The 15-event season also takes in the likes of Close House, Chart Hills and Prince’s with every tournament carrying a £50,000 prize fund of which the winner takes home £10,000.

 The Clipper Logistics Players Championship at Moor Allerton in August will take place over four days with an increased £60,000 prize fund.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
202 Martin Sell (Eng) 65 67 70
204 Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 72 68 64
205 Sam Crowther (Eng) 69 69 67
206 Kevin Harper (Eng) 69 68 69
207 James Lynch (Eng) 70 70 67, Gareth Wright (West Linton) 68 70 68

OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS

208 Craig Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) 67 73 68 (T7)
210 Sam Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC) 73 68 69 (T15)
213 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 73 70 70 (T38)
215 Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm) 70 72 73, Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) 73 70 72 (T54)
216 Scott Borrowman (unatt) 72 72 72 (T65)
218 Danny Kay (Renaissance) 73 69 76, Jordan McColl (Kingsbarns) 72 72 74 (T75)
219 Paul Robinson (Lards) 71 71 76 (T79)
222 Mark Rae (Aberdeen) 78 73 78 (T84)