PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School

Top Scot Louis Gaughan earns £760 for tied 

eighth finish at Frilford Heath 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON 
Bathgate's Louis Gaughan achieved arguably his best result in open competition by finishing tied eighth in the PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire.
Gaughan shot rounds of 72, 69 and 71 for a four-under-par total of 212  which earned him £760.
Perhaps more important, Louis, by finishing in the top 30, gained Category 3 membershipof the EuroPro Tour for 2016, which means he will be able to play in as many events on its schedule as he wishes.
Gaughan finished six strokes behind the winner of the £2,400 first prize, Billy Downing (Truro) who had scores of 68, 71 and 67 for 10 under par 206, winning by a single shot from James Maw (Rockliffe Hall) and Ben Stow (Rushmore) who each earned £1,800.
Joint second best Scots at the end of the 54 hole tournament were Aberdonian Paul Cormack (Bay Hill) and Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) who tied for 22nd place among the 80 or so players who survived the 36-hole cut. The starting field numbered 240.
Cormack has campaigned in mini tours in America and Canada over the past few years. He is a former North-east Alliance championship winner. His scores at Frilford Heath were 72, 74 and 70 for level par 216.
McKechnie, who has been a winner in the past on the EuroPro Tour, shot 71, 72 and 73.
Neil Henderson (Renaissance Club) and Zack Saltman (Archerfield Links) tied for 36th place on 217. Henderson score 74,72 and 71, Saltman 78, 69 and 70.
t 74,
The only other Scots who made it through to the final day were James Hendrick (Pollok) (76-72-74 for 222) and Kevin McAlpine (unattached), son of the former Dundee United goalkeeper, making a return to competitive golf after a few years off the circuit.
McAlpine shot 74, 73 and 78 for a tied 82nd finish on 225.
All the players who made the cut but finished outside the top 30 will have Category 10 membership of the EuroPro Tour with access to most of the events on the schedule.

PGA EUROPRO TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 B Downing (Truro) 68 71 67 (£2,400)
207 J Maw (Rockliffe Hall) 69 73 65. B Stow (Rushmore) 74 66 67 (£1,800 each).

HOW THE SCOTS FINISHED
212 L Gaughan (Bathgate) 72 69 71 (T8) (£760).
216 P Cormack (Bay Hill) 72 74 70, P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 71 72 78 (T22).
217 N Henderson (Renaissance Club) 74 72 71, Z Saltman (Archerfield Links) 78 69 70 (T36)
218 J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 71 76 71 (T46)
222 J Hendrick (Pollok) 76 72 74 (T74)
225 K McAlpine (unatt) 74 73 78 (T82)


To view all the final totals

CLICK HERE

 DOWNING WINS EUROPRO TOUR 
 FINAL Q SCHOOL
 
  News Release from Nick Teale

Billy Downing carded a final-round 65, five under par, to complete a wire-to-wire victory at HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School Final Stage at Frilford Heath Golf Club, 

Oxfordshire. He won the £2,400 first prize.

The Truro Golf Club representative finished the tournament ten under par, one clear of James Maw (Rockliffe Hall) and Ben Stow (Rushmore Golf Club) who earned £1,800 each.

Golfers have been competing to earn the highest possible category on the 2016 HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour. All those who had progressed to Final Stage earned at least a category 14, with golfers making the Final Stage cut earning a minimum category 10 and the top 30 earning category 3.

For Downing, it was a reversal in fortunes having withdrawn from last year’s Qualifying School at the First Stage through injury.

“It is great for my hard work over the winter to pay off,” he said. “I am really pleased with how I played and to lead from start to finish is really good.

“I felt good coming into the last round and I was confident with how I was playing – I have felt good all week and conditions were much nicer today so it was nice to make some birdies.

“I have a lot more confidence after this week so I am really confident going into the new season. It will be good to come back here for the first event, and I am looking forward to that.”

The 2016 HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour season gets underway back at Frilford Heath. The PDC Golf Championship takes place from Wednesday, May 18, concluding on Friday, May 20. Spectator entry will be free throughout the event.