EUROPEAN TOUR FIRST Q STAGE

SIX SCOTS QUALIFY FOR NEXT
STAGE IN SPAIN IN NOVEMBER

Scott Henderson, Lloyd Saltman, George Murray, Graeme Brown, Eric Ramsay and Jack Doherty all made it among the 31 qualifiers with 72-hole totals of nine-under-par 279 or better at the European Tour School First Qualifying Stage over the St Annes Old Links, Lancashire today.
They go forward to the next stage in Spain from November 1 to 4 when four venues will be used.
Scott Henderson knew he had several shots in hand after scoring 65, 70 and 64 over the first three days so there was no need to panic when the putts did not drop on the final day. He had to settle for a par 72 but an impressive 72-hole total of 17-under-par 271. That made him the fourth best qualfier behind Irishman Simon Thornton on 22-under-par 266.
Walker Cup teenager Oliver Fisher dropped out of the lead with a 73 but still made it with ease in third place on 269.
Fisher's GB&I team-mate, Lloyd Saltman, pictured right, also made it through comfortably in joint sixth place, which will have cheered him up after his omission from the three-man Scotland team for the Eisenhower Trophy in South Africa next month.
Eric Ramsay from Carnoustie made it through with Welsh-based Jack Doherty on the limit mark of 209, thanks to a fourth-round 65.
Craig Sutherland, seemingly "safe" going into the final 18 holes, dropped over the cut mark with a final round of two-over-par 74 for 283.
Edinburgh amateur Mark Kerr had hard luck. He hit form in the final round with a 67 - but came up one short of qualifying on 280. Had he holed just one more put for a 66 he would have been going to Spain for the penultimate stage of the trail to the European Tour's Final Q School at San Roque on the southern Costa del Sol from November 9 to 14.

LEADING QUALIFIERS
266 (-22) Simon Thornton (Ire) 64 68 66 68.
267 (-21) John Mellor (Eng) 67 70 64 676.
269 (-19 (am) Oliver Fisher (West Essex) 66 67 63 73.
271 (-17) Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 65 70 64 72.
273 (-15)Graham Cox (Eng) 71 70 68 64.
274 (-14) (am) Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) 67 71 66 70, Christian Aronsen (Nor) 65 69 68 72.
275 (-13) David P Jones (Ire) 66 70 65 74, Brian McElhinney (Ire) 66 70 65 74.
Other Scottish qualifiers:
276 (-12) George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle) 67 70 72 67 (jt 10th).
278 (-10) Graeme Brown (Montrose) 69 71 66 72 (jt 18th).
279 (-9) Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) 73 73 68 65, Jack Doherty 70 72 67 70.
+A total of 31 players with aggregates of nine-under-par 279 or better qualified for the next stage in Spain.
Scottish non-qualifiers:
280 (-8) (am) Mark Kerr (Dalmahoy) 70 71 72 67 (jt 32nd).
283 (-5) Craig Sutherland 72 69 68 74 (jt 49th).
284 (-4) Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) 70 74 72 68 (jt 56th).
285 (-3) Edward Thomson 73 69 69 74 (jt 61st).