PLAY IT AGAIN, STEVE - AND YOU'LL
BE ON SENIORS' TOUR NEXT YEAR!

By STEVEN FRANKLIN, European Seniors Tour Press Officer

Kent Nilsson, a former ice hockey legend and the husband of Ladies European Tour star Helen Alfredsson, was among 43 players to survive the 54-hole cut at the European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School Finals on the Algarve today.
The powerful Swede had a third-round, one-over-par 72 at Pestana Golf Resort's Pinta Course to reach four over par for the tournament - three strokes inside the cut line.
Spain's Emilio Rodriguez and Australian David Merriman lead on seven under par with the top 14 at the conclusion of Thursday's fourth round earning a card to the 2007 European Seniors Tour.
The leading Briton in the field, former European Tour player Steve Martin from Dundee. He carded his third successive 70 and has moved up from joint seventh to joint sixth on three-under-par 210. All Steve needs to do is maintain that place through the final 18 holes and he will have achieved his ambition to be able to play on the European Over-50s Tour.
BILL REGRETS
The only other Scot who is through to the final, decisive round is Bill McColl who is rueing an opening round of 77. Since then he has shot a pair of 69s. Bill is sharing 22nd place on 215.
Former Tartan Tour maestro Russell Weir from Cowal failed by only one shot to beat the cut and play in Thursday's final round. Russell scored 77, 72 and 72 for eight-over-par 221. Amateur Brian Smith is also on the sidelines after scoring 77, 80 and 72 for 229.
Helen Alfredsson, Europe's 2007 Solheim Cup captain, caddied for her husband during the first two days of competition but on Wednesday morning flew to an event in South Africa, leaving Nilsson to fend for himself.
"I have a lot of ground to make up tomorrow and now I will have to rely on some advice by phone before I go out," commented Nilsson, who has precious little experience of dealing with the unique pressures of tournament golf.

European Seniors Tour Final Qualifying School

Pinta Course (Par 71), Pestana Golf Resort,
Algarve, Portugal
(par 71)
Third round scores
Following players made cut:
206 Emilio Rodriguez (Esp) 67 72 67, David Merriman (Aus) 69 67 70.
208 John Benda (US) 73 66 69.
209 Mike Ferguson (Aus) 75 71 63, John Mashego (SAf) 70 69 70.
210 Luis Gallardo (Spa) 70 66 74, Steve Martin (Sco) 70 70 70, Jim Lapsley (am) (NZ) 74 67 69.
211 Rigoberto Velasquez (Col) 71 69 71, Torsten Giedeon (Ger) 73 71 67.
212 Tim Rastall (Eng) 70 70 72, Philippe Dugeny (Fra) 71 68 73, Terry Dill (USA) 69 71 72, Neville Clarke (SAf) 70 72 70.
213 Bill Malley (US) 69 74 70, John Curtis (Ire) 71 71 71, Jean Pierre Sallat (Fra) 71 72 70.
214 Jim Carson (US) 73 71 70, Alex Romanoff (US) 72 74 68, Donald Stirling (Aut) 69 73 72, Ivan Renjifo (Col) 74 70 70.
215 Stewart Graham (Eng) 69 74 72, Michael G Wolseley (NI) 75 71 69, Alan Mew (Tri) 73 71 71, Martin Morbey (Eng) 75 68 72, Bill McColl (Sco) 77 69 69.
216 Martin Foster (Eng) 72 73 71, Bill Hardwick (Can) 71 74 71.
217 Kent Nilsson (Swe) 70 75 72, Chuck Milne (US) 75 71 71, Mitch Thomas (US) 72 72 73, Tyrone Carter (am) (Eng) 75 71 71.
218 Mike Inglis (Eng) 74 73 71, Mike Williams (Zim) 75 71 72, Peter Barber (Eng) 74 76 68, Tim Huyton (Eng) 70 75 73, Billy Todd (NI) 76 72 70.
219 Anders Johnsson (Swe) 73 74 72, Mariano Aparicio (Spa) 74 69 76.
220 Malcolm Edmunds (Wal) 70 74 76, Gordon Townhill (Eng) 78 69 73, Danny Garcia (Mex) 76 72 72, Mark Fernando (am) (US) 70 71 79.

NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED:

221 Russell Weir (Sco) 77 72 72.
229 (am) Brian Smith (Sco) 77 80 72.