FIVE SCOTS SURVIVE FIRST CUT AT EUROPEAN Q SCHOOL

By COLIN FARUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Five of the nine Scots in the starting line-up of 156 have made it through to the final two rounds of the European Tour Final Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya, Girona near Barcelona
George Murray (278), Gary Orr (278), Callum Macaulay (282), Andrew McArthur (283) and Alastair Forsyth (283) figured among the 73 qualifiers with totals of two-over-par 286.
But one-time PGA championship winner Scott Drummond (287), Jamie McLeary (291), Raymond Russell (29) and Wallace Booth (290) failed to beat the cut.
Anstruther's Murray and 45-year-old Helensburgh-born Orr are sitting pretty in joint 13th place and look set to be among the 25 recipients of European Tour players' cards at the end of Thursday's sixth and final round.
On a cold and wet day in north-east Spain, Murray shot one-under-par 71 over the tougher and longer Stadium Course (7,333yd) while Orr had a 74 at the same venue.
Former Scottish amateur champion Macaulay from Tulliallan needs to improve at least seven places over the final 36 holes. He had a 74 over the Stadium Course and is lying joint 32nd.
McArthur had been written off by most pundits after he started with an 80 but rounds of 67, 71 and 65 (over the shorter, par-70 Tour course of 6,610yd) have seen him climb up to a share of 39th place ... still a long way to go but if he continues to produce sub-70 scores, the Windyhill man might still make the top 25. If he did it would be an astonish performance.
Forsyth is on the same mark as McArthur after a 75 over the Stadium course.
The Paisley man has been complaining that he is being dragged down by a tendency to make unforced errors. It happened again today.
McLeary had a nightmare fourth-round of 79 - seven-over-par at the Stadium course - and missed the cut by five after seeming certain to clear at least the first hurdle.
Wallace Booth shot his best round of the week, a one-under 69 at the Tour course but it was too little too late and the Comrie man will be campaigning on the Challenge Tour next year.
Well-known names for whom the show is over include the Flying Dutchman Daan Huizing, whose brilliant form in amateur events deserted him in the company pros, former Walker Cup player and US college star Rhys Davies and former British boys champion Pablo Martin, the last amateur to win a European Tour event.
Martin withdrew from the fourth round after some erractic play through the first three rounds. He may well have suffered an injury.