Ross Kellett, David Law fail to make it in top 30 at Final Q School

Oh Henry! Only Scot to win playing rights on 

2017 European Tour

 By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Seven Scots started the European Tour’s six-round Final Qualifying School ... but only one, Scott Henry, 29, from Cardross, gained pass marks and promotion to the 2017 European Tour.

Henry shot rounds of 64, 75, 70, 72, 68 and 67 for a 12-under-par aggregate of 416 over the PGA Catalunya Resort’s Stadium and Tour Courses to finished tied second, one behind the winner, England’s Nathan Kimsey.

In the end a total of 30 players with 108-hole totals of 423 and better gained playing rights on the European Tour next season.

Of the four Scots who survived the cut after four rounds, Henry, Scottish Under-18 boys’ match-play champion in 2004 and 2005,  earned at least a second season on the European Tour – he lost his card at the end of the 2013 campaign.

But for Motherwell’s Ross Kellett and his Paul Lawrie Golf Centre team-mate, David Law from Aberdeen, there was only deep disappointment. Kellett finished joint 44^th on two-under 426 after rounds of 72, 66, 73, 72, 71 and 72.

Law, who won his Stage 2 event in Spain and was well in the running at PGA Catalunya until the fourth round, had a nightmare last round of 78 with double bogey 6s at the first and 13^th. He finished alongside Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil on two-over-par 430 in joint 58^th place.

Neil had scores of 64, 72, 71, 77, 78 and 68.

Henry clinched a return to the Big League with a great final round of five-under 67 which included an eagle 3 at the 15^th and six birdies: at the second, fifth, seventh, 12^th, 13^th and 16^th in halves of 34 and 33.

Leading the field after his eagle 3, Henry could afford the luxury of bogeying the ninth, 17^th and 18^th and still qualify with a good deal to spare.

He missed out at the Final Stage of the Q School in 2014 and 2015.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL

FINAL STAGE

PGA Catalunya, Girona, NE Spain.

+30 Players with totals of 423 and better earned promotion to the European Tour in 2017

Par 218 (Stadium Course 4x72, Tour Course 2x70)

415 N Kimsey (Eng) 70 70 71 61 73 70

416 S Henry (Sco) 64 75 70 72 68 67, R Gonzalez (Arg) 67 73 72 71 69 64, E Molinari (Ita) 66 68 72 69 67 74

418 S Tiley (Eng) 64 71 74 71 71 67, A Karlsson (Swe) 71 69 71 68 71 68, J Fahrbring (Swe) 68 68 72 72 70 68, E Pepperell (Eng) 69 69 69 71 69 71.

419 J Parry (ng) 71 67 69 75 69 68, M Nixon (Eng) 67 73 71 68 68 72

420 R Echonique (Arg) 69 69 72 71 73 66, S Soderberg (Swe) 72 71 73 65 69 70, P Maddy (Eng) 75 67 72 67 68 71, Y E Yang (SKor) 72 70 67 69 71 71.

421 S Manley (Wal) 72 63 73 69 74 70, J Winther (Den) 68 68 68 71 75 71, A Chesters (Eng) 68 66 73 73 70 71,

422 L Canter (Eng) 69 66 73 71 70, R S Johnson (Swe) 72 67 72 71 69 71, P Widegren (Swe) 72 71 74 66 68 71, M Foster (Eng) 67 71 74 72 66 72, S Heisele (Ger) 68 66 72 73 76 67, M Orrin (Eng) 67 68 76 67 70 74

423 E Kofstad (Nor) 67 68 74 71 72 71, J Ahlers (SAf) 70 71 72 67 74 69, N Johnansson (Swe) 70 67 70 69 72 75, J Rutherford (Eng) 72 72 70 66 68 75, G King (Eng) 73 66 74 69 75 66, R McEvoy (Eng) 63 69 71 72 72 76.

SCOTS WHO FAILED
426 R Kellett 72 66 73 72 71 72 (T44).

430 D Law 66 71 68 76 71 78, B Neil 64 72 71 77 78 68 (T58)