Aberdeen GOLFER EARNS PLACE IN NEXT WEEK’S Qualifying School final eliminator

Smith is best of the Scots seniors in Spain

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Aberdeen's Peter Smith headed the five Scots who came through yesterday’s European Seniors Tour qualifying school stage one competition on the Algarve to earn a place in next week's final 72-hole eliminator over the Pestana resort's Vale da Pinta course.

Smith had rounds of 70 and 71 for a three-under-par total of 141, finishing joint fourth among the 35 qualifiers from the Gramacho course.

Other Scots who progressed from this venue were Duncan Williamson in joint seventh place with 73 and 72 for 145, Dundee's Steve Martin and Bill McColl in joint seventh position. Both had rounds of 72 and 74 for 146.

Fraser Mann (Musselburgh), like Smith a former Northern Open champion, qualified in joint 16th place at the Silves course with two rounds of 72 for four-over-par 144. Scots who missed out were John Grant (74, 75 for 149) in joint 35th place at Silves and amateur Graeme Millar who finished 62nd at Gramacho with scores of 80 and 79.

Scotland's Robert Arnott, Colin Gillies and Mark King finished among the also-rans in a field of 24 countries at the PGAs of Europe international team golf championship won by Wales at Roda Golf Club, Murcia in south-east Spain yesterday.

Gillies was the lowest Scottish scorer with rounds of 75, 69, 72 and 69 for three-under-par 285.

Arnott had rounds of 72, 72, 71 and 73 for 288.

For King the tournament was one to forget.

It was a best two from three scores to count daily for each team format but King did not have a single counting round as he scored 80, 77, 75 and 82 for a total of 26-over-par 314.

Wales, represented by Jason Powell (278), Andrew Barnett (284) and James Lee (287), had a winning team total of 16-under-par 560.

They won by three shots from England's Paul Simpson (283), Paul Wesselingh (290) and Jeremy Robinson (291) and Switzerland who shared second place on 563.

Ireland's John Kelly (277), Peter Martin (289) and David Ryan (291) tied for fourth place with France.