Six rounds of golf to make or break players’ dreams

By Murray Urquhart

Published:

SIX rounds of golfing torture await those players, young and old, who dream of competing on the European Tour.

There really is nothing quite like the final stage of qualifying school, which starts in Spain today, and it will be a stern examination of technique and temperament.

The school has moved to a new venue for 2008. After several years at San Roque, the competition has moved inland to Catalunya, near Girona.

The course has been changed a good deal in recent years and I expect the predicted calmer conditions to put even more of an emphasis on finding greens in regulation and putting well.

There are a good number of Scots who will be hoping for success over the next week or so.

Scotland’s Chris Doak won the Tartan Tour Order of Merit this year and has the massive advantage of being a golfer in form and confident in his abilities.

When you put him against a player who has struggled on the main tour all year, missing cuts and not made much money, then it is obvious who will be happier with their prospects.

Greig Hutcheon, from Peterculter, is another player who should be happy about his chances.

Greig had a decent year on the Challenge Tour, although he did fade a little towards the end of the campaign, but he is a steady player who could be well suited to the marathon nature of six rounds of golf.

It is a tournament where safe and steady wins the day and every player will be doing all in their power to remain in contention.

It doesn’t just end on the golf course, though. It stretches to diet and drink during the tournament.

Stay clear of the seafood, lay off the wine and avoid anything which might hurt your chances of earning a card.

The change of venue for the final may also signal a changing of the guard on tour.

There are any number of players who have become regular participants in the end of season exam and who have done just enough to earn another year in the sun.

But on a new course, which will ask different questions, some players who have become comfortable around San Roque may struggle.

That, perhaps, is no bad thing as the lifeblood of the European Tour is a constant flow of talented young players desperate to make the grade.

Be prepared for an influx of new talent on to the tour this season.