European Tour:The sixth and final round of the European Tour Qualifying School finals brought a mixture of joy, disappointment and drama at the San Roque Club in Sotogrande, Spain, yesterday.
Martin Wiegele of Austria finished two strokes clear of England's Lee Slattery and Spain's Pedro Linhart on 11-under par, while former Irish Open champion Patrik Sjoland holed a 137-yard seven-iron for an eagle three at his 16th for a best-of-the-day 68 that left him bang on the three-under-par cut-off mark.
Thirty players earned their playing rights for 2008 but there was no final day miracle for Ireland's Colm Moriarty or Stephen Browne, as the sins of previous rounds came back to haunt them. Moriarty finished 41st in the final ranking and three shots shy of his card on level par after a one-under-par 71 - one of 11 sub-par rounds on a wind-lashed final day at San Roque's New Course.
Browne was six off the pace, in 51st place on three over after a 75 that was marred by two double bogeys. Yet both men were philosophical.
"I have to take the positives from the year, look at my statistics and see where I need to improve," said Moriarty, whose chances faded when he took five at the 190-yard fourth, his 13th.
"It wasn't today's round that cost me my card. But my game has come on in leaps and bounds this year. When you miss by three shots over six rounds it is frustrating. But you have got to take it on the chin and look where you need to improve for next year."
Browne missed three birdie chances inside 10 feet on the first three greens, double bogeyed his fourth hole and bogeyed the next to slip out of contention. He fought back with three birdies before his 86-yard wedge to the 339-yard third, his 12th, plugged under the back lip of a bunker and led to a double-bogey six.
"I can't fault my golf," said Browne, who revealed he played without his favourite putter for the first two days. "The putter I have been using all year went missing at the Grand Final in Italy. They must have had it in the deep freeze over there because it was pretty cold when I got it back on Saturday. I didn't hole any putts and never got going. But I have played solid golf and have done for the last two months. So I am very hopeful and confident for the future. More than hopeful."
Germany's Marcel Siem, a World Cup winner just 12 months ago, made it on the three-under-par limit but England's Stuart Davis, who was five under with three to play, bogeyed the 16th and 17th before chipping into the lake en route to a triple bogey seven at the last to miss out by three shots.
