While Niclas Fasth was celebrating victory in the Mallorca Classic, the tournament also provided the setting for the nerve-wracking battle to maintain playing privileges for The 2007 European Tour International Schedule. As always in such situations, there are winners and losers and while England’s David Carter gladly grabbed the role of the former, unfortunately, for Scotland’s David Drysdale, he was the latter, missing out in agonising circumstances for the second year in succession.
Twelve months ago, Drysdale finished in 117th place on the Order of Merit, one place outside the 116 who kept their card by rights in 2005, the Scot missing out by a mere €586 after ending the year with €173,933, while the man in 116th place, England’s Sam Little, amassed €174,519.
His category presented him with 20 starts in 2006 but not a place in the field for the Mallorca Classic and therefore, in 114th place with €200,391 to his name, he had no option but to wait and see if he could hang on to a place in the top 118 who kept their cards this year. Unfortunately for the 31 year old, he could not.
Incredibly, the four players immediately behind him in 115th to 118th place at the start of the week – England’s Ian Garbutt, Italy’s Alessandro Tadini, Australia’s Matthew Millar and Gary Murphy of Ireland – all made the cut at Pula Golf Club and won enough money to overtake him.
Third round joint leader Murphy did best, his eventual share of 13th place in the tournament moving him up to 104th on the Order of Merit, while Tadini (tied 21st) moved to 110th and Millar (tied 38th) moved to 115th. Garbutt was the one sweating the most but his share of 64th place earned him €4112 which moved him to €201,580, €1,139 ahead of Drysdale.
All this would have been all right for the Scotsman if, of course, no-one from below 118th place did well enough to move up too but, unfortunately for Drysdale, Carter did just that.
The Englishman, a World Cup winner for England in the company of Nick Faldo in 1998, started the week in 120th place with €188,265, leaving him with the target of finishing 37th or better to overtake Drysdale.
With the experience of veteran caddie Pete Coleman on his bag to help him, Carter held his nerve magnificently. He was tied 23rd at the halfway stage, tied 17th after 54 holes, and finished in a share of 27th place after a closing 73 for a six over par total of 286.
He made a crucial birdie putt from ten feet at the 16th which gave him breathing space and even allowed him to three putt the last for a bogey four and still be safe, his cheque for €16,100 elevating him to 117th place on the Order of Merit, leaving Garbutt to take the 118th place and Drysdale, the unfortunate 119th place.
“I was totally aware of the situation I was in and I am very relieved it is all over,” said Carter. “It was a tough week and it has been a tough year. There was a lot of pressure on me when your whole year comes down to just one week.
“I didn’t have a problem with my swing out there, it was just a case of trying to hole a few putts because I haven’t been doing that over the past three or four weeks.
“Of course, when you don’t hole putts for birdies, what happens when you find yourself with a tricky putt for par, you tend to miss that one as well and your confidence takes a bit of a knock. That was why it was good to make that putt at the 16th, it helped give me a bit of leeway.”
Four other Englishmen had the chance of emulating Carter’s feat and moving up into the top 118 in this, the last counting tournament, but all fell short.
Best placed at the start of the day was Andrew Butterfield who aced the final hole in the third round to move into a share of 11th place going into the final day and who needed a finish of better than ninth place to succeed.
All was going well with an outward half of level par 35 before disaster struck on the back nine, a triple bogey eight at the tenth and a triple bogey seven at the 14th contriving to make a back nine of 44, thus ending his hopes.
Also out of luck were Jonathan Lomas, Sam Little and Jamie Spence. Lomas and Little both needed a finish higher than 33rd but both ended in a tie for 38th , while Spence needed to finish in the top 12 but, despite a brave final round of 71 for a four over par total of 284, he could do no better than a share of 17th.
All, like Drysdale, now face the prospect of returning to The European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage at San Roque next month.
