The Final Stage of The European Tour’s Qualifying School reached its annual, dramatic conclusion at the San Roque Club, with England’s Tom Whitehouse leading a total of 32 players onto The 2006 European Tour after one of golf’s most testing 108 hole examinations.
The abandonment of the fifth round due to incessant rain and thunder storms, and the subsequent decision to finish the Final Stage over the San Roque Club’s New Course after the rains had flooded the Old Course, only added to the final round tension as players from all over the world fought it out for a place on Tour.
In the end, Whitehouse emerged the victor with a six round total of 13 under par 419 to finish the week two strokes clear of his final round playing partner Robert Rock of England and secure the first prize of €22,205.
While Whitehouse and Rock – as well as England’s David Griffiths – battled for the top Tour card on offer, the rest of the field jostled for position behind them as the final round of the Qualifying School drew to a close.
The six round Final Stage is a notoriously difficult and gruelling test, designed to identify the best players in the 156 strong field. Such is the nature of golf though, there are always going to be tales of wonder as well as woe at such an event and 2005’s finale was packed with both.
Argentina’s Miguel Carballo and Sweden’s Leif Westerberg produced the kind of performances that dreams are made of to secure their playing privileges to The 2006 European Tour.
With three holes to play of the New Course’s front nine (he began the final round from the tenth tee), Carballo was six over par and two shots outside the all important four over mark that was looking the likely cut-off point for the top 30 players and ties.
A birdie on the par five seventh set Carballo up for a thrilling finish, which he conjured in unbelievable fashion, holing his four iron tee shot on the par three eighth before birdieing the last to finish four-one-three and guarantee himself the 17th card with a two over par total.
Westerberg, meanwhile, was putting the finishing touches on an immaculate final round of nine under par 63 to move from his starting position of nine over at the beginning of the round to secure the ninth available card – one place ahead of the Final Stage’s most successful player, former Ryder Cup player and five time European Tour champion Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden.
While Westerberg and Carballo were producing their respective miracles, the cruel side of the Qualifying School reared its head in front of Scotland’s David Drysdale and England’s Jamie Little.
Drysdale, who missed out on retaining his card by one place on The 2005 European Tour Order of Merit, finished one shot outside of the top 32, while Little lipped out for a birdie on the last to also finish the week on five over.
It was cruel luck for both Drysdale and Little but time for celebration among the top 32 players, who, led by Whitehouse, will make their ways on The 2006 European Tour.
Whitehouse said: “I came here to try and improve on the card that I had won the Challenge Tour and I have moved up about 34 spots on category 11 so I think we could say that it was worth coming here now. I didn’t feel like I was playing that great coming here but my dad, who was caddieing for me this week was a massive influence, the best he has ever been.
“He just told me to relax and play the game and I did that for the first four rounds and then I got a little bit edgy yesterday so the rain delay came at just the right time for me. My dad just said to me ‘have no fear – if it goes wrong it doesn’t matter’ and that is exactly what I did today. I was just so relaxed and I am delighted to have won here.
“Myself, Robert and David had a great battle all day and it feels good to have come out on top of that. I’ll have to go home and have a re-think about next season. I won’t have that long to think about it though it’ll all start again for me in about a week, but I feel that I deserve what I have got here because I have been very consistent on the Challenge Tour all year and this has just topped it all off.”
