New European Tour members Ewen Ferguson and Craig Howie will waste little time taking advantage of their full European Tour status in jetting off next fortnight to South Africa.
Glaswegain Ferguson, 25, and Peebles-born Howie, 27, secured full 2021/22 wraparound season European membership after finishing top-20 in the overall secondary Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings following the close of Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca.
Ferguson’s share of 21st place on the T-Golf and Country Club course was good enough to see him finish the season in eighth place on the money list.
A highly-emotional Howie had started the week 16th on the money list and hung on, despite a horror last day 76 for a share of 31st place in the tournament, to secure the 19th of just 20 full European Tour cards.
The leading 20 players on the secondary Challenge Tour to earn full European Tour membership
With his brother Darren on the bag, Howie chipped to within birdie tap-in distance at the last to secure his main Tour card by just £stg 2,081.
Howie said: “I just wanted the ground to swallow me up and extremely pleased that it’s over.
“That was horrible today. There’s probably not going to be much more pressure involved in a round of golf ever and it was tough going.
“Today was a big day and I didn’t handle it well at all; I struggled. I said to Darren on the 10th hole, ‘I’m really nervous here and I need you to chat to me’.”
The Scottish rookie duo will have their first starts as full main Tour members contesting three events in succession in South Africa and commencing with the November 25th Joburg Open.
Ferguson and Howie will now join nine other Scots, and hopefully also David Drysdale should he finish this week in Dubai inside the leading 122 on the Race to Dubai in the up-coming new European Tour season after ‘Double D’ slipped a place to 123rd in missing the Portugal Masters cut.
MEANTIME
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters ended a two-year Tour winless run a two-shot victory in the Portugal Masters and posting a last round 68 for a 19-unde par total in Vilamoura
Scot Grant Forrest was the best of the Scots signing for a closing 70 for a share of 22nd place at eight-under par.
