Scot Calum Hill has an extra special reason in celebrating his 25^th birthday this Sunday after brilliantly wrapping-up his European Tour card for next season.

The Kirkcaldy golfer superbly birdied his closing five holes to grab third place in Sunday’s concluding secondary Challenge Tour’s Fosham Open just to the north-west of Macau in China.

The effort, and after two earlier victories this year, not only saw Hill jump 14 spots to 110^th on the World Rankings, but he’s now top of the Challenge Tour money list, and with just one event remaining and that’s next fortnight’s Tour Grand Final at Majorca in Spain.

With the leading 15 to secure 2020 European Tour membership Hill, and who turns 25 next Sunday, is assured of being handed his Race to Dubai membership card.

Also heading to Spain next fortnight, but for all the wrong reasons, will be fellow Scots Mar Warren and Liam Johnston.

The triple Tour winning Warren ended his poorest-ever season to lose his Tour card for a second year running following a final round 73 for a three-under par tally and just inside the top-60 at the Portugal Masters.

Warren ended his wretched season ranked a lowly 215^th on the Race to Dubai and 99 spots shy of holding onto his Tour card.

And should Warren head to the Q-School at Tarragona he will have Johnston for company, and his playing partner for the opening two rounds in Portugal.

Johnston, and having secured his 2019 Tour card via last year’s secondary Challenge Tour, signed for a second straight Portugal round of 69 to end just outside the top-40.

The Scot officially ended his rookie year at 148^th on the money list.

In stark contrast, Bob McIntyre has arrived in Shanghai for a maiden appearance in Thursday’s starting WGC –HSBC Champions event.

It will be McIntyre’s maiden showing in the PGA/European/Asian and Australasian-sanctioned event at Sheshan and having dropped two places to 88^th in the world following

The Oban lefty is a lone Scot in the field and will be looking to duplicate the 2015 victory effort of Tartan colleague, Russell Knox.

If McIntyre were to win it would hand him not only a first European Tour victory but become eligibly for full status on the ultra-lucrative PGA Tour.