Lachie Mcdonald out of Australasian PGA Tour
Lachie Mcdonald will not be back of the Australasian PGA Tour in 2017.
The Marton professional finished tied for 59th at the final stage of q-school in Melbourne.
In the end, a top-46 finish would have been good enough for a tour card due to ties.
But even that proved a bridge too far for Mcdonald, who fell behind early and struggled to get back into the frame.
He carded a one-over 73 in the first round thanks to a sole bogey o the par-four 14th hole.
In his his second round a flow of bogeys was offset by a matching stream of birdies - he had four of each - as he carded an even round of 72.
That had left him on the outside, but still within striking distance.
But his third round of 75 proved costly.
He fired double-bogeys on the first and third holes and another bogey on the seventh in a horror start.
He recovered with three birdies on the back nine, but a bogey on the 17th left him at three-under for the day.
Needing a stunning showing in the fourth round, the pressure proved too much.
A birdie on the first hole was the only positive of his day.
He then hit three-straight bogeys on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes and his round fell apart at the 13th hole when a triplebogey effectively ended any chances he had of recovering.
A final bogey on the 15th meant he finished the day at six-over for a round of 78.
He finished the tournament at 10-over, six shots behind the cut-off for tour cards.
It was better news for four of the other Kiwis in the 75-player field.
Daniel Pearce (11th), Harry Bateman (tied for 34th), Luke Toomey (tied for 34th) and Fraser Wilkin (tied for 38th) all picked up category 13 exemptions.
Toomey’s qualification saw him drop his amateur status on Friday and turn professional.
But for Mcdonald, it will be back to the drawing board as he works out a plan for his second year as a professional.
He joins fellow Manawatu men Josh Munn and Tyler Hodge in missing out on the tour having made it in their first year as professionals in 2016.
Mcdonald was the most successful of the trio in 2016.
He played 13 events finishing in the top-30 three times.
With earnings of $17,205, he ended 79th on the order of merit standings.