Ferguson woe but Young ups card bid

EWEN Ferguson’s bid for promotion to the European Tour suffered a damaging blow in the penultimate round of the qualifying school final at Lumine near Barcelona yesterday.

The Bearsden golfer had thrust himself into the card-winning places with a brilliant 64 during the fourth round but his assault was derailed in round five as he sagged to a four-over 75.

That dropped the former Walker Cup player back to a six-under aggregate and three shots outside the current qualifying mark of the top-25.

The day had started well for Ferguson as he set about building on Monday’s charge.

A pair of birdies at the sixth and eighth had lifted him into the top-10 on the leaderboard but the wheels swiftly came off.

A trio of bogeys at the ninth, 10th and 11th began the slide before the former British Boys’ champion stumbled home with another succession of dropped shots at 16, 17 and 18.

As Ferguson toiled, Perth’s Daniel Young galvanised his tour-card push with a timely four-under 67.

The former South African Amateur champion, a winner on the third-tier PGA EuroPro Tour this season, moved up onto an eight-under total and was heading into the final round a shot outside the all-important leading 25.

Borderer Craig Howie, the former Scottish Boys’ champion, strung together his fourth successive 70 but in this cut-throat shoot-out he didn’t make much ground and is back on a five-under score.

Barassie rookie Euan Walker, who has at least secured a Challenge Tour card for 2020 after making the qualifying school’s 72-hole cut, had a 73 for four-under while Marc Warren’s dismal year looks set for another sombre twist as he limped to the turn in 40 en route to a 74.

Warren is also down on a four-under aggregate and would need to shoot the lights out to have any chance.

At the sharp end of affairs, long-time leader Benjamin Poke cemented his place at the top with a 69 for an 18-under total to sit two clear of Finland’s Sami Valimaki.

Former tour winners Alejandro Canizares, Gregory Havret and SSP Chawrasia are all on course to regain their tour cards.