The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Scots aim to secure their European Tour places
Final challenge as Law and MacIntyre play to stay in top 15
Aberdeen’s David Law and Oban’s Robert MacIntyre hope to cement their place on the European Tour next season at the Challenge Tour’s Grand Final, which starts today in the United Arab Emirates.
Law and MacIntyre are 12th and 13th in the Challenge Tour rankings heading into the final event of the season at the Al Hamra course in Ras Al Khaimah.
If they remain in the top 15 at the end of play on Saturday they will graduate to the top tier tour for the 2019 campaign.
Fellow Scots Grant Forrest and Liam Johnston sit eighth and 10th in the rankings with Ewen Ferguson (30th) and Calum Hill (31st) also knowing a great week could propel them into the top 15.
Law, who won the Scottish Hydro Challenge in Aviemore in June, says a European Tour spot would be a dream come true.
The 27-year-old said: “The course is a little different to what we are used to here.
“They have brought the fairways in a bit and the rough is a little bit thicker, which is good.
“I’m feeling good and playing well. It was nice to have last week off at home to rest and do a bit of practice.
“To be in the top 15 at the end of the week would be fantastic. It’s what everyone on the Challenge Tour is striving for and to be within touching distance going into the last event adds a lot of excitement for this week.
“It would be a dream come true to finish in the top 15 but I’m just looking to go out and do my best to win the tournament.
“I could finish last and stay within the top 15 or finish quite high up the leaderboard and miss out so the easiest thing for me to do is to go out and finish as high as possible.”
Oban’s Robert MacIntyre surged into contention for one of the coveted European Tour cards by finishing second at the Foshan Open a fortnight ago after being edged out in a play-off by Frenchman Victor Perez in the penultimate event of the Challenge Tour season.
The 22-year-old said: “Being in with a chance of a European Tour card after just one full year as a professional is a great feeling.
“It would be a dream come true if I can get over the line. I have gained a lot of confidence in the second half of the season.
“I just have to treat this as another tournament because if I do my job well the card will take care of itself but I feel up for the challenge.”
Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen leads the race to finish number one with a lead of 47,024 points over second-placed Perez.