Drummond rally keeps Tour return hopes alive

Published on Monday 30 November 2009 23:13

SCOTT Drummond produced a late rally at PGA Catalunya near Girona yesterday to keep his bid for an instant return to the European Tour on track in the third round of the qualifying school final. The former PGA champion birdied his closing two holes in a battling one-under 69 on the Tour course to sit just outside the card-winning top 30 with a five-under 207, nine behind halfway leaders, Simon Khan and Charlie Ford, who are locked on 198.

Since he triumphed in the European circuit's flagship event at Wentworth in 2004, Drummond's career has nose-dived, but the 35-year-old is showing signs that he is ready to emerge from the golfing wilderness. His earnings of more than 205,500 in 2009 were almost double the amount he had gathered in the three previous seasons put together and, despite losing his tour card last month having finished 128th on the rankings, the Devon-based Scot is confident of a return to the top table.

"I felt I was playing well enough to avoid coming to the tour school but I just didn't do enough in my final events," said Drummond, whose late brace of birdies repaired the damage caused by four dropped shots at the start of his back nine. "It has been a tough spell but the hard work I've done over the past 12 months is starting to come together and I'm happy with the way my game is going.

"I lost my rhythm for a couple of holes today with those dropped shots but the birdies were a nice way to finish it off."

Motherwell's Steven O'Hara leads the Scottish challenge after a two-under 68 left him tied 22nd on a six-under 206 while former Dunhill Links champion Stephen Gallacher holed his second shot from 40 yards at the sixth in a 68 for a four-under 208.

Andrew Oldcorn, the 2001 PGA champion, racked up 35 putts in a damaging one-over 71 as he dropped back with a one-under 211. "It was one of the worst putting displays I've had and it was a disgrace," seethed Oldcorn. "It was a snapshot of my career over the last four years and if you can't putt, you can't expect to compete."

Andrew Coltart, the former Ryder Cup player, joined Oldcorn on the 211 mark with Fife's George Murray a shot back on 212 after a spirited three-under 69 on the longer Stadium course.

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL SCORES

European Tour Qualifying School final PGA Golf de Catalunya, Stadium course (par 72) and Tour course (par 70), Girona, Spain

Leading third round scores (GB&I unless stated): 198 S Khan 68 63 67, C Ford 67 64 67, 199 J Elson 68 65 66, 202 M Ruiz (Par) 71 68 63, J Sandelin (Swe) 66 69 67, A Canizares (Spa) 74 67 61, 203 S Manley 66 72 65, S Walker 70 64 69, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 70 64, M Bothma (RSA) 74 64 65, 204 C Suneson (Spa) 72 64 68, M Soffietti (Ita) 72 64 68, P Sjoland (Swe) 72 65 67, 205 L Jensen (Den) 64 72 69, J Ruth 64 75 66, P Archer 68 70 67, G Coetzee (RSA) 68 70 67, M Carlsson (Swe) 71 69 65, T Carolan (Aus) 64 74 67, J Guerrier (Fra) 60 75 70, C Brazillier (Fra) 71 67 67.

Scottish scores: 206 S O'Hara 68 70 68, 207 S Drummond 69 69 69, 208 S Gallacher 68 72 68, 211 A Oldcorn 72 68 71, A Coltart 71 71 69, 212 G Murray 73 70 69, 214 C Macaulay 70 73 71, 215 G Hutcheon 73 72 70, J McLeary 72 74 69, 219 E Ramsay 72 73 74, 220 A McLean 76 71 73.