Byrne and Law join Stewart in failing to pass Q-School test

Following Michael Stewart’s failure to get past the first stage in the European Tour Qualifying School last month, James Byrne and David Law have now suffered the same fate.

Byrne, a member of the winning Walker Cup team at Royal Aberdeen, finished in a tie for 45th in his event at Ribagolfe, near Lisbon, while two-time Scottish champion Law had to settle for a disappointing share of 67th at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire.

Having travelled to Portugal straight from the Dunhill Links Championship, in which he finished in a tie for 50th in only his second event as a professional, Byrne was never in the hunt for one of the 25 spots up for grabs in the second stage.

The Banchory 22-year-old shot rounds of 74, 76, 75 and 74 for an 11-over-par total of 299 – 17 shots behind the winner, South African Doug McGuigan.

Byrne, who has signed for IMG, will be hoping the management company can secure some invitations for him on both the European Tour and Challenge Tour next season.

However, last year’s Amateur Championship finalist will also now have to turn his attention to one of the third-tier circuits around Europe in order to guarantee regular competitive action at the start of his professional career.

Law, who became the first amateur to win the Northern Open since 1970 at the beginning of September, is in the same boat after he could only muster rounds of 77, 72, 79 and 78 at Frilford Heath.

That gave the 20-year-old Hazelhead player an 18-over-par aggregate of 306, finishing 27 shots behind the winner, Englishman Dale Whitnell.

Law, who has signed for 4Sports & Entertainment, joining his mentor, Paul Lawrie, on the books of the Swiss-based company, is playing in the Indian Open next week.

However, the Walker Cup reserve will need to review his options after that, the same position as Stewart found himself in after he fell at the first hurdle in his stage one qualifier at Wychwood Park, near Crewe.

Stewart, last year’s Scottish Amateur champion and one of Byrne’s team-mates in the Walker Cup, is still an amateur, having decided to hold on to his status so that he can take up invitation to play in the South African Open next month. He earned that spot after winning the South African Amateur Championship earlier this year.

The latest two events completed stage one in this season’s Qualifying School process and the overall report card makes poor reading for the Scots.

Eight players, including amateurs Philip McLean and James White, progressed at Dundonald Links, but the pickings have been slim elsewhere.

Cawder’s Kelly was the sole Scot to be successful at Wychwood Park, while Alan McLean progressed at Fleesensee in Germany.

Colville Park’s Ross Kellett, the second reserve for the Walker Cup, was inside the top 25 heading into the final round at Frilford Heath, but his challenge came to an agonising end.

A closing 75 for a total of 297 saw the Lanarkshire man miss out by a single shot.

Fellow amateur Greg Paterson, the only other Scot to qualify for the final round at the Abingdon venue, closed with a battling 71 to finish on 300.