Connor Syme bids to graduate from European Tour School

Connor Syme will be aiming to continue his promising start in the professional ranks when he leads 17 Scots into battle in the second stage of the 
European Tour Qualifying School in Spain over the next four days.

Syme, pictured, who recorded top-15 finishes in both the Portugal Masters and Dunhill Links before also making the cut in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, is among the hopefuls at Las Colinas, where he is joined by David Law and Chris Doak.

With the likes of former Dunhill Links winner Michael Hoey, former Amateur champion Romain Langasque and this year’s Open Silver Medal winner Alfie Plant also in the field, it will require strong performances from the Scottish trio to progress to the final stage.

Robert MacIntyre, who won on the MENA Tour in Kuwait in just his second outing as a professional last month, is in the field at Desert Springs along with fellow rookie Liam Johnston, who has also started his new career on a promising note by making the cut in the Dunhill Links then winning the ProGolf Tour Qualifying School in Germany. Scott Henry, who failed to hang on to his main Tour card this season, is also at that venue, as are Daniel Young and Paul Shields.

The hopefuls at El Saler include former British Boys champion Ewen Ferguson and Jack Doherty, who missed out by a spot on getting into this week’s Challenge Tour Grand Final in Oman and therefore progressing straight to the final stage in the Qualifying School. Ross Kellett, Conor O’Neil and Craig Ross are also at El Saler while amateur Craig Howie is attempting to pass the test at Panoramica along with Ross Cameron, Jack McDonald and Michael Stewart.

Elsewhere, Bradley Neil and Grant Forrest both carded level-par 72s to sit three-under and two-under respectively at the halfway stage in the aforementioned Challenge Tour Grand Final in Muscat, where Argentina’s Tano Goya leads on 11-under.

On the ladies’ front, Kylie Henry carded a second consecutive three-under-par 69 to sit joint-14th, six shots behind leader Lee-Anne Pace, in the Ladies European Tour’s Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at Saadiyat Beach in Abu Dhabi. Gemma Dryburgh (three-under) and Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew (two-under) were the only other Scots to survive the cut.