Connor Syme climbs into top 10 in Q School final

Connor Syme continued his climb up the leaderboard with another impressive display in the fourth round of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

Fifer Connor Syme has enjoyed going bogey-free in his last two rounds at Lumine Golf Club in Spain

The 22-year-old backed up his stunning eight-under-par 63 on Monday with a five-under 67 at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona to move into the top 10 with two rounds to go in the marathon test.

Maintaining the brilliant start he’s made to his professional career, Syme has gone bogey-free for the last 36 holes in the pressure-packed test to sit joint-sixth on 11-under-par.

The top 25 and ties at the end of six rounds secure cards for the 2018 season and Syme has given himself a great chance to join recent Challenge Tour graduate Bradley Neil at European golf’s top table.

At the very least, though, he has secured a full Challenge Tour category for next season and the same goes for his fellow rookie professional, Robert MacIntyre.

The 21-year-old also made the 72-hole cut comfortably on six-under, a shot behind David Law after he birdied two of his last three holes for a 68.

A closing birdie lifted the Aberdonian into joint-25th as he attempts to pass this test for the first time, while MacIntyre is in a share of 35th spot after his third 71 in a row.

“It was a goal here to make the cut and get on the Challenge Tour, so everything is a bonus from here on,” said the left-hander from Oban.

“I came into this with eight starts on the Challenge Tour next season through Bounce, my management company, so making the cut has added a few extra events for me next season.

“Now I’m just going to push on and try and get the whole lot. I’ve got to aim high and try and reach it.

“I have struggled this week from tee to green, but my short game has saved me and that’s what you need if you are having an off week. There’s wwo rounds to go and we’ll see what happens.”

MacIntyre, who joined Syme in turning professional after they both played in the Walker Cup in Los Angles in September, won on the MENA Tour in Kuwait in just his second start in the paid ranks.

“My whole career has been moving in the right direction and this is another step,” he added.

“The first four rounds here were always going to be an absolute grind and I knew that if I could make the cut I was going to have achieved something.

“Now I’m within touching distance of getting a full card. There’s no pressure on me now. I was nervy coming into today as I thought just don’t make a mess of it.

“I played solid out there and now I can free roll it and go for everything.”

Scott Henry was the only other player out of nine Scottish hopefuls to progress after he continued his brave fightback from a first-round 78.

A bogey-free 69 got the 30-year-old, who finished joint-second 12 months ago at PGA Catalunya, through on two-under, but there was bitter disappointment for both Ewen Ferguson and Ross Kellett at the end of agonising wait.

They were both on course to make it through after getting to three-under for the tourmanent only to pay a costly price for disappointing finishes on the Hills Course.

On his first visit to the final, Ferguson ran up double-bogeys at both the 14th and 16th before finishing with a birdie only to fall one shot short.

As did Kellett, who played in all six rounds last year, after he bogeyed the last.

Grant Forrest

Grant Forrest missed out by two shots on level-par but he came into the event knowing that he will have a full Challenge Tour campaign in 2018 after finishing 34th in this season’s Road to Oman.

Chris Doak finished well down the field on five-over as his bid to get back on the main Tour failed on this occasion while there was also disappointment for Duncan Stewart.

A year after he partnered Russell Knox in the World Cup in Australia, the 33-year-old finished 147th on 13-over after he closed with an 80 as he went for every single shot.

Other notable names to miss the cut included former Ryder Cup duo Oliver Wilson and Niclas Fasth, as well as Australian left-hander Richard Green and Englishman Simon Dyson.

Sam Horsfield, an Englishman who is based in Florida, leads the card scramble after carding a 68 to sit on 15-under, a shot ahead of compatriot Charlie Ford (64).

Overnight leader Laurie Canter slipped to joint-eight after a 75 on a day when home player Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who has Alvaro Quiros caddying for him, jumped up 14 spots to joint-25th on the back of a 68.

Also on course to pass the test include 2006 Scottish Open champion Johan Edfors, former SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge winner James Heath and ex-Walker Cup players Tom Lewis and Gavin Moynihan.