Dark day for Scottish golf as four players drop out of European Tour

NOT since a Dunhill Cup defeat at the hands of Paraguay has Scottish golf suffered such a black day. In one fell swoop, four players with seven European Tour titles, a World Cup win and a Ryder Cup appearance between them were all left without full playing privileges for next season.

Andrew Coltart had enjoyed that status for all but one season since 1994, Alastair Forsyth for the past decade and Scott Drummond and Marc Warren for seven years and five years respectively, all four of them enjoying memorable moments along the way.

Coltart, who faced Tiger Woods in the singles in the 1999 Ryder Cup, won in Qatar and England (the Great North Open at Slaley Hall), while Forsyth triumphed in Malaysia and Madeira, both times in play-offs.

Drummond claimed the Tour's flagship title, the PGA Championship at Wentworth, in 2004, the year he was the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. Warren earned the same honour in 2006 after winning in Sweden before claiming a second success, the Johnnie Walker Championship, on home soil just over a year later.

Add in a World Cup win, in tandem with Colin Montgomerie, just over three years ago and the removal of Warren's name, temporarily at least, from the list of Scottish players currently competing at the highest possible level is arguably the biggest surprise of the lot.

As things stand - the situation could change depending on what happens in today's final round of the Qualifying School - the Scottish hand on the European Tour has certainly been weakened by the quartet losing their coveted status.

Only six players - Stephen Gallacher, Richie Ramsay, Paul Lawrie, David Drysdale, Peter Whiteford and Steven O'Hara - finished in the top 115 on the money-list this year, with Montgomerie and Gary Orr, through respective exemptions, joining them for the 2011 campaign.

So, too, are George Murray, Scott Jamieson and Raymond Russell after they all earned cards through their season-long efforts on the Challenge Tour, while Arizona-based Martin Laird, the highest Scot in the world rankings at No 50, will also be making the odd appearance on this side of the Atlantic.

For Forsyth and Warren, in particular, the prospect of missing out on events like the BMW PGA Championship will prove painful, to say the least.

But, while neither should have found themselves back at the Qualifying School this past week, failing that test in Spain perfectly summed up how fragile the respective games of these two talented individuals has become over the past few months.Only they can get to the bottom of the reasons for that and, in the immediate aftermath of failing to even qualify for the final 36 holes in the six-round test in Girona, Forsyth admitted he'd hit "rock bottom" and Warren reckoned it "felt like the end of the world".

According to Coltart, who finds himself back in the same position as three years ago, the pain being felt by his compatriots is unlikely to ease quickly, but, just as he aims to bounce back from this week's disappointment, he is confident the others will, too.

"What happened (in Spain] is bitterly disappointing to all our egos, the younger ones in particular, I'm sure, but, believe me, myself as well," said the Edinburgh-based 40-year-old, a past member of the European Tour Players' Committee. "For 24 hours, 48 hours, even a week after, it can feel like the end of the world.

"Marc has his wedding (in Edinburgh a week tomorrow] to look forward to and that might take the sting out of things for him. But, when you're a young lad like him who has the confidence, you can see yourself being out on the European Tour for at least 20 years. There's no reason why that still can't be the case for all of us, but life is full of obstacles and hurdles like these. When something like this happens it is about strength of character. I'm definitely not finished and there's certainly no reason why Alastair and Marc can't get back to where they want to be either."

Just over two years ago, Forsyth tied for ninth in a major, the USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills, yet the 34-year-old now finds himself planning a 2011 schedule that will consist of the odd European Tour appearance, but, predominantly, will be played out on the second-tier Challenge Tour.

Warren, 29, is in exactly the same boat, but Coltart believes a season away from the main Tour might actually help the duo regain the confidence that has been drained away over the past few months as Forsyth, once as high as 19th on the money-list (in 2003), slipped to 127th, three places below Warren, who finished 42nd in both 2006 and 2007.

"Once the dust settles, we will all pick ourselves up because what has happened certainly isn't the end of the world and, for me at least, the goal will be to try and regain my card next year," added Coltart.

"When I got back on Tour in 2009 through the Qualifying School, I felt the card I got didn't give me sufficient chances in the so-called juicier tournaments.The Challenge Tour card, therefore, is a better one to get.

"Another thing about playing on the Challenge Tour for a spell is that it can help boost confidence. I was talking to (English professional] Rob Coles recently and he was saying that, despite the fact he'd held on to his card this year, he had less confidence in his game than when he came off the Challenge Tour.

"When you are out on the main circuit, it can become a case of grinding and grinding all the time. OK, you can end up being better off financially at the end of it, but your esteem can take a bashing at the same time."