Craig Howie comes through 'horrible' day with European Tour card

Craig Howie was overcome with emotions after enduring a “horrible” day before joining fellow Scot Ewen Ferguson in seeing their golfing dreams come true as European Tour card holders.

Scottish duo Ewen Ferguson, thid left, and Craig Howie, seventh left, celebrate with their fellow Challenge Tour graduates at the end of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by the R&A at T-Golf & Country Club in Mallorca. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

Howie, who is managed by Paul Lawrie, said the pressure he’d felt in the final round of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final had turned him into a nervous wreck at T-Golf & Country Club in Mallorca.

“I wanted the ground to swallow me up,” admitted the 27-year-old Peebles man of how badly he’d been affected in one of the most important rounds of golf he’s ever played.

Sixteenth at the start of the event and needing to finish in the top 20 to secure his step up to the top tour, Howie ended up in 19th spot after making a birdie at the last hole, having feared his second shot had found water after hitting a cart path.

“I’m extremely pleased that’s over,” said the Borderer after signing for a six-over-par 76 to finish in a tie for 31st on three-over, 11 shots behind Marcus Helligkilde as the Dane landed a double-whammy by also topping the rankings.

“That was horrible today. There’s probably not going to be much more pressure involved in a round of golf ever and it was tough going.

“Today was a big day and I didn’t handle it well at all; I struggled. I said to Darren (his brother/caddie) on the 10th hole, ‘I’m really nervous here and I need you to chat to me’.”

Howie, who had started the day just outside the top 10, was already three-over before taking a double-bogey 6 at the 13th and poor shots that then led to bogeys at the 15th and 16th were down to sheer nerves.

“It was just a battle,” he added. “I wasn’t playing great and it just seemed that anything that could go wrong did go wrong. My good shots weren’t as I thought they were and my bad shots were pretty terrible.

“I knew it was in my hands starting out then halfway round I was probably relying on other people, which I’ve not had to do all season. It’s a pretty horrible feeling to have. You try not to think about it, but it really is all you can think about.”

Once his promotion had been confirmed, the Stirling University graduate said he was “extremely proud” of himself, having laid the foundations with a maiden victory on the second-tier circuit in Sweden.

But, after enjoying his card success, Howie is determined to use this experience to be in a better place mentally for what lies ahead in the remainder of his career.

“It’s a massive learning day for me,” he declared. “I have learned so much about myself and what I need to do better, certainly mentally as I was in a really bad place today.”

Achieving the feat without having to go through the same pain, it was also mission accomplished for Ferguson as he finished ninth in the standings on the back of a solid week’s golf.

“It feels great it’s over,” said the 25-year-old Glaswegian, who tied for 21st on level-par. “I was really nervous the last nine holes. I don’t know why; it felt like a Q-School vibe even though I knew I had my card wrapped up.”

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