David Law set for ‘one last push’ in bid to secure European Tour card

David Law is two shots outside a card-winning position heading into the final round of the Tour School. Picture: Getty Images

The 24-year-old Aberdonian heads into the final round of the circuit’s Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya, near Girona, just two shots outside a card-winning topp-25 position.

It follows a battling level-par 72 from Law on the fifth day of the marathon test in north-east Spain to sit joint-36th on five-under-par.

“I will be giving it my all tomorrow,” declared the two-times Scottish Amateur champion, who is attached to the Paul Lawrie Golf centre on the outskirts of Aberdeen. “I’ve got nothing to lose and I’m looking forward to one last push tomorrow.”

Playing in the same group, Law and fellow Scot Peter Whiteford both saw their hopes of getting close to the top of the leaderboard on “moving day” dashed by poors starts.

Having had his first double-bogey of the week at the penultimate hole on Tuesday, Law ran up another one at the fourth before dropping shot at the eighth as well.

The former Northern Open champion steadied the ship with a birdie at the ninth, though, before also picking up shots at the 13th and 15th as he signed for a 72.

“It was a bit of a struggle again, but I played well coming in,” added Law, who sits a shot ahead of compatriot Paul Shields after he bounced back bravely from a 77 the previous day to post a two-under 70.

“I played steady today,” said Shields, sitting joint-42nd, of an effort that contained four birdies. “I had bad day on Tuesday, getting caught up with the occasion, but I was back at it today and now I will be giving it my all in the last round.”

Also starting on five-under, Whiteford bogeyed the second, third and ninth to be out in 36. He repaired some of that damage with birdies at the 12th and 15th only to finish bogey-bogey.

The resultant 75 dropped him back to joint-56th on two-under, meaning the Fifer needs to go low on the last day to have a chance of regaining the card he lost at the end of 2014.

Englishman Ross McGowan, winner of the Madrid Masters in 2009 before his career was stopped in its tracks by a wrist injury, is the new joint-leader in the card scramble.

The 33-year-old carded a flawless 64 that was illuminated by an eagle and six birdies as he moved to 17-under-par alongside American Daniel Im (66).

The pair are three shots clear of Spaniard Adrian Otaegui and South African duo Jean Hugo and Ulrich van der Berg.

Also among those in cardp-winning positions is Irishman Paul Dunne, who shared the lead heading into the final round of The Open at St Andrews this year before helping GB&I to a Walker Cup win at Royal Lytham.