Euan McIntosh off to good start in Staysure Tour card bid

Euan McIntosh, the 2018 
Scottish Amateur champion, is off to an encouraging start in his bid to be playing alongside the likes of Paul Lawrie and Gary Orr on the Staysure Tour this season.

Euan McIntosh made a good start to qualifying for the Staysure Tour. Picture: Warren Little/Getty

The Turnhouse player, who has entered as an amateur to keep his options open, is fifth after the opening round in the European senior circuit’s Qualifying School final at 
Pestana Resort in Portugal.

McIntosh, who was among four Scots to progress from two separate stage-one events at the weekend, carded five birdies on the Pinta Course at the Lagoa venue to sign for a three-under-par 68.

He is three shots behind the leader, former England international but now Spanish 
citizen Carl Suneson, with three rounds remaining in the card battle.

Suneson, who won the 2007 Saint Omer Open on the 
European Tour, bagged eight birdies to lead by a shot from Englishman Mark Booth and Canadian David Morland, with Australian Michael Long fourth on 67.

“I’ve had two years with bad shoulders and that has set me back a bit,” said Suneson. “I’ve spent a lot on physiotherapy and over the past three or four months I’ve been playing better and better and I’m hitting it a lot better.”

Paul Blaikie was next best among the Scottish hopefuls, sitting joint 15th on 71, one ahead of former European Tour Rookie of the Year Scott Henderson and three better than Craig Ronald.

Elsewhere, Sam Locke (71) and Calum Fyfe (72) sit third and fourth respectively after the first round in MENA Tour’s second Qualifying School at Ayla Golf Club in Jordan. Ryan Lumsden (74) is also in the top 10 in that card contest.