Europe’s finest fail to pass test

THE European Tour School is an annual end of season exercise that tries the hearts and minds of young and old alike.

There’s both agony and ecstasy to be experienced in abundance and in the chill of southern Spain yesterday it was very much a case of the former for some of Europe’s finest. The 156-strong field at San Roque was reduced to 70 and ties. Among those who saw their interest terminated were a couple of outstanding Ryder Cup players: Peter Baker of England and Ireland’s Philip Walton, along with one of the Tour’s most respected members, Roger Chapman.

And then there was the self inflicted dagger to the heart by the Frenchman Gregory Bourdy. At the par five 17th on the Old Course, his ball was moved approximately an inch by the wind on the exposed green. Instead of playing it where it rested, he replaced the ball, holed out for a bogey six and having parred the 18th, signed his card for a 74. A few minutes later, he spoke with tournament director Jose-Maria Zamorra and mentioned the incident at the 17th. Sadly, the official was left with no option but to disqualify Bourdy because he had signed for the wrong score.

Even with a double bogey at the 17th hole, he would have finished two over par and seven inside the cut-off point so his despair can only be imagined.

For those who survived last night’s cut, there are still 36 holes to be played so by tomorrow evening there will be further contrasting emotions to be experienced. The top 30 and ties at that point win cards for the main tour in 2006, those who miss out will have the consolation of full playing rights on the Challenge Tour. Alas, none of the five Irishmen who started the Tour School have reached even that point.

Stephen Browne, who travelled to Spain in the hope of substantially improving on the card he had picked up on the Challenge Tour, quit after eight holes on the very first day because of a neck injury. Athlone’s Colm Moriarty, another hopeful of a big week at San Roque, opened with a couple of 80s and promptly withdrew because of illness.

Of the three remaining Irishmen, John Kelly, 13 over, and Walton, 20 over, never had a chance going into yesterday’s fourth round but Eamonn Brady, the 31-year-old Dubliner and 2000 West of Ireland champion, will be kicking himself at missing out by two strokes having played beautifully for 15 holes over the New Course.

He started the day on ten over par before three birdies, offset by a bogey at the 6th, moved him to eight over and ideally poised to claim one of the qualifying spots. A three-putt bogey at the short 13th needn’t have proved disastrous and after a good drive to the long 16th, another birdie looked very much on the cards.

To his horror, he pulled his second into a clump of deep grass and had to take a penalty drop. The resultant bogey six shattered him mentally and even though he made par at the difficult short 17th, felt obliged - correctly - to take on the 18th flag in search of the birdie that, as it transpired, would have saved his bacon. The ball, however, never deviated in the strong crosswind and splashed into the lake. He putt for a bogey but his 11 over par aggregate proved two too many.

Peter Baker, a highly successful member of the 1993 European Ryder Cup team, shot 20 over par at the School and in ‘06 he and Des Smyth will be Ian Woosnam’s vice captains at the Ryder Cup. Asked about coming back to the school next year, he mused sorrowfully: “We’ll see. I have been playing better for the past few months so this week has been a real kick in the teeth. I may play a few tournaments on the Challenge Tour and would like to think I can get back on Tour. Right at the moment, though, I feel a million miles off.”

Roger Chapman, a man who defeated Hal Sutton twice in one day in the 1981 Walker Cup at Cypress Point, was unequivocal about his future: “I’m going home. I’ve had enough and I won’t be seeing you boys again.”

Philip Walton, a teammate of Chapman in ‘81, didn’t go even that far ... “no interview“, was all he said before driving away although earlier in the week he had insisted that this was “d-day for me.”

Current leaders at the Tour School with two rounds to go are Englishmen Tom Whitehouse, nine under par, and Robert Rock and David Griffiths, both seven under.