McGrane earns card as Walton loses out

DAMIEN McGRANE secured his European Tour card in emphatic style in the final round of the qualifying school at Emporda, Spain, yesterday.

McGrane finished joint third after a closing 66 .

However, there was heartbreak again for Ireland's former Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton, who missed out for the fifth successive year.

Walton finished 12 under, five shots outside the top 35 who secured their cards, although he didn't have a round higher than 72 all week. "The scoring's just been crazy," he said.

Meanwhile, David Carter, who in 1998 beat Colin Montgomerie in a play-off for the Irish Open, survived the marathon six-round ordeal with two shots to spare.

Carter, forced to put himself to the test after falling to 124th on the Order of Merit, did not top the class like he did on his last visit to the school in 1994, but a closing 67 achieved his objective.

"There's far more pressure on this than there was in that play-off at Druids Glen ," he said after finishing on the 19 under par mark of 409.

The 108-hole event was won in style by England's Richard McEvoy, a member of the winning Walker Cup side in America two years ago, who along with Scot Steve O'Hara will now join other team-mates Nick Dougherty, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Jamie Elson on the circuit.

McEvoy, who missed out by a single shot a year ago, finished with a 67 for a 28 under par total of 400, three ahead of Australian Wade Ormsby and five in front of Damien McGrane and Dane Jeppe Huldahl.

But as McEvoy no relation to his cup captain Peter lifted the £11,000 first prize and O'Hara, Carter and another former European tour winner in Warren Bennett also celebrated their survival, 1998 BMW International Open champion Russell Claydon failed to make it back.

For Dubliner Carter commented: "You never forget what this week is like, but I've been quite relaxed. I've pulled on the experience from nine years on tour.

"I've been a pro for a long time, whereas some guys have never been here before. It's a long week six rounds of quality are difficult and experience has got to count for a lot."

Words of encouragement from Volvo Masters champion Fredrik Jacobson were a help to Carter during the week. The Swede's sister Therese is Carter's partner and sometimes his caddie too - and it is only four years since he had to go back to the school himself.

"What he's done since is inspirational and he's also been very supportive," he said.

Ben Banks, 25-year-old son of former Genesis keyboard player Tony, makes it onto the tour at the second attempt and will now get to play for a share of a £75million total purse next season.

He has been playing this year on the PGA Europro Tour, where he finished 42nd and earned just over £6,000.