Higgins well in hunt, but not enjoying the pressure
The Waterville man was “slightly disappointed” only to card a two under 68 in yesterday’s third round at the PGA Catalunya Resort.
But, unlike Thornton and the rest of the Irish hopefuls who are outside the top 70 for the 72-hole cut today, 39-year old Higgins is sitting pretty in joint 11th in the six-round race for 25 precious cards.
“Simon’s telling you lies,” Higgins said with a grin.
“It’s why you play golf, yes, for the pressure of competing. But you can’t enjoy this.
“If you had 20 attempts at Tour School, you would be a lot freer and you would enjoy it. But you only have one chance. There is pressure on every single shot.
“You do it because you want to put yourself in pressure situations. But while in a normal event you can go for it and still have next week, every shot this week you are just making sure you are not making a mess of it.”
Higgins got off to the perfect start when he hit a seven iron to 10 feet at the par-five 10th on the shorter Tour Course and rolled in the putt for eagle.
He was tied for second place at that stage but ended up playing the remaining holes in level par to finish the day six shots behind leader Estanislao Goya of Argentina on seven under par.
“I was unlucky to bogey my 16th and I missed two good chances coming in so I’m slightly disappointed,” Higgins said. “But we’re alright. Three rounds down and three to go on the Stadium Course now. I just have to dig in, that’s all you can do.”
Ballymena’s Chris Devlin is just a stroke outside the top 70 on three over par after getting overly aggressive on the greens and three-putting four times in a one over 71 yesterday.
As for Thornton, the Royal County Down man finally sprang to life with three late birdies getting him to two under for the day before he lost a ball off the ninth tee on the Stadium Course and signed for a 72 that leaves him two shots outside the mark on four over.
“I just hit a bad shot on the wrong hole,” he said of his double bogey finish.
“If I had parred or birdied the last, I’d have been fine. But I still have a chance.
“I need four, five or six under tomorrow on the Tour Course to get back into it and after that, anything can happen.”
While Higgins joked that he’s telling fibs, Thornton insisted he loves the challenge of the Q School, where he won his card in 2009.
“The last day is something special when you are in amongst it,” he said.
“You sort of realise who you are in a way. What is the point of playing professional sport otherwise?
“I wouldn’t say I want to play it every year, but if you are not good enough to get through here you are not good enough to play on tour.”
Dubliner Niall Kearney needs the blade to warm up after putting poorly again for a 74 that leaves him three shots outside the cut mark on five over.
“Terrible,” Kearney said of his putting form. “I need three or four under tomorrow. I’m playing well enough, just not getting the ball in the hole.”
Douglas’s Peter O’Keeffe could need a 63 on the Tour Course to stay alive after a 77 on the Stadium Course severely dented his hopes of winning a full Challenge Tour card.
Two under after three holes, he played the rest of his front nine in seven over but knows he can score well on the shorter course today after cruising to a facile 65 there on Sunday.
Lurgan’s Gareth Shaw, meanwhile, is 148th on 14 over after a 74 but still two shots better than former European Tour winners Nick Dougherty and Anton Haig.
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