Golf: Doyle hits out at Forsyth saga

The European Tour could be threatened with legal action after Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth missed out on his card by just one place.

Forsyth finished 116th in the Order of Merit after the Italian Open yesterday - won by Frenchman Gregory Havret - with only the top 115 earning a guaranteed starting berth for next season.

But Forsyth’s manager Ian Doyle is unhappy that Sergio Garcia has taken one of those 115 places despite having only played 10 Tour events this season, one less than required for European Tour membership.

However, all those players, including Garcia, who qualified for the $5m American Express Championship in St Louis - cancelled in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11 - have been credited with ’playing’ the tournament, therefore taking Garcia up to the required 11 tournaments.

If the event was not counted then Garcia would be taken off the Order of Merit and everyone below him would move up one place, making Forsyth safe in 115th.

Doyle said: ‘‘We all understand and appreciate the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the Amex but Garcia has profited out of it by the Tour allowing the cancelled event to count towards the 11 he must play.

‘‘He has had ample opportunity to play an 11th tournament. We feel it is unfair that a top player is getting the benefit of the doubt from a Tour.

‘‘There is a history of sporting bodies being taken to court to change unfair rules and we did that recently with the governing body of snooker.

‘‘We intend talking to the Tour to try and resolve this issue.’’

Garcia’s last chance to play another event on the European Tour this season comes in this week’s Volvo Masters in Spain, but he has shown no intentions of doing so just days after the finish of the US Tour’s Championship in Houston where he was edged out in a four-way play-off.

Forsyth was not the only hard luck story to emerge from Sardinia and there were plenty of others contemplating a visit to the qualifying school after just missing out on keeping their card.

England’s Shaun Webster made a brave attempt to grab the second place he needed with a final-round 68 but had to settle for a share of third.

Wales’ David Park was one of the biggest casualties having won the Compaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall in only his second tournament in 1999.

Australian Scott Gardiner faces the long trip to Spain after slipping from 114th to 118th by not playing here.

Hartlepool’s Graeme Storm (121), Kent’s Peter Mitchell (123), Ireland’s David Higgins (124), Essex’s Robert Coles (127), Russell Claydon (130) and Van Phillips were other near-misses.

Sheffield’s Mark Roe, however, produced a brilliant performance to secure his future.

Roe began the week in 131st on the Order of Merit and needing to finish at least fourth to stand a chance of moving into the safety zone.

The 38-year-old’s prospects did not look good when he began the day in 13th, seven shots off the lead, but he fired a flawless closing 66 to claim a four-way share of third place that lifted him to 111th on the money list.

‘‘That was fun but it hasn’t changed my viewpoint about playing less golf next year,’’ said Roe, who can now have his pick of events next season in what he insists will be his 18th and last on tour.

Havret, meanwhile, secured a place in the £2m Volvo Masters with his win.

‘‘I’m very happy of course,’’ the former French amateur champion said. ‘‘It’s my first year on tour and to win a tournament is great.

‘‘My first goal was just to keep my card so this is a great bonus.’’