Resurgent Little targets emphatic victory

Six years after he thought his European Tour career was over, England’s Stuart Little has the chance this weekend to put the icing on easily the best season of his golfing life.

The 38-year-old left-hander goes into the third round of the Abama Canaries Open in Tenerife joint leader with South African Michael Kirk and eyeing a first victory 18 years after he made his tour debut.

At 74th on the Order of Merit – 44 places higher than he has ever finished before – Little is the top-ranked player taking part in an event which was never going to attract any big names. They are all at the American Express world championship in San Francisco.

“I had a spell in the mid-90s when I walked away from the touring side,” he said following a 67.

“If someone had said in August 1999 that I would be playing the tour again in 2000 I would have laughed at them.”

The late Mark McCormack, who headed the giant International Management Group, was instrumental in encouraging Little to try again and, after surviving last year’s qualifying school with just a shot to spare, he has already earned over £200,000 this season.

Now his goal – apart from lifting the title, of course – is to be among the top 60 money-winners who play the end-of-season Volvo Masters at Valderrama. He probably needs another £60,000.

“Golfers improve at different ages – that’s the wonderful thing about this game,” he added.

“I can handle myself better in difficult situations and look at things differently to 10 years ago.

“A clear state of mind is a productive state of mind.”

Kirk, 22nd on this season’s ‘second division’ Challenge Tour and needing one good finish to graduate to the main circuit, joined him on seven under par with a 66, grabbing birdies at four of his last seven holes.

One behind are another South African, Titch Moore, and New Zealander Stephen Scahill, who are fighting to extend their tour careers.

Moore, seventh in last week’s Dunhill links championship at St Andrews, is 123rd on the Order of Merit and Scahill 141st. Only the leading 115 keep their cards for next season after the Majorca Classic in two weeks’ time.

Joint fifth on five under are English trio Mark Roe playing his 500th tour event, John Bickerton, five times a runner-up on the circuit without ever winning, and Peter Baker, one of Ian Woosnam’s assistants for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Roe and Bickerton are 117th and 118th on the money list and 35-year-old Bickerton echoed what Little said.

“At the end of the day it’s down to thinking clearly and I’ve found that hard this year with divorce and stuff,” said the Droitwich golfer, who last had to visit the qualifying school in 1997, but is now in danger of a return after missing the halfway cut in five of his last six starts.

“I’ve been a bit nervy, but I imagine everybody is.”

There was some good news for him and Roe off the course, though. Former Open champion John Daly does not now plan to come back to Europe this year and will therefore drop off the Order of Merit, as will Bernhard Langer and Australian Peter Lonard because they have not played the required 11 events for inclusion.

With Indian Jyoti Randhawa, currently 103rd, an affiliate member he does not count either, so if Bickerton and Roe can merely maintain their positions that will be good enough.

Baker still has it all to do. He is down in 166th place.