Green duo in with a chance of Tour call (From Echo)

Green duo in with a chance of Tour call

2:30pm Wednesday 8th December 2010 in Sport

BASILDON’S Daniel Brooks and Thorpe Hall’s Matt Southgate play their fourth rounds at the European Tour’s qualifying school final in Spain today, and both have a good chance of making the cut and winning a place on next year’s European Tour.

Brooks was on nett 144 after his opening two rounds. He got off to a bad start with a five-over par 77, but recovered well in his second round with a three-under 67, including an eagle on the seventh.

And he followed that up with a two-under par 70 to leave him on nett 214 and par for the tournament after three rounds.

Speaking to the Echo from the PGA Catalunya in Girona course in Spain yesterday, Brooks said: “I’ve struggled a bit this week.

“I am scoring OK but I am not hitting the ball well.

“Last week I was playing really well, but this week it just hasn’t been the same.”

Brooks expects the cut to be around four or five under after today’s fourth round, and knows he’ll need to be at his best to make it.

He said: “I’m on the Tour course, which is the easier one and the one I was three-under on the other day.

“It’s going to be tough but if I have another good round, I might just make it.”

Southgate, meanwhile, carded a two-over par, 74, on his first round.

He had two birdies, four pars, and three bogeys on the front nine, and then a birdie, six bars, and two bogeys on the back nine.

He followed that up with 69 in each of his next two rounds to leave him on nett 212, and two under for the tournament.

Those scores have left both of them in the middle of a field of 156, and still in with a chance of winning a coveted European Tour card, which will be granted to the top 30 players at the close of play on Thursday.

Southgate and Brooks have already come through a series of gruelling qualifying tournaments to reach to reach the final stage of this event, which draws about 1,000 entrants every year.

This week in Spain, they will hope to make the cut to the leading 70 players after four rounds, in order to play a further two rounds on the notorious Stadium course. And after 108 holes, the top 30 players will be placed in the Category 11 of the European Tour for the 2011 season.

They will all also receive a slice of the £150,000 of prize money on offer.