DANIEL Brooks admits it was a huge relief to sink a monster 85-foot putt for an eagle which has earned him a place among golf’s elite.

The 26-year-old from Basildon was facing the agony of just missing out on a European Tour card coming into the final four holes of a week-long epic at the Qualifying School final in Spain.

But an escape from the rough left him on the fringe of the 15th hole at the PGA Catalunya Resort, and he sent a putt snaking along the green before seeing it drop mercifully into the cup.

That put him back within the top 25 qualifying places and he brilliantly held it together over the last three holes to become one of 27 players from 15 countries to earn their place on the 2014 Race to Dubai.

Brooks said: “I’d been shaving the hole with a few putts throughout my final round and it had got to the stage where I thought it was not going to happen.

“Then I holed one from 85 foot and it felt great. It was just relief really.

“I’ve never putted one as long as that at such an important time.

“I still had three tough holes remaining but they were the best I had played all week really.

“I hit a couple of really good drives and it felt good to finally come through it, knowing I had got my card.”

Mill Hill Golf Club member Brooks played on the European Tour this year alongside Thorpe Hall’s Richard McEvoy and Matt Southgate, but the former had to withdraw from the Qualifying School through illness and the latter missed the cut.

Brooks carded rounds of 65, 71, 69, 66, 76 and 71 at the competition, which is regarded as one of the toughest tests in the sport.

He was regularly in the running for top spot but ultimately finished 16 shots adrift of runaway leader, Spain’s Carlos Del Moral.

Brooks’ joy was slightly tempered, though, when he realised he has needlessly missed out on a place at the European Tour’s season-opening South African Open in Johannesburg this week.

He said: “It’s a bit frustrating because I could have gone to that, but I forgot to sign up.

“I’m still trying to sort something out but it looks unlikely, so hopefully I’ll get out there next week (for the Alfred Dunhill Champion-ships in South Africa).”