DANIEL Brooks will be hoping for a bit more luck this weekend as he bids to land the big purse which could seal his place on next season’s European Tour.

The 25-year-old from Basildon is an agonising 76 euros outside the top 20 ranking spot he needs to gain a place on next year’s premier tour heading into today’s Challenge de Catalunya in Spain.

He could have been 600 euros better off had he not picked up three penalty shots in last week’s Allianz Golf Open Toulouse Metropole in France in avoidable circumstances.

The Mill Hill Golf Club member, who also practices at Langdon Hill, was on course for a great finish when he hit a six iron for an eagle in his final round. His ball lodged in the hole, but rested against the flag pole, and when he picked up the ball without removing the flag first he was given two penalty shots.

And that was compounded later in the round when he lost another shot for hitting the ball against his own trolley.

It left him on one-under for the tournament and he finished the weekend in 21st place in the standings, with a season’s total of 53,087 euros – just behind 20th placed Lasse Jensen on 53,163 euros.

Brooks was in Barcelona yesterday as he prepares to tee off this morning at the Club de Golf La Graeira in a group with Rafa Echenique and Christophe.

His dad Mick Brooks admitted he’ll be hoping for a bit more luck at the tournament, which contains a strong field with no fewer than 13 champions from this season’s Challenge Tour.

“Daniel knows he has got to do something in one of the last few tournaments,” he said.

“It might mean winning won or getting in the top five, but he needs a big result.

“He’d be in a much better position if he hadn’t had bad luck last week.

"But the important thing is he’s playing well and he’s confident he can have the finish to the season that he needs.”

Thorpe Hall pro Matt Southgate is also playing at the event; he tees off this morning in a group with Sergio Gonzalez Garcia and Brooks Koepka.