Our Chaka Travel sponsee Matt’s report from the first stage of the EuroPro Tour Q School is in.
Such an important event, your whole season is depending on how you play over the next couple of weeks. Failure to get out of the first stage and your dreams of playing on the EuroPro Tour for the year are already over.
Day 1 of EuroPro Tour Q School First Stage
What a day awaited the 84 players trying to qualify. High winds and torrential rain meant it was not going to be an easy day.
My tee time was 10:25 am and even though it was pouring down with rain, I went through all of my normal warm-up routines and got ready to play.
I stood on the tee with my playing partners about to tee off when the claxon went off - play was suspended! Before I even got to hit a shot, we were running for cover back in the clubhouse.
There we sat, for 4 hours, until we got the nod that play would be resumed.
A par on my first hole, before a birdie on the second and then yes, the claxon goes off again for another suspension in play.
The weather was relentless; with fading daylight also a factor, the EuroPro Tour committee decided to make the first stage an 18-hole comp only, and invited us to go home and return the next day for an 08:30 am start.
Day 2 of EuroPro Tour Q School First Stage
I was in an OK position and feeling pretty confident. Although I still had 16 holes to play, I was at least already under par from the day before, so was happy.
Yesterday I started my round on the 10th hole, so I was playing the back nine first. Starting on the 12th, a par 5, I made the green in 2 and two-putted for another birdie, quickly finding myself 2 under par.
Five pars followed before I played a great approach into the tough 18th to set up another birdie chance, which I took to reach the turn in -3 under par (through 9 holes).
A couple of mistakes on the front nine's par 3's took me back to -1 for the day before I took advantage of the remaining two par 5's by making birdie on both to finish the round on -3 and in a tie for 3rd place, comfortably through to the final stage at Frilford Heath.
So job done for part one.