Check out Chaka Travel sponsee Matt’s report from the PGA EuroPro Tour Q School Final Stage.
Once you are at the final stage, it’s now all about improving your playing card for the year. 240 players get through to finals with only 80 to make a cut for the final days play.
The most important target for the week here is if you do not make the cut, do not give up, you must still shoot as low as you can. As the higher up in the field you finish, the more tour starts you will receive for the year.
Day 1 of PGA EuroPro Tour Q School Final Stage
I was off on day one playing the tougher red course. I was feeling good and had been playing so well and I couldn’t wait to get started.
And I was off to a flyer with birdies at the 2nd and 6th to go to -2 under par – but unfortunately the birdies dried up as the putter got cold and I could not get anything done on the greens.
At the end of day 1, I signed for a 75 +3, not a disaster and still in the hunt to make the cut on day 2.
Day 2 of PGA EuroPro Tour Q School Final Stage
and playing the slightly easier blue course and finally, some sunshine came out so I was ready to go.
Playing the back nine first again frustration as the putter was cold and I could not get anything to drop – through nine I was another +3 and now +6 for the comp.
So my target now changed to if I was to miss the cut still get as low as I can – no bogeys but par after par, good I wasn’t dropping shots but I was also not gaining any ground without birdies.
Then into the par 3 6th a great approach left me with another birdie chance which finally dropped and I moved back in the right direction.
Onto the par 4 7th and unlucky to find the bunker and not get up and down put me back to square one.
So need a big finish and with the par 5 up next only one thing for it I’m going for it and trying to make eagle.
After my tee shot, I still had 265 yards to the pin, so I went with hitting my 3 wood and it never left the pin. I would even go to say it was one of my best shots I have ever hit from 265 yards out. I put my approach to about 7ft and then holed the putt EAGLE!!
Now I was back to only +4 still missing the cut but right back up in top half of field where I need to be. I went long on my 18th and didn’t get up and down so finished with a very frustrating bogey and was +5 for the tournament
My finish is my highest so far on the EuroPro Tour and in previous years I managed to play the majority of the tour, so fingers crossed 2018 will be the same.
Good luck to you all for your golfing for 2018
All the best
Matt