Irish Golf Desk

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Mallorca blow for Lawrie

Peter Lawrie suffered a crushing double blow to his season in the Mallorca Classic.

The Dubliner, 33, failed to grab his first tour win and then agonisingly missed out on a place in this week's Volvo Masters when he double bogeyed the 16th and bogeyed the last.

Instead, Frenchman Gregory Bourdy took his maiden title after a closing 67 left him two strokes clear of England's Sam Little on 12 under par.

Lawrie had to settle for a share of fifth place with Johan Edfors on six under par after disappointing two over par 72.

His cheque for €77,400 was little consolation as he needed third place to qualify for the Volvo Masters but finished up nearly €50,000 short at 66th in the Order of Merit.

Lawrie said: "I am disappointed that I gave myself the opportunity but unfortunately didn't take it. But that's life.

"Looking on the bright side, I have improved this season and I will take the positives into next season."

Putting brilliantly all week, Lawrie was just one stroke off the lead starting the day.

But he found himself five behind Bourdy with five to play as he mixed a birdie at the sixth with bogeys at the eighth and 12th.

Bounce-back birdies at the 14th and 15th left him just two shots off the lead and looking good to grab a Volvo Masters spot.

But he drove into sand at the 16th, thinned his recovery off the face into another bunker and took six.

After an expensive bogey at the par-three 18th, Lawrie said: "I played nicely but I had one bad break on 16 and that was about it.

"It was a five-iron and I just caught it thin, ran up the lip and into the other bunker and up the lip of that one. It was one of those things."

The last regular event of the season was a nerve-jangler for the players battling to retain their cards.

Runner-up Little fought back tears as he secured his card at the last attempt but Southport's Lee Slattery missed out by just €77 as Little, Richard Finch and former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin overtook him.

Ireland will have just three players in the Volvo Masters with Padraig Harrington joined by Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley.

McDowell tied for 11th on four under in Mallorca after a closing 68 with McGinley 34th after a 72.

McGinley failed to make it on merit as he finished 74th in the Order of Merit but tees it up at Valderrama as a past champion.